Modern Western: An American Comeback

The Wild, Wild West. It began in the late nineteenth century - cowboys and cowgirls, sheriffs and outlaws roamed the American frontier. While it has morphed into Modern Western style, the original clothing of Old Western fashion held important purposes in the day-to-day lives of these cattle-herding men and women.

JEANS: Prior to the revolutionary namesake of Levi Strauss, pants were made of wool and canvas. Strauss took denim overalls that had emerged during the Gold Rush and improved the designs to better suit the lives of cowboys. His work was revolutionary, to say the least, and became the most popular pant style among cowboys. Old trends die hard, and Levi Jeans are still alive and well-worn - hugging the waists of millions today. Jeans would later evolve and develop through numerous generations and hundreds of trends.

COWBOY HATS: Interestingly enough, the classic cowboy hat was not historically worn by real cowboys! Cowboy hats were mostly used in classic wild west movies such as Sabata and Django. While the movie trend stood the test of time, it did shift slightly. Cowboy hats have taken a more stylistic turn today. They are seen to have a flatter and more round brim, as opposed to the classic ovular, upturned More of a boho Western style!

COWBOY BOOTS: The cowboy boot is possibly the most well-known aspect of Western fashion, both old and modern. Traditionally, cowboy boots were made from cowhide leather and looked much like suede. They were sometimes made from other animal skins as well, including alligator, buffalo, and elk. This made them durable and sustainable. While cowboy boots today are often not made from animal skins, they have kept the iconic pointed toe, high shaft, and curved top. Some have transformed into a more fashionable high heel and have taken on brighter and trendier colors - white, purple, red, pink - as opposed to only neutral browns. Nonetheless, the timeless boot is carrying fashion followers from grocery stores to galas.

Past generational trends, such as Y2K fashion from the 2000s, have returned to the closets of millions recently. The fashion world has taken these existing trends and added Western style, creating Modern Western. Animal print halter tops, boot cut jeans, statement western belts, fringe sleeve jean jackets, animal print fabric sewn onto denim. Rather than out of practicality, Western clothing has made its modern reappearance climbing up the ladder of trending fashion in good taste. The trends are a fusion of rustic rodeo meets chic boho, making a statement with country flair. As it’s re-emerged today, Modern Western fashion is making a trendy and transformational comeback on sidewalks, runways, and Instagram feeds everywhere.