KTSW Loves: Rhinestone Cowboy

By Lindsay Bochat

Promotions and Community Relations Member

If you’re anything like me, you’re constantly updating your Pinterest boards with outfit inspiration. With hundreds of pins of uniquely curated pieces all in one place, you know precisely what you’re looking for but, where can you find these one-of-a-kind pieces?

For the past several years, we’ve been experiencing what I like to call a “vintage revolution.” With it being nearly impossible to keep up with the cycle of online micro-fashion trends, shopping for vintage or second-hand has become more popular than ever. Discovering your personal style can be difficult but it doesn’t have to be.

Rhinestone Cowboy located at 235B N LBJ, San Marcos, Texas has been helping people discover their style with their thoughtfully curated vintage shop since their grand opening in January of 2024. I discovered Rhinestone Cowboy completely by chance. My friend and I decided spontaneously to go to The Square for Margarita Day. Neither of us were dressed for the occasion and as fate would have it, we walked right into Rhinestone Cowboy. We put together outfits we both loved and had a blast doing it. There was such a wide variety of styles, shapes and sizes, and it made me curious about the people behind the eclectic collection.

Over the weekend I got to sit down with one of the owners and founders of Rhinestone Cowboy, Eddie Christy. When I asked about the history of the store, Christy shared that at the start of 2023 he, his wife Nicole Planta, and their partner Christa Rowe decided it was time to have their first permanent location as Rhinestone Cowboy.

“We started pop-ups several years ago, but this is our first store. I dig that we’re not in San Antonio or Austin, but I also dig that those markets are there. San Marcos is just a good easy vibe, and we love that the river is there all the time,” Christy said.

I believe that in a college town finding your dream pieces for affordable prices can be a game changer. Christy shared my sentiment.

“We just did a custom styling for a young man who was heading to Mexico. He had walked through the outlet malls and wasn’t impressed. Then he came here, spent way less money, and looked way cooler when he walked out the door.”

Sometimes sifting through racks upon racks of donated clothes can be exhausting. I don’t always have the mental bandwidth to sort through old orchestra T-shirts and tattered leggings. That’s where curated vintage collections can be so convenient and beneficial.

Christy has been collecting vintage his whole life, and said pieces get selected by the aesthetic rather than the designer.

“We have a ton of different designers, of course with vintage you find all types of stuff. We don’t necessarily go for particular designers as we do particular types of aesthetics. The glitter, the glam, the sparkle, the rough and the grit, and all that in between.”

It was terrific getting to know the Rhinestone Cowboy family better. If you want to invest in a local business that is invested in you, stop by and find your next perfect piece and follow them on Instagram @likearhinestonecowboy where they feature new and unique pieces frequently. Don’t forget to say hello to Eddie Christy and tell him KTSW sent you.