The Cowboy Carter fashion effect — why western boots, hats and chaps are booming in London

Slap on your chaps and dig out the rodeo gear — London is on the cusp of a hot cowboy summer.

Anyone yeehaw reluctant must take it up with Beyoncé, whose country-inspired album Cowboy Carter is out tomorrow. The March 19 album cover release cemented her new look: on horseback, wearing a red white and blue ensemble with Paris Texas boots and a cowboy hat. It has ensured the unlikely western-style revival, all set to the sound of her hit Texas Hold ’Em.

There was a moment in London — it was during the early summer months last year between Harry Styles’s weeklong stint selling out Wembley Stadium and the release of the Barbie movie — when we hit peak nouveau western and the sight of yet another neon-pink, feathered cowboy hat shipped in from China caused an involuntary retch.

All the fabulous Clint Eastwood accents — triple-denims, fringed chaps, bolo ties and vintage cowboy boots (in normal colours, not green or red snake print or, heaven help us, metallic silvers) — had boiled down into one hen-do death knell, and we thought: I’ll eat my hat if anything Texas adjacent makes a comeback for at least a couple of years.

And yet, in recent weeks, all things country have returned, the world over. In an extraordinary show of support for the fad, Bella Hadid has actually shacked up with a cowboy, Mexican-American horse trainer Adan Banuelos, and was pictured cheering him on at the American Performance Horseman show in Texas. TMZ reported that she has bought a house in Fort Worth, as sources said she has “gone full cowgirl now”. Rihanna is currently on Vogue China’s cover in the look, cowboy singer Orville Peck is only growing in notoriety, and, in Paris, Pharrell Williams showed a 76-look, spaghetti western spectacular for his autumn winter 2024 menswear collection for Louis Vuitton.

The musician-turned-creative director talked of reclaiming the aesthetic. One in four cowboys were black, but representation has been whitewashed. “When you see cowboys portrayed… you never really get to see what some of the original cowboys really look like,” he said. “They look like me, they look black, they look Native American.” Borrowing these urban cowboy looks — all silk shirts and studded, black leather Vuitton hats — has become a rite of passage for the A-list. Beyoncé wore the finale look to the Grammys, and Colman Domingo paired tuxedo flares and cowboy boots from the brand at the Oscars.

All this endorsement (plus 11.4 million views of “Cowboycore” on TikTok) has seen demand boom. Since news of the Cowboy Carter album dropped, John Lewis has reported a 62 per cent rise in searches for cowboy boots, while Clearpay saw cowboy hat sales increase 326 per cent year-on-year, and fringed suede jackets by 45 per cent. Gen Z are scouring Depop for similar, with searches for fringe up 58 per cent since the start of the month.

In London, those catering for the once-niche market are now rushed off their feet. There’s Jessie Western, in Portobello Road, who kits out Kate Moss with custom suits and Lana Del Rey with hand painted boots, while Brick Lane’s Hey Cowboy!, a mecca of bandanas, chaps and suede outfit accoutrements, is experiencing strong trade. “Western is having a moment right now,” says founder Ed, who started Hey Cowboy! as a stall in 2021 before opening its bricks and mortar post in May last year.

“It’s a whole world of style, from conservative to camp and everything in between and room for everyone. It’s timeless because it’s rooted in practical origins — but unlike the pared-down featureless workwear we’re all so familiar with, it has style and flair. It’s not afraid to be sexy,” he says. The shop owner’s style guide goes as follows: “Keep it simple: cowboy boots, jeans, tee, trucker cap; or boots and a dress. Mix western elements into your outfits. One or two items are enough to give a strong western feel. “As for the rest, follow the materials: denim, leather, suede, wool, cotton. These will give your fit a western kick without looking obvious, and avoid extremes of oversize or skinny. Western clothes look best when they fit right.”

Other outlets based here have found success selling western wares online. Vintage Cowboy Store is one and, says founder Marina Dudzik, its sales have tripled compared with last year. “I called my January newsletter ‘The Year of Cowboy’ and it is just that!,” she says. “The style is linked to a history and a culture, so once you’re into it, you’re most likely a Dolly Parton fan, and you know the names of [designer] Nudie Cohn and [early western film actor] Tom Mix,” she says. “Something Mix said that resonates with me is ‘The Old West is not a certain place in a certain time, it’s a state of mind. It’s whatever you want it to be.’”

She suggests avoiding luxury copycats and sticking to heritage. “I’d definitely invest in quality brands from the US — look for labels like Stetson [who have a Soho outlet], H Bar C, Rockmount Ranchwear, Panhandle and, of course, Wrangler,” she says. Also, keep eyes peeled for archive finds. “I’m obsessed with the creations of California tailors: Nudie Cohn, Nathan Turk and Rodeo Ben. These were all eastern European immigrants who came to America with their visions and transformed the style, eventually dressing up folks like Elvis Presley, John Wayne, Gene Autry or Roy Rogers,” she says.

A longtime purveyor of the style in the capital is Luke Day, the former fashion director of GQ Magazine, most recognisable for his huge cowboy hat in street-style pictures at international fashion weeks. “I even have the word cowboy tattooed on my chest,” he says. “The obvious way to mix some western into your look is a hat — it doesn’t need to be a full fancy dress costume. It looks great with a coat and kind of normal clothes.” His other suggestions include tying a small neckerchief, or stuffing one in your back pocket, and adding turquoise bolo ties to a flannel shirt.

There should be no trouble finding all the ingredients. Even M&S is pushing out a triple denim look for its spring collection, and Whistles has a suede tassel jacket that is the spitting image of Jon Voight’s in Midnight Cowboy. And like Voight’s Joe Buck, who wandered about New York ranch ready in the 1969 film, the latest look is entirely urban-centric. You don’t need to be able to mount a horse — riding the Overground in spurs will do you just fine.

Giddy up! And get the look...

Whistles Lani Tassel Suede Jacket, Olive, £339, johnlewis.com

Ralph Lauren, Braided Leather Bolo Tie, £250, ralphlauren.co.uk

Maison Margiela, Printed cotton jersey T-shirt, £450, mytheresa.com

501 Levi's Original Jeans, £100, levi.com

Mango, Oversize Check Shirt, £45.99, johnlewis.com

Ruslan Baginskiy Crystal-embellished Cowboy Hat, £1,700, ruslanbaginskiy.com

Paris Texas, El Dorado cowboy boots, £900, paristexasbrand.com

Twojeys, Cowboy Ring, £53, twojeys.com

Stetson, Ranson Western Vented Toyo Straw Hat, £149, stetson.eu

Penelope Chilvers, Goldie Embroidered Cowboy Boots, £329, penelopechilvers.com