Looking West: The Resurgence of the Western Style Into the Mainstream

Sights | Ella Bowles

The old-west and the western fantasy has been a pop-culture icon since, well, forever. In recent months, it’s only grown into a much larger, perhaps more modernised phenomenon. I remember falling in love with the look in tenth grade after coming across the iconic photo of Lily Rose-Depp wearing a pink cowboy hat at her 18th birthday party. I was, to sum it up, in love. Despite it being a very attractive party theme, what is it that really sells this look and moves it out of the party “costume” realm, and more into our “prêt-à-porter” closets for day-to-day wear?

If you want to be cowboy, it’s a lot easier to carry the look than one might think. Though it may seem like you need to dawn chaps and spurs to make it work, it’s actually a lot simpler than we might expect. It can even be done simply through a clear colour palette! Surprisingly, the practical, simple garments (think tee-and jeans) we usually associate with “basic” outfits are common in the cowboy roster. Brown leather and classic dark wash jeans are an absolute staple, as seen on Kendall Jenner, who stays wholly committed to this equestrian look of the west. Not to mention, the horse-embroidered cap in Jenner’s look gives a contemporary alternative to the more traditional Stetson style hat. Now, we can’t all go full boil like Kendall and establish ourselves a proper stable on a ranch in Calabasas, but it’s easy enough to play horse with the right components.

As mentioned, denim and leather are huge in the western look and such staples go back further than we might think. Cracking open our fashion history textbooks here, the true cowboys of the 1800s employed leather garments while riding in order to protect their own clothing from wear and tear, as well as to provide a shield from sharp plants in the areas they would ride in. So, the next time you consider a leather jacket or boots to be a bit of a blasphemous price, think of the newfound security you’ll be purchasing along with it!

The possibilities of leather and jeans are truly endless. The classic leather jacket cut is indeed a closet staple, and adding tassels to the sleeves can make for a unique twist to the look, elevating the style above and beyond its existing allure. And though ”classy” may not be the first word that comes to mind in this style, it can be done.

Most classily – being sure to remove all biases to the fact she was a princess and my own fixation on the costume design in recent seasons of The Crown - a mid-90s Lady Di can be seen sporting western-styled boots paired with an athleisure style ensemble. Though maybe an unusual pairing, I bring back that argument for the versatility of this unique style. Sometimes, sure, it takes a bit of courage to wear this perhaps Halloween costume-adjacent style, but you’d be surprised how many different styles and garments can be beautifully blended with the look of the old west.

As a proud owner of my very own black leather cowboy boots that I am truly attached to, I can assure you, once again with all biases aside, this look is cool. Plus, the fun part about the western look is the amount of liberty you have to explore around it! Even though the more accessible, classic side caters around that brown leather look, the 70s style Rhinestone Cowboy – think Dolly Parton – is on the come up as well. Though maybe not as versatile, it isn’t any less fun to try out. This style, though timeless, is gaining more and more traction this season and is certainly developing into something big, and with contemporary influences coupled with traditional western styles, the possibilities are endless. The verdict is in for this season and truly, old west is best.