15 Western-Style Essentials to Launch Your Beyonce-Inspired Cowboy Era Wardrobe
From TikTok to Beyonce to the SS24 runways, cowboy fever is spreading faster than gossip at a rodeo
Did anyone have “the return of cowboy fashion” on their 2024 bingo cards? We certainly didn’t, but that doesn’t mean we aren’t living for it. In case you missed it, cowboy core has hit the big time, roping in everything from fashion to music and social media. The rodeo has arrived in town, bringing along a host of big-name celebs with it.
Notably, Beyonce’s exploration of her Southern roots through her freshly dropped Cowboy Carter album has taken centre stage. She insists it’s not a country record but rather “a Beyonce album”. Nonetheless, the unmistakable hallmarks of country music – from collaborations with icons like Dolly Parton to blending line-dancing rhythms with dirty trap beats – have only propelled cowboy mania into the mainstream.
Beyonce isn’t the only artist dropping country tracks. At press time, masked singer Orville Peck announced a week ago his cover of Cowboys Are Frequently Secretly Fond of Each Other, and Kacey Musgraves returns to her Americana roots with her new album Deeper Well. Other celebs embracing their cowboy looks? Dua Lipa, Bella Hadid, Rihanna…the list goes on.
And with music heading South, TikTok has followed suit with an endless stream of TikTokers slipping on their cowboy boots and breaking out into line dancing. Choice tracks include Beyonce’s Texas Hold ‘Em and Dasha’s Austin.
Ralph Lauren Spring Summer 2024
Even fashion can’t resist serving up rodeo vibes. The king of Americana fashion, Ralph Lauren, sent models out in prairie dresses, cowboy hats, and patchworked denim looks for his S/S '24 show. Crossing over to the European runways, leather fringe and shaggy blanket coats made appearances at Bottega Veneta, while Chloe – ever reliable for their brand of bohemian chic – took Western-inspired embroidery and found a modern reinterpretation by keeping it minimalist, either as an embroidered trim or an embossed pattern on leather.
So, now that you’re up to speed on cowboy core, here are the must-haves to embody it well. Sheriff’s orders.
Channel the iconic American sharpshooter Annie Oakley in a reworked corset festooned with Medusa ’95 hardware.
Black and white take this blouse away from feeling too costumey, and when paired with chunky gold jewelry, it can feel entirely modern.
Throw over your blue denims and boots for a cosy Old West-inspired fit.
Giddy up, girlie.
Category is: Beyonce’s Renaissance meets Cowboy Carter.
The classic cowboy belt buckle gets reinterpreted in these party-ready sandals.
Patchwork is a big part of Americana fashion, and this slinger gives it a fresh take with contrasting shades of snake-embossed leather.
The easiest way to channel cowboy core? With a bag inspired by horseback saddles.
Ride out into the sunset (or drive out to the shops) with this adorable crossbody bag.
Add to your jeans, floaty prairie dresses, and so on.
You may not be on horseback, but you can still bring a little bit of the rodeo spirit with you through equestrian-themed jewelry.
Loop it around your neck for a high-fashion take on the classic bolo neck tie.
The star-shaped metalwork on the sides of these sunglasses is a subtle nod to the hardware and leather patchworks often seen on cowboy gear.
With notes of amber, saffron, and patchouli, this scent evokes desert evenings spent around a fireplace, with the caravan and the night sky as your companions.
Inspired by the feeling of blue jeans (hence the name), this candle invokes an earthy bouquet that comprises violet, blueberry, and eucalyptus at its heart. Incense, patchouli, and peppercorn give it a spicy, heady edge that calls to mind smoky saloons.