From a shitty Shein fringe, to high quality cowboy boots, how have western touches played a part in our more modern fashion trends, and how have we seen it rise and fall within the last year? 

Without a doubt the resurgence of western twang in music has lent a hand to the rise of culturally and fashionably western clothing pieces. Most notably, Beyonce’s Cowboy Carter album, which was a clap-back at the white country music community who shamed Beyonce for displaying country like tones in her former music, and who ignored the heavily steep black roots in country music. This notation of country and western as an inherently white fashion statement or way of life is one of the major signifiers that this trend is exactly that, a fad, a passing moment in time which peaked in early 2024 with the full western getup. Andrew Chow from Time magazine in an article titled “Black Artists Helped Build Country Music—And Then It Left Them Behind” dives deeper into the Black history of country with the classic “Old Town Road” by Lil’ Naz X. The critique and exclusion of his song as country is a consistent pattern within the country music community of leaving out black artists because they do not fit the modern day image of a “cowboy”. The very twang that makes up country music in its most core factors is made up of elements derived from african roots such as the banjo, which was commodified as a minstrel performance prop before creating this mocking form of song into a genre of music. 

It is no secret the ties between Native American cultural wear has been appropriated into western fashion with presences of leather, “cowboy” hats, feathers, and turquoise. Many of the clothing choices Native Americans invented became central to the farmer cowboy way of life in historical America, so much so that we as an examining community release the ties to Native American cultures and give credit to the stereotypical western cowboy the media has created. 

 It is important to acknowledge the true historical roots of fashion trends, especially when the tie is this direct, however this is not to say you cant have fun with the trends. Over the past year we have seen western fashion creeping into everyday outfits with accessories such as fringe, larger leather belts, boots in general as a flair, and even hats (to lean a bit more into the trend). Reminiscent of the boho chic style, much like the more showy displays of fashion found in 2020, the western trend is predicting a more expressive era of fashion, which I applaud. Daisy Edgar Jones, amid her press tour for her summer movie “Twisters” has been seen expressing hints of this boho chic style that has clear ties to the more western elements we have seen from early 2024 such as frilly, neutral palette clothing, longer style necklaces, and a hint of vintage styled accessories, like baggy purses or larger sunglasses. Vintage has always been in style. 

One of the main elements of this ‘western wear’ we social media goers so idolize is the durability of the clothing. From jeans that will actually last a lifetime, to a quality hat, all the way to hand crafted well made boots, this is not a trend that should be encouraged by fast fashion. To reach full authenticity of the trend, fast fashion is not an option. 

The western trend along with some more recent trends such as the mob wife, are encouraging the fast fashion industry, but also perhaps are signaling a more significant message we have been ignoring for the past few decades: fashion is meant to be sustainable. Yes you could buy a cheap fur coat from a department store, but the real trend lies in being able to obtain a vintage, authentic fur coat. Similarly we have seen a cheapened display of the western cowboy aesthetic with boots that are pleather and machine made, along with flimsy hats, fake turquoise, and belts that probably cost less than a dollar to make, but the authenticity of the cowboy aesthetic is finding good quality boots that you can walk in, a hat that blocks the sun (yes it can be stylish too), and a jacket that isn't going to fall apart at the slightest hint of water. 

The ability to keep up with these trends is a clear reflection of how the fashion industry favors the wealthy, yet if we examine this issue from another perspective, perhaps it tells us to invest in our fashion rather than trying to keep up with fashion. Howdy! 

Sources:

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Ken-burns-country-music-black-artists 

Credits

Photography: Lucy Ploof

Models: Winnie Miller, Carly Naour, Kailey Wilkens, Eliza Covarrubias

Edited by: Sydney Waldrop