The New Kings of Westernwear Buck Tradition
The new (and one very old) designers reimagining the way we see Westernwear by blending heritage and high craft.
Westernwear was born at the rodeo and on dusty ranches, but it didn’t stay there long. Hollywood, honky-tonks, and rock stars made it cool. For as long as anyone reading this can remember, the style has always had one foot in fantasy, the other in function. In glamour and filth. Work and play.
Now a wave of designers are reshaping how we see Westernwear. The old guard (Levi’s, Wrangler, Lee, Stetson, Tony Lama) built a foundation of hard-wearing, versatile silhouettes. But the new class is pushing it further. Richer fabrics. Deeper storytelling. Sharper fits — for the most part, your butt is never going to look as good as it does in a pair of vintage Levi’s.
That’s the story of modern Westernwear: some elements of the classics can’t be improved, but plenty can be reinvented—and often for the better. The result is a style that’s still anchored in its roots, but willing to thrive in the present and wander into the future.