Most wouldn’t consider cowboy boots and plaid shirts to be “high fashion”. Yet, as of late they have been popping up on runways. The Western aesthetic has been adopted by some who think that a pair of cowboy boots and a side braid can give them a taste of an adventurous lifestyle that they crave. Such as a company like Cowgirl Up Apparel. There are many designers that are cashing in on the Western trend. Instead of pumps, models have been strutting down runways in pairs of cowboy boots. The modern woman that lives in a bustling city yearns for the taste of something simple. Cowboy boots and bootcut jeans call back to a time of simple small towns and sweet tea. It gives a taste of wide-open freedom. Until this cultural shift, most people only thought of backwoods hicks and banjos when they saw cowboy boots and trucker hats.
This shift has allowed a comfortable to be considered fashionable. Western fashion is a common find in thrift stores across the country. It makes a trend easily accessible to the common person because they aren’t forking over hundreds of dollars for an item because it’s “trendy”. A smaller investment into the trend makes more people likely to follow it. The small investment for statement pieces for the wild west aesthetic makes people a lot more likely to spend a bit more on the base pieces. For example, a young woman finds a pair of dark brown cowgirl boots at a thrift store for four dollars. She then goes to another store and buys a sixty-five-dollar pair of bootcut jeans to wear with those affordable boots, because none of her usual skinny jeans look right with them.
It’s more than just comfort that has brought the Western trend back into the fold of current trends. Some give credit to the popularity of all the westerns on television. Most people that saw the aesthetic as something to aspire for. People in general in this day and age want to seem cool. The appearance of being cool is something that matters a lot to people. Following the aesthetic of a popular show can help them do that.
Matching a particularly cool aesthetic for the lowest price possible is something that is of the utmost importance to young people with a disposable income. The western motif is one that can be achieved at several price ranges. You can go from fairly cheap with thrift finds for a few bucks, or you can go high end with pieces that you know will last you longer than any trend. It can evoke a wild, carefree spirit that lets you feel open. The comfort and versatility of western style is something can take you from riding horses to walking a runway.