Cowboy Boots are Everywhere
Bell-bottoms, leather tassel jackets, and…horses? During my time window
shopping in the city, I noticed a striking pattern: almost every clothing retailer’s Fall collection was an homage to the backcountry. Aeropostale’s mannequins wore grey camo sweaters, Canada Goose featured a ‘snowbird’ line, where snapshots of models were taken in Utah’s mountain ranges. Even Vogue featured Kendall Jenner and Gigi Hadid (both famous for being country girls) riding horses, wearing cowboy hats, and pilgrim dresses. This rural theme is not only exclusive to fashion. Country music is consistently topping charts, and everybody seems to want to be a cowboy now.Americana and country wear have seemed to take the culture by storm, yet its messaging may be more sinister than you think.
Fashion has always been a reflection of societal values of the time period. In the
1920s, the suffragette movement had just begun. Post World War I also brought economic prosperity, and thus, hemlines got shorter. Women adopted pants during the Second World War, as they entered the workforce, and abruptly shifted back to long skirts during the 50s when women returned to the home. Bikinis, miniskirts, and even certain hairstyles like afros were used as tools of protest during the 60s and 70s to demonstrate the youth’s shifting cultural values during the peace and love era. Today, we’re seeing cowboy boots on some and slick back hair on others. Where did these trends appear from, when just five years ago, everyone was boosting the saturation and wearing heavy eyeliner in their TikToks?
Fashion has never not been political. Andrew Tate and Joe Rogan, two notable right-wing podcasters, had a heavy influence on the Gen Z vote in the American 2024 election. What became dubbed the “manosphere” spread ideologies like returning to traditional ideas of masculinity, rigid gender roles, and a rejection of socially progressive movements. Meanwhile, anti-vaccine rhetoric and a wave of ‘crunchy’ Evangelical influencers like Nara Smith flooded the internet with videos of their farms, homemade bread, and tallow sunscreen. In Canada, America’s conservatism was reflected in the rise of Pierre Polievre. These movements led to almost an entire generation of young men and women becoming radicalized over the span of a few months. The return of traditional values has been reflected in the things that influencers wear. Long flowing dresses, conservative necklines, and cowboy boots. And as fast fashion does, retailers solidified these trends in their collections, which feature camo, boots, and bush jackets.
Albeit political, fashion trends are also cyclical. With Morgan Wallen topping the charts and another three years left in President Trump’s term, it’s difficult to predict how long the Country aesthetic will stick around, but it certainly will not be around forever. And maybe that’s a good thing, I’m getting tired of seeing cowboy hats every time I leave the house.