Western Wear Is Back
Image Courtesy: Glamour
Unless you don’t have social media, access to the news, or even a phone at all, I’m sure that you’ve seen the rise of “cowboy core” within the past week. The style has slowly been making its comeback, as seen in Scorsese’s Oscar-nominated film Killers of the Flower Moon, or the Louis Vuitton FW24 menswear collection presented by creative director Pharrell as a “Western Epic”. However, Western wear didn’t reach high trending status until Beyoncé and Lana Del Rey made the shocking announcement that both artists would be entering their country era.
Up until now, the coastal cowgirl aesthetic was in the spotlight, featuring a color palette of light blues, tan, and white along with fabrics such as linen and lace. While coastal cowgirl may stick around, more traditional Western wear is taking center stage. Think cowboy boots, wide-brimmed hats, and lots of fringe.
Now, Western wear isn’t anything new, but there has been a surge of musicians, designers, and models seen sporting the aesthetic. This trend had a similar explosion in the early 2000s, but now Gen-Z is putting their own personal twist on it. Remember Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake’s denim duo look at the 2001 American Music Awards? Those outfits perfectly captured the mix of country denim and Hollywood glitz, as well as simply being one of the most iconic award show fits ever. More recently, fans of Taylor Swift and Harry Styles have grown familiar with a brighter, more colorful version of the cowboy trend, wearing cowboy hats adorned with rhinestones and feather boas at their concerts.
Image Courtesy: ONE37PM
Even though all these musicians had an impact on the popular revival of Western wear, Miss Queen Bey had the most influence by far. During the Superbowl, she announced that she would be making the genre switch to country. According to Boohoo, “After the Super Bowl, global Google searches for “cowboy hat” shot up 212.5%, while searches for “bolo tie” were up a whopping 566%,” solidifying that fans are loving this aesthetic.
But now onto the runway. Not only did Louis Vuitton present a show of Western garb, but other brands such as Diesel and DSquared2 have been incorporating the “yeehaw agenda” into their designs. Pharrell’s LV menswear collection featured “embroidered, flared suit pants, chunky belts, cowboy hats, and bolo tie necklaces.”
Meanwhile, in womenswear, trendy label Ganni attracted the Coachella crowd by re-envisioning the classic cowboy boot, of course, paired with a prairie dress. Even the most luxurious designer brands are hopping on the trend. Chanel’s couture FW23 collection showcased a country version of their signature tweed design. A highlighted runway look from Chanel’s show featured a tweed dress in the shade of dark wash denim, covered in rhinestones with tulle off the sleeves that resembled fringe.
So yes, cowboy fashion is definitely making its comeback. There are many ways to pull off this aesthetic. You can purchase the staple pieces like a pair of cowboy boots and a cowboy hat. Or, if you’re not ready to fully commit, there are more subtle ways to incorporate Western wear into your daily streetwear by wearing double denim, vintage leathers, or even Western-style belts. And if you ever need any inspiration, Beyoncé is now here to lead the way.
Strike Out,
Writer: Nikki Cohen
Editor: Cristina Angee
Tallahassee