Movie Style Guy: Cowboy Up

Posted by Robert Fure (robert@filmschoolrejects.com) on August 27, 2008

I’ll bet no one predicted I’d pick Sukiyaki Western Django as my inspiration for this week’s Movie Style Guy. But, sitting here in nothing more than boxers and a pair of cowboy boots and listening to Marco Beltrami’s most excellent 3:10 to Yuma score, I realized something my heart had always known - cowboys are cool.

Luckily, they’re also in style. There have always been movements toward historical garb, though the costumed flair of the West was long a tough sell. I’d say the modern reemergence came with Johnny Knoxville’s choice of Western inspired shirts, the return of the big belt buckle, and more recently, the sensible and modern cowboy styled duds of No Country for Old Men. Bringing some Western flair to your wardrobe is simple, relatively cheap, and awesome. Pour yourself a glass of whiskey and let’s do this.

The Shirt

A cool modern Western shirt can range from the simplest mono color articles to more elaborately patterned pieces. Your classic standby will generally be a plaid pattern in any color with two breast pockets. Snap shirts (snaps instead of buttons) are popular and add something fun to the shirt. Josh Brolin, pictured here, is wearing a simple striped shirt, but note the breast pockets and snaps.

The Pants

You can opt for darker colored trousers if you want, but the modern Cowboy is definitely a denim man. It’s okay to modernize here and stray from Lee or Levi’s straight cuts and get something a tad funky to remind everyone you know it’s 2008. Light or dark, stressed or not, a good boot-cut pair of jeans is a necessity.

Belt and Buckle

The leather of your belt needs to match your shoes or boots, so eventually you’ll want both a brown belt and a black one. Most boots are shades of brown, so if you’re just buying one, get a brown leather belt. The buckle can be any size you want, plain or fancy. I enjoy drawing attention to my crotch, so I go with a big circular belt buckle. The buckle should be equal parts “What’s up ladies” and “Fuck yeah!”

Boots

There are a ton of boots out there, and you’ve got to pick what works for you. Personally, I’ve got a wide foot (hello there ladies, mmmyeah, you know what that means) so I sometimes have trouble tracking down a comfortable boot. It’s important to have relaxed looking boots, rather than uptight spit polished boots, unless you’re going to a funeral. These boots here are Durango Slouch Boots, my footwear of choice when rollin’ 1880s style.

The Hat

The Cowboy Hat can easily make you look like a douchebag. Guys, don’t wear it inside. Don’t wear it often, unless you work in the sun wrangling cattle. There’s not much occasion for city-folk to wear the hats, so I say if you have to leave something out, forget the hat. But, if you want one, go with something simple and light in color and avoid straw.

So there you have it, a quick and easy guide to going old school Cowboy. There’s not many looks that are more masculine, so when you’re ready to cowboy up, grab these articles and hop in the saddle. The ladies dig it, and the men respect it. Now all you need is to grow that mustache.

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