People usually use “western style” to mean nudie suits and mother-of-pearl snap buttons, but there’s a real way of life behind the phrase. For instance, the gentleman in the tintype…
Aside from the wide-brim hat—which most trail men needed for survival—the real western style meant a sense of rugged formality. Just because his shoes are dirty doesn’t mean he can’t wear a waistcoat. And while these clothes have seen a lot of sand and dust, they were made to last, and they’ll stand up under any conditions.
The sloppy scarf-tie may not have aged particularly well, we’d say the overall look has lasted better than most.
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We’ve always been a little wary of denim shirts without being able to say quite why, but this might nail it down for us.
Up until now, the shirts have been a little too “western ranch” and not nearly enough “island prison.” Leave it to Paris to finally correct the error.
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Now that Navajo patterns are finding their way into a few collections, it’s nice to see the style first hand. Even if it’s from a distance.
This snap comes from MoMA’s current exhibit on photography in the American west, courtesy of a typically brainy Slate slideshow. It’s required reading for any aspiring Westerners out there. And there are plenty more pics where this came from.
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The Navajo look has been building steam for a while now, even if you won’t be able to get your hands on most of it before Fall ’09. These jackets from April77 and Rogues Gallery are only the beginning.
A bit more of the Navajo»
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On the heels of enlisting the photographer behind the Marlboro Man for his fashion week presentation, Adam Kimmel managed to sneak this tie into shops. The stripes are missing, but the stars on their own do a pretty good job of signaling an Americana vibe that appears to be Mr. Kimmel’s new stock-in-trade.
It’s all the more impressive because this is still a skinny tie—hardly a cowboy staple. Think of it as a well-timed cross-cultural purée.
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Via Benhasten
