The death of legendary singer Dolly Parton last week has put the country-glam aesthetic back in the spotlight.
Parton, known for her rhinestone-studded gowns, sky-high hair and unapologetic love of maximalist fashion, made country music’s visual codes as instantly recognisable as its sound.
But her particular brand of sparkle has long transcended the showbiz world, influencing fashion’s enduring fascination with the American Western look.
It is a long-running love affair for luxury brands – which makes the digs at Parton’s supposedly “cheap” way of dressing (something she herself has joked about) all the more ironic.
Twelve years ago, Gucci showed a cowboy-themed menswear collection.
The fashion house revisited the aesthetic over the years, most recently in 2022, when day-glo shades featured prominently alongside Western-inspired pieces.
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In 2013, Chanel offered a high-fashion, tweed-clad and decidedly luxurious take on country frontier style.
Staged in Texas, the show was set in a makeshift barn, complete with straw scattered across the runway.
Two years ago, Louis Vuitton unveiled a menswear collection centred on cowboy-inspired silhouettes and workwear details.
Models walked out in cowboy boots and hats, alongside jeans, pearl-snap shirts and bolo ties.
Of course, there is no discussion of country-Western fashion without bringing Ralph Lauren to mind.
Few designers have been as instrumental in translating the romance of the American West into a polished luxury-fashion vocabulary, from rugged denim and suede to fringed leather and cowboy boots.
And it is not just designers who have kept the look in the cultural conversation.
Celebrities have repeatedly turned Western dressing into a full-blown fashion statement.
Beyonce, for instance, made the cowboy hat a defining part of her stage wardrobe during her 2025 tour, with custom looks from the likes of Schiaparelli, Burberry, Dolce & Gabbana, Coperni, Mugler and Roberto Cavalli.
Taylor Swift, who began her career as a country singer, also sparked a rush for cowboy hats among fans attending her concerts last year.
The Swift phenomenon was particularly telling because the singer herself has rarely been photographed in one.
The connection was largely symbolic: country music.
Even after Swift moved firmly into pop, she remains so closely associated with the genre that its visual language – cowboy hats, boots and Western Americana – was enough for fans to embrace the look as part of the concert experience.
When singer Post Malone ventured into fashion, he did so with an American Western brand.
Named Austin Post, the label describes itself as bridging “the authenticity of the American West with a refined, modern sensibility”.
Margot Robbie also helped bring the Western aesthetic into the mainstream with the 2023 film Barbie, where her cowboy-inspired look gave classic American frontier codes a distinctly playful, hyper-feminine makeover.
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From denim and Western shirts to cowboy boots and hats, “Cowboy Barbie” tapped into the same nostalgia for Americana while filtering it through the film’s candy-coloured fantasy.
It was Western dressing, but with a wink – less rugged ranch hand, more rhinestone cowgirl.
Parton herself has cheekily poked fun at the image with Backwoods Barbie, the title of her 2008 song and album, turning the idea of her supposedly less-than-luxurious appearance into a knowing part of her persona.
Yet the rhinestone-studded, big-haired country-glam persona will forever be part of her legacy.
And that, perhaps, is the enduring power of country-Western fashion.
It is no longer simply a look tied to a particular music genre or region, but an enduring American fantasy that fashion continues to reinterpret, refine and, naturally, embellish – with or without rhinestones.
