by Slap on your chaps and dig out the rodeo gear – London is on the cusp of a hot summer of cowboys.
Anyone reluctant to tackle Beyoncé, whose country-inspired album, Cowboy Carter, is out tomorrow. The March 19 album cover release confirmed her new look: on horseback, wearing a red white and blue ensemble with Paris Texas boots and a cowboy hat. He ensured the unlikely revival of western style, all with the sound of his hit Texas Hold ‘Em.
There was a time in London — in the early summer months of last year between Harry Styles’ sell-out Wembley Stadium week and the release of the movie Barbie — when we hit the peak of the nouveau western and yet another neon-pink scene, feathered. a cowboy hat shipped in from China caused an involuntary retch.
Clint Eastwood’s great accents – triple denim, brimmed caps, bolo ties and vintage cowboy boots (in normal colours, not snake print green or red or, oh no help, metallic silver) – were boiled down to one hen death. knell, and we thought: I’ll eat my hat if anything on nearby Texas comes back for at least a few years.
And yet, in recent weeks, everything is back, all over the world. In a stunning show of support for the fad, Bella Hadid has joined Mexican-American horse trainer cowboy Adan Banuelos as she is pictured grooming him at the American Performance Horseman show in Texas. TMZ reported that she has bought a house in Fort Worth, as sources said she now has a “total boyfriend.” Rihanna is currently on the cover of Vogue China, cowboy singer Orville Peck is only growing in notoriety, and, in Paris, Pharrell Williams showed off a 76-look, spaghetti western look for his menswear collection. autumn-winter 2024 for Louis Vuitton.
The musician-creative director spoke back on the aesthetic. One in four boys was black, but the representation is whitewashed. “When you see cowboys being portrayed… you don’t really see what some of the original cowboys look like,” he said. “They look like me, they look black, they look Native American.” Borrowing these urban cowboy looks—all silk shirts and padded black leather Vuitton hats—is an A-list rite of passage. Beyoncé wore the ultimate look to the Grammys, while Colman Domingo paired tuxedo flares and cowboy boots from the brand at the Oscars.
All of this endorsement (plus 11.4 million views of “Cowboycore” on TikTok) led to a surge in popularity. Since news of the Cowboy Carter album dropped, John Lewis reported a 62 percent increase in searches for cowboy boots, while Clearpay saw sales of cowboy hats increase by 326 percent year-on-year, and fringed suede jackets by 45 percent. Gen Z is scouring Depop for its ilk, with edge searches up 58 percent since the start of the month.
In London, the people who serve one niche market are far too early. Jessie Western, in Portobello Road, custom-fits Kate Moss and Lana Del Rey with hand-painted boots, and Hey Cowboy! from Brick Lane, mecca of bandanas, chaps and suede suits. “The West is having a moment right now,” says founder Ed, who started Hey Cowboy! as a stall in 2021 before opening its bricks and mortar post in May of last year.
“It’s a whole world of style, from conservative to camp and everything in between with room for everyone. It’s timeless because it’s rooted in practicality – but unlike the featureless workwear we’re so familiar with, it has style and flair. You’re not afraid to be sexy,” he says. The shop owner’s style guide is: “Keep it simple: cowboy boots, jeans, tee, trucker cap; or boots and a dress. Mix western elements into your clothes. One or two items are enough to give a strong western feeling. “For the rest, the materials continued: denim, leather, suede, wool, cotton. These will give your outfit a western kick without looking obvious, and avoid extremes that are too big or too thin. Western clothes look best when they fit properly.”
Other outlets located here have successfully sold western goods online. Vintage Cowboy Store is one and, founder Marina Dudzik says, her sales have tripled compared to last year. “I called my newsletter ‘The Year of Cowboy’ in January and that was it!,” she says. “The style is linked to history and culture, so when you’re into it, you’re more likely to be a Dolly Parton fan, and names [designer] Nudie Cohn and [early western film actor] Tom Mix,” she says. “What Mix Mix said that really resonates with me is ‘The Old West isn’t a certain place at a certain time, it’s a state of mind. It doesn’t matter what you want to be.”
She recommends avoiding luxury copycats and sticking to heritage. “I definitely want to invest in quality brands from the US – look for labels like Stetson [who have a Soho outlet], H Bar C, Rockmount Ranchwear, Panhandle and, of course, Wrangler,” she says. Also, keep an eye out for archival finds. “I am obsessed with the creations of the Californian tailors: Nudie Cohn, Nathan Turk and Rodeo Ben. “These were all eastern European immigrants who came to America with their visions and changed the style, dressing people like Elvis Presley, John Wayne, Gene Autry or Roy Rogers,” she says.
Luke Day, the former fashion director of GQ Magazine, is a long-time channeler of style in the capital, recognizable by his huge cowboy hat in street style pictures at international fashion weeks. “I even have the word cowboy tattooed on my chest,” he says. “The obvious way to mix some western into your look is with a hat – it doesn’t have to be a completely fancy outfit. It looks great with a coat and casual clothes.” His other suggestions include wearing a small necklace, or stuffing one in your back pocket, and adding a turquoise bolo tie to a flannel shirt.
Finding all the ingredients shouldn’t be a problem. Even M&S is pushing out a triple denim look for its spring collection, and Whistles has a suede tassel jacket that’s the spitting image of Jon Voight’s in Midnight Cowboy. And like Voight’s Joe Buck, who strutted around a smooth New York farm in the 1969 film, the latest look is totally urban-centric. You don’t need to be able to mount a horse – you’ll be fine riding the Overground in a spur.
Giddy up! And get the look…
Lani Tassel Suede Jacket, Olive, £339, johnlewis.com
Ralph Lauren, Braid Leather Bolo Tie, £250, ralphlauren.co.uk
Maison Margiela, Printed cotton jersey T-shirt, £450, mytheresa.com
501 Levi’s Original Jumper, £100, levi.com
Mango, Oversize Check Shirt, £45.99, johnlewis.com
Ruslan Baginskiy Crystal Embellished Cowboy Hat, £1,700, ruslanbaginskiy.com
Paris Texas, El Dorado cowboy boots, £900, paristexasbrand.com
Twoys, Cowboy Ring, £53, twokeys.com
Stetson, Ranson Western Vented Toyo Straw Hat, £149, stetson.eu
Penelope Chilvers, Goldie Embroidered Cowboy Boots, £329, penelopechilvers.com
