Cowgirl fashion, horses, and the elegance of countryside Americana

There’s a moment, just after the first gallop, when the horse surges beneath you and the world blurs into wind and sky. It’s a feeling like nothing else on Earth. Riding isn’t just a sport; it’s a sensation. A rush of freedom, a quiet intensity, and a deep connection to something greater than yourself. It doesn’t just pass through you, it stays with you. It becomes part of who you are.

Designers have long chased the spirit of the ride: freedom, grace, and quiet power. Ralph Lauren captured it with women on horseback in flowing skirts and structured jackets, turning movement into style. In Spring 2024, that legacy continues: bold yet restrained, timeless yet modern. She’s not pretending. She’s embodying a story. Regal, grounded, and free – this is the new cowgirl.

Ralph Lauren Fall 2024

Photos: Ralph Lauren/Vogue/Tagwalk

Ralph Lauren’s Spring 2025 collection, showcased at Bridgehampton’s Khalily Stables in the Hamptons, beautifully blends coastal elegance with equestrian heritage. Featuring crisp tailoring, suede, leather fringe, and classic Americana details, the collection evokes a timeless, relaxed sophistication: warm, polished, and infused with the effortless freedom of the Hamptons. 

Ralph Lauren Spring 2025

Photos: Lexie Moreland/WWD and Ralph Lauren/Vogue

The American cowgirl isn’t a fantasy. She’s a reality of strength. She works the land, rides hard, and dresses for survival. But she also carries an unapologetic grace. That tension – between grit and softness – is what modern fashion finds irresistible.

Isabel Marant’s Fall 2018 collection is a perfect celebration of rugged elegance infused with bohemian freedom and Western spirit. Key looks include slouchy cowboy boots paired with cropped jackets layered over prairie blouses, and fringed ponchos in warm, earthy tones that evoke Southwestern craftsmanship. The collection balances relaxed silhouettes and effortless layering with suede and fringe details, creating a sophisticated yet casual vibe. It’s a seamless fusion of boho chic and cowboy edge — modern, textured, and effortlessly stylish.

Isabel Marant Fall 2018

Photos: Giovanni Giannoni/WWD

Western wear is no longer a niche style. It has become fashion canon. Hedi Slimane’s Fall 2020 collection at Celine revived the trend, making it cool again with leather bomber jackets, gold belt buckles, and faded denim reimagined for the modern French It-girl. Featuring wide-brimmed hats and sweeping camel coats, the collection perfectly captures Slimane’s signature blend of understated elegance and rebellious edge.

Celine Fall/Winter 2020

Photos: Schohaja/V Magazine

Even pop icons are riding the wave. Beyoncé’s “Cowboy Carter” era transformed cowboy culture into Black Southern couture-studded leather bodysuits, Western hats, and denim rich with historical meaning. It’s more than homage; it’s ownership, reinvention, and storytelling through fashion.

The racetrack is a runway of its own. At the Kentucky Derby, it’s more than just a race. It’s a grand fashion showcase where classic heritage meets modern sophistication. Towering, sculptural hats steal the spotlight, complementing outfits that pay homage to tradition while radiating timeless elegance. Here, Southern charm and horse culture blend seamlessly with bold style, creating a unique celebration of fashion and tradition.

Photos: Brynn Anderson/AP News and Lili Kobielski/Vogue

Dior’s Cruise 2019 show, inspired by Mexican escaramuza riders, brought refined equestrian style to life. Women in full skirts rode side-saddle, clad in embroidered jackets and riding boots – a seamless blend of strength, poise, and cultural reverence. Fashion becomes a performance: elegant, commanding, and breathtaking.

There’s a quiet revolution happening in fashion: a return to roots, to wide-open spaces and honest living. More young women are trading city skylines for open fields, embracing the rhythm of ranch life and the freedom of horseback riding. But this isn’t nostalgia or costume, it’s a new style that feels deeply personal and fiercely authentic.

This shift moves away from the polished and predictable, capturing a muse who lives somewhere between dusty roads and moonlit rodeos. She rides not just for sport, but for freedom, drawn to the raw beauty of the countryside, where the land is wild and the air feels honest.

Few embody this spirit better than Bella Hadid, a real-life equestrian whose off-duty style perfectly blends rugged and refined vintage denim, worn leather, and subtle Western nods that never feel forced.

Photos: Gotham/Cosmopolitian

And then there’s Lana Del Rey, the patron saint of modern Americana. Her style is raw Western poetry: cowboy boots paired with flowing sundresses, windblown hair, and heartache woven into lace. She doesn’t just wear the West; she inhabits its spirit. Lana’s aesthetic has long been rooted in country and vintage Americana, blending nostalgia with a haunting, cinematic edge.

Photos: Msn, Collier Schorr/Harper’s Bazaar, and Instagram

Together, they represent two sides of the same spirit: the grounded rider and the wandering dreamer. The modern cowgirl isn’t about playing dress-up. She’s about freedom, agency, and sensuality on her own terms. Her style is lived-in, layered, and emotionally charged – a reflection of landscapes both external and internal.

This new wave of cowgirl fashion isn’t just about boots and fringe; it’s about reclaiming a state of mind. It speaks to the woman who craves space, both physical and emotional, who dresses not for spectacle, but for spirit. She’s elegant without effort, powerful without shouting. Whether on horseback or the runway, she moves with a grace that only comes from being fully, unapologetically herself.

In the end, this isn’t just a trend. It’s a reminder: the wild is still inside us, and style is one way we ride it home.

XOXO, The Fashion Stock Market

Cover Photo: Ralph Lauren/Vogue