The Fabric of the West: How Fashion Tells a Western Story

I was born and raised in the West, but until I moved to Cody, Western fashion was something I observed rather than actively embraced. My first introduction to this style came during trips to Pampa, Texas, to visit my grandparents. Like many Texans, my Pop wore a cowboy hat almost every day of his life. For formal occasions, church or dinner at the local barbecue joint, he wore a grey Stetson that I later inherited. In summer, he wore a straw hat. You didn’t even have to see him to know he was around: if his hat was on the hat rack, Leon Brown was in the room. Cowboy hats, shirts with pearl snap buttons—that was Texas style.

In my native Colorado Springs, I saw western fashion during the Pikes Peak or Bust Rodeo season, or while exploring nearby ranching communities. I appreciated the aesthetic but didn’t actively wear western dress unless I was “duding it up” at the Flying W Ranch Wranglers shows.

When I moved to Cody to take my job as the Housel Director of the McCracken Research Library, it became clear quickly that there were two main local styles: western wear (either working or high fashion) or Patagonia outdoorsy chic. To help me fit in at my first Rendezvous Royale, my boss gently suggested I leave work early one Friday to buy appropriate western wear at the local consignment store. I got a broomstick skirt and my first pair of cowboy boots. Ever since, I’ve been trying to meld my natural twee girl librarian-core style with the fabric and patterns of the West. Spur of the Moment pays homage to my adopted Wyoming home and to the historic roots of Western style.  

Western Fashion’s Global Comeback

Western fashion is having a global moment as people around the world fall in love with “cowboy couture.” From Taylor Swift’s boots to a favorite influencer’s hat, Western style has gone global. New generations reimagine pieces with historic roots as practical, traditional, and ceremonial dress in the American West. TV shows like Yellowstone, music albums like Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter, and social media have all helped spread cowboy couture worldwide.

When Western Fashion Meets Pop Culture

Western fashion also intersects with celebrity culture. Thanks to the Levi Strauss & Co. Archives, Spur of the Moment features Justin Timberlake’s stage costume from *NSYNC’s “Space Cowboy (Yippee-Yi-Yay)” song during their No Strings Attached and PopOdssey tours. Levi’s has also generously loaned us several images, including a vintage Levi’s advertisement and a striking photograph of a woman standing on a fence.

Interactive Experiences

When you visit, we invite you to try on a cowboy hat as you learn about the history of the Stetson factory, play with our vintage paper dolls, and explore the fabric touch wall station. To learn more about the history of Western fashion, please visit us in the McCracken Research Library to explore our book and archival collections related to Western wear.

Spur of the Moment runs from October 25, 2025 to February 28, 2026 in the John Bunker Sands Gallery at the Center of the West.