Cowboy Style Is 2024's Defining Trend. Here's How to Do It Right
GQ RecommendsFrom rugged western belts to beefy snap-front shirts, this is everything you need to add a little giddy-up to your getups.By Gerald OrtizNovember 5, 2024Photo: Getty ImagesSave this storySaveSave this storySaveAll products are independently selected by our editors. If you buy something, we may earn an affiliate commission.Over the last few years, cowboy style has swaggered off the ranch and onto the streets. For proof, look no further than Pharrell’s expansive homage to western style at Louis Vuitton, or GQ’s upcoming Men of the Year party, an American Rodeo-themed extravaganza celebrating the biggest names in fashion, entertainment, and sports. (Pharrell himself is a co-host, and you can tune in live the night of November 14th to make sure he comes correct.) Skateboard P isn’t the only household name riding the cowboy wave: from Beyonce’s ode to Levi’s jeans to Kevin Costner’s turn as a grizzled, Stetson-wearing tycoon, just about everyone and their mother is all-in on the look right now.Here’s the good news: harnessing your inner Dutton is easier than you might expect. For one, you don’t need to nix your entire wardrobe to embrace the vibe; experimenting with a hardware-heavy belt or a snap-front shirt is a great place to start. Dead-set on attempting a head-to-spurs cowboy-inspired outfit? Dress carefully: a few wrong moves and your closet will buck you like a wild horse. So to save you the peculiar indignity of that experience, we broke down the essential elements of modern-day cowboy style into 5 key categories, each one ready and raring to add some giddy-up your getups. Here’s where to start.5 Easy Ways to Cowboy-Up Your ClosetThe Bucked-Up Belt: RRL Studded Leather Belt, $295The Saddle-Ready Boots: Tecovas Cartwright Boots, $345The Snappy Shirt: Levi’s Barstow Western Denim Shirt, $80The Ranch-Friendly Jacket: Buck Mason Roper Shearling Peacoat, $1498The Swaggering Jeans: Wrangler 13MWZ Cowboy Cut Original Fit Jeans, $30Bucked-Up BeltsHungry for a pinch of yeehaw flavor to spice up your everyday fits? Start with a western belt, ideally one that’s slightly narrower than average and adorned with gleaming metal hardware. Plenty of modern-day renditions buck subtlety altogether—see the RRL joint below—but if you’re just looking for a reliable accessory that won’t elicit too many raised eyebrows at the office, loop up a subtler counterpart.RRLStudded Leather Belt$295 Ralph LaurenMaximum HenrySlim 3 Piece Belt$155 Alex MillAnderson'sSuede Western Belt$195 Todd SnyderTecovasPython Belt$195 TecovasSaddle-Ready BootsOriginally designed for riders and ranch hands, cowboy boots boast a litany of features to help their wearers giddy-on-up with efficiency. Tall shafts keep their legs protected from the brush, tapered toes slip into their stirrups with ease, and angled heels keep their feet secure throughout the whole process. But all those practical flourishes also have a single, all-important consequence: they make the boots look incredibly cool. In 2024, cowboy stompers look right at home with faded blue jeans, but can just as readily add some major sauce to an otherwise bland suit.TecovasThe Cartwright$345 TecovasRhodesATX Western Boot$265 HuckberryLuccheseLuke Boot$895 LuccheseErnest W. BakerStudded Western Boots$680 SSENSESnappy ShirtsOften adorned with snap buttons, angled yokes, and flap pockets, western shirts are like the italics of your closet: fancier, and largely used for flair. They’re typically made from hardy denim or corduroy, but you can find them in featherweight poplins and beefy flannels, too. Don’t be afraid to double up on the denim here, or opt for a wild-style version with chainstitch embroidery and kaleidoscopic colors.TecovasCorduroy Sawtooth Pearl Snap Shirt$98 TecovasLevi'sBarstow Western Denim Shirt$80 Levi'sKapitalMagpie Distressed Denim-Jacquard Western Shirt$540 Mr PorterWytheMoleskin Pearlsnap Shirt$188 HuckberrySwaggering JeansBack in the day, bootcut jeans were cut long to ensure they covered a rider’s boots while in the saddle. Naturally, that makes them the perfect companion for real-deal cowboy boots and rugged roper boots, but these days they also look mighty fine—and pleasantly ‘70s-adjacent—with plain old canvas sneakers. If you really want to ratchet up the western vibes, grab a pair with an especially heavy break.Gallery Dept.Flared Distressed Cotton-Corduroy Canvas Trousers$895 Mr PorterTecovasRugged Bootcut Jeans$115 TecovasWrangler13MWZ Cowboy Cut Original Fit Jeans$30 AmazonLevi's527 Slim Bootcut Jeans$70 Levi'sRanch-Friendly JacketsIt gets cold on the ranch, too. So if you want a rough-and-tumble jacket worthy of a cowboy’s closet, look for western-inspired details like yokes and fringes. (Think burly shearling coats plucked straight from the outback or luscious suede jackets a la Jon Voight in Midnight Cowboy.) But if either of those feel a little too on-the-nose for your tastes, you can’t go wrong with a classic trucker: the short length and slim silh
All products are independently selected by our editors. If you buy something, we may earn an affiliate commission.
Over the last few years, cowboy style has swaggered off the ranch and onto the streets. For proof, look no further than Pharrell’s expansive homage to western style at Louis Vuitton, or GQ’s upcoming Men of the Year party, an American Rodeo-themed extravaganza celebrating the biggest names in fashion, entertainment, and sports. (Pharrell himself is a co-host, and you can tune in live the night of November 14th to make sure he comes correct.) Skateboard P isn’t the only household name riding the cowboy wave: from Beyonce’s ode to Levi’s jeans to Kevin Costner’s turn as a grizzled, Stetson-wearing tycoon, just about everyone and their mother is all-in on the look right now.
Here’s the good news: harnessing your inner Dutton is easier than you might expect. For one, you don’t need to nix your entire wardrobe to embrace the vibe; experimenting with a hardware-heavy belt or a snap-front shirt is a great place to start. Dead-set on attempting a head-to-spurs cowboy-inspired outfit? Dress carefully: a few wrong moves and your closet will buck you like a wild horse. So to save you the peculiar indignity of that experience, we broke down the essential elements of modern-day cowboy style into 5 key categories, each one ready and raring to add some giddy-up your getups. Here’s where to start.
5 Easy Ways to Cowboy-Up Your Closet
- The Bucked-Up Belt: RRL Studded Leather Belt, $295
- The Saddle-Ready Boots: Tecovas Cartwright Boots, $345
- The Snappy Shirt: Levi’s Barstow Western Denim Shirt, $80
- The Ranch-Friendly Jacket: Buck Mason Roper Shearling Peacoat, $1498
- The Swaggering Jeans: Wrangler 13MWZ Cowboy Cut Original Fit Jeans, $30
Bucked-Up Belts
Hungry for a pinch of yeehaw flavor to spice up your everyday fits? Start with a western belt, ideally one that’s slightly narrower than average and adorned with gleaming metal hardware. Plenty of modern-day renditions buck subtlety altogether—see the RRL joint below—but if you’re just looking for a reliable accessory that won’t elicit too many raised eyebrows at the office, loop up a subtler counterpart.
Saddle-Ready Boots
Originally designed for riders and ranch hands, cowboy boots boast a litany of features to help their wearers giddy-on-up with efficiency. Tall shafts keep their legs protected from the brush, tapered toes slip into their stirrups with ease, and angled heels keep their feet secure throughout the whole process. But all those practical flourishes also have a single, all-important consequence: they make the boots look incredibly cool. In 2024, cowboy stompers look right at home with faded blue jeans, but can just as readily add some major sauce to an otherwise bland suit.
Snappy Shirts
Often adorned with snap buttons, angled yokes, and flap pockets, western shirts are like the italics of your closet: fancier, and largely used for flair. They’re typically made from hardy denim or corduroy, but you can find them in featherweight poplins and beefy flannels, too. Don’t be afraid to double up on the denim here, or opt for a wild-style version with chainstitch embroidery and kaleidoscopic colors.
Swaggering Jeans
Back in the day, bootcut jeans were cut long to ensure they covered a rider’s boots while in the saddle. Naturally, that makes them the perfect companion for real-deal cowboy boots and rugged roper boots, but these days they also look mighty fine—and pleasantly ‘70s-adjacent—with plain old canvas sneakers. If you really want to ratchet up the western vibes, grab a pair with an especially heavy break.
Ranch-Friendly Jackets
It gets cold on the ranch, too. So if you want a rough-and-tumble jacket worthy of a cowboy’s closet, look for western-inspired details like yokes and fringes. (Think burly shearling coats plucked straight from the outback or luscious suede jackets a la Jon Voight in Midnight Cowboy.) But if either of those feel a little too on-the-nose for your tastes, you can’t go wrong with a classic trucker: the short length and slim silhouette are prime rodeo fodder provided you pair it with the right accoutrement.
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