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
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.
