Saddle up: The rise and rise of countrycore style

Yeehaw.

If your For You Page looks anything like mine, it seems like all anybody is doing these days is going to the hoedown, making country albums and stompin’ around in cowboy boots. The horse-girlies are all grown up and the cowboy fantasy well and truly has a grip on the zeitgeist. Everywhere I look, I’m seeing embroidered boots, suede fringed jackets and bootcut blue jeans.

Pictures of Bella Hadid and Adan Banuelos kissing at the rodeo, Beyoncé making history as the first Black woman to have a number-one country album with the release of Cowboy Carter… this year, the country renaissance took over pop culture. True fans of the genre will tell you the same thing: Country is forever.

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Here in Australia, there’s a new country festival coming this November. It’s called Ridin’ Hearts and the line-up (which you can find in full here) features local and international country stars including Riley Green, Josh Ross, Casey Barnes, Bella Mackenzie and more. And what is a festival if not an excuse to dress up?

The origins of country aesthetics

When you first think ‘cowboy’, you probably picture the archetypal American from old Western films. He’s dressed head-to-toe in a Stetson hat, a Wrangler shirt, blue jeans and boots with spurs, with a thick Southern drawl.

But a lot of cowboy motifs, from the chaps to wide-brimmed hats and heeled boots, come from the Mexican vaqueros, whose clothes were first and foremost practical. Other elements of the style, like leather wear, turquoise and silver jewellery and pleated maxi skirts made by Native American artisans were popularised (co-opted) by Anglo-Americans.

Perhaps most famously, American designer Ralph Lauren infused Western elements like denim, leather and cowboy hats into his collections from the ’70s up until now. Ever since, cowboy couture has influenced many other designers, popping up in the collections of Tom Ford, Marc Jacobs, Calvin Klein, Louis Vuitton, Gucci and Chanel.

The modern cowboy

Recently, Lana Del Rey, Post Malone and Beyoncé – artists not traditionally associated with country music – have all released songs inspired by the pop-country genre, while celebrities like Emma Chamberlain and Emily Ratajkowski have revived the Coachella cowboy boot into a stylish, aspirational accessory.

On the other end of the spectrum, musicians like Lil Nas X, Orville Peck and Chappell Roan, whose signature looks feature bold colours, intricate embroidery, sequins, leather harnesses and custom tailoring, reveal a queer and camp side to country attire.

From the Nudie Suits and rhinestones of the ’50s to John Travolta’s Urban Cowboy aesthetic of the ’80s, to the boho chic wave in the early 2000s, country fashion never really goes out of style.

This year, the cowboy boot is taking the lead and there’s one for every occasion. With its signature stitching, pull straps and pointed toe, it’s a statement piece no longer just reserved for festivals. New iterations of the cowboy boot from labels like Ganni feature different silhouettes and colours, while resale sites like eBay provide an endless supply of authentic, vintage styles, already broken in.

The beauty of the cowboy boot is in utilitarianism and versatility. There aren’t many shoes that can be worn to the grocery store, to a Fashion Week show, or in the outback. Authenticity, eclecticism and practicality are the spirit of cowboy-core. So before you take to the streets or go galavanting at the Ridin’ Hearts festival, invest in a pair of cowboy boots and spend the summer serving absolute country.

Get your ticket to Ridin Hearts here.