It’s Time To Try The Western Look

We’re blaming pop culture. The thing with the cowboy is, he’s never really off our screens for long. Five years ago, Yellowstone landed. A decade ago, there was Django Unchained. Before that, Russell Crowe in 3:10 To Yuma, Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger in Brokeback Mountain… The list goes on, back through Paul Newman, Clint Eastwood and beyond. 

Along the way, the style has been refined. The fringing’s been pared back, and the boots have been toned down, but some key elements have stood the test of time. Rugged denim, worn-in leather, shearling, suede and Native American-style embroidery are here to stay.

Pharrell Williams, in his latest guise as creative director of Louis Vuitton, recently gave the fashion world an overdue diverse take on western style, spotlighting what he called the “original cowboys”. Dsquared2 has presented dirty-looking plaid shirts and distressed denim with a few retro rodeo touches.

Meanwhile, some cool, contemporary brands are pushing a ‘wearable western’ look. Bode has taken modern classics like a simple linen jacket or straight-leg trousers and reworked them with embroidery, patchwork details and wild west-style illustrations. Sid Mashburn is a name to know for pops of colour and Navajo-style references – check out the belts. Rhude is a go-to for bandana prints that can slot into your wardrobe in the form of bags, shoes, shirts or even an actual bandana. 

Then there’s Tom Ford. Current collections from the man who nailed the urban cowboy look in 2014’s Nocturnal Animals feature shearling and suede trucker-style jackets, western-inspired denim, and woven leather and rope belts. That other American style icon Ralph Lauren has been turning out cowboy-influenced collections since the early 80s. You can see subtle western touches across the brand today, but especially in its great RRL line.