The Wild Wild West Rode Into Fashion

If you scrolled through your Instagram feed this past weekend, you probably saw at least one group of Halloween-goers dressed as cowboys; whether they were intergalactic or just the classic cowboy.  This trend of costumes didn’t just come from a desire to dress as a Western hero for one night.  

Belts, boots, bolo ties, cow print, fringe, prairie dresses, puffy sleeves, peasant tops, denim, flannel, patchwork, and every shape of hat imaginable… This western trend encompasses so many different styles and can be applied to nearly everyone’s personal taste. Girly, edgy, urban, or sleek? It works. Whether western means black and white cowboy films, everyone has some sort of concept of what it is.

But, the proprietors of fashion have taken it and molded it over the past two years into something that is not going anywhere quite yet.  Each season, it just gets better. And the hats and fringe jackets continue to get recognition on major magazine covers nearly everywhere.  

Hailey Bieber was the cover star for Australian Vogue in September.  The entire shoot was based in the west and featured her in everything from denim and sherpa to peasant dresses and a cowboy hat. 

Gigi Hadid’s Mexican Vogue cover was also Western-inspired, but in a completely different way.  Her outfits were primarily black, leather, and embellished with turquoise and gold details. She also wore her blonde hair down to her waist.  

The key to this trend is its versatility.  It’s an “anything goes” type style. Similar to streetwear, it all just goes.  There are no boundaries. 

One of the most refreshing attributes of Western wear is it throws away the attachment to designer labels.  Not to say high-end designers have not added belt buckles and fringe jackets to their collections because they certainly have. But rather it steers fashion connoisseurs away from logo mania and back to the most basic foundations of dressing.

Cowboys and cowgirls dressed for their days.  They needed coats for warmth, leather chaps for horseback riding, and wide-brimmed hats for protection from the sun.  Not one of these articles of clothing donned a logo that proved their status.

Western wear is easy to achieve, easy to find, and easy to be inspired by.  Keep your eyes peeled to see where designers and online shops take this trend next. A trend that some might have thought would stop at the double-buckle western belt has grown into a list longer than this article.  

Let’s see how you style some Western wear on the go (horse and carriage not required)! Tag us using #ELonOOTD to be featured!