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—though 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.

Wildsam — Blouse, leather vest and boots: Landers; Denim: Tecovas; Belt: Streets Ahead

Some of that reinvention comes from brands that started as disrupters but are settling into a role that’s shaping the new standard. Austin-based Tecovas began as a direct-to-consumer upstart delivering well-made boots without the retail markup—Goodyear welted, solid hides, classic shapes, an array of exotics—built for longevity as much as style. On the other end of the spectrum, RRL comes from the establishment, but caters to a niche audience. Named after Ralph Lauren’s Colorado ranch, it’s the designer’s passion project, where the Americana and workwear are given the luxury treatment.

Where RRL channels the West through carefully studied mythology, SAVAS makes it personal. The Nashville-founded brand specializes in leather jackets—both bespoke and ready-to-wear—crafted with the attention of an heirloom piece. Every detail is rich and beautiful. They’re not archiving heritage so much as inviting it, leaving space for each owner to shape their own story into the leather. Just across town from SAVAS, Imogene + Willie has been cutting jeans in a converted Nashville gas station since 2009. They built their reputation on soft denim and tees that feel vintage.

If Imogene + Willie represents Nashville denim at its most lived-in, Wythe offers a quieter, archival vision of the West. Founded by Texas native Peter Middleton in New York, the brand rebuilds classics like pearl snaps that perfectly drape around the body. Across the Pacific, Needles proves genius Westernwear isn’t bound by borders. The Japanese label twists rodeo silhouettes with track pants, embroidered suits and fringed jackets, creating a language of its own, a call to a cowboy’s real outsider roots.

Back at home, One of These Days filters the West through fine art, turning cowboy archetypes into cinematic images, blending streetwear with classic Americana. And then there’s Chamula, a nod to tradition, and where the West truly began. Handmade in Mexico by indigenous artisans, its knits and huarache sandals root the story back in craft and culture.