The cowboy look has been building – think cowboy Ken and Barbie last summer; the runway at Louis Vuitton (men’s) last fall, in the form of a double-breasted, double-denim suit with floral embroidery; as well as English label Molly Godard, who presented a kind of Yellowstone on acid sweater and flounced skirt combo. But it was Beyoncé, of course, who set the trend on four-alarm fire, as our reader also pointed out. Bey looks dazzling in her chaps, boots and so many great cowboy hats.

U.S. retailer Boohoo tracks the trend to the Super Bowl, where Beyoncé announced her album Cowboy Carter with a Verizon commercial that set off searches for bolo ties (up 566 per cent), cowboy hats (up 212 per cent) and boots (up 156 per cent). Kim Kardashian also wore a cowboy hat to the game, which shows top stylists felt the surge coming. This past week at Coachella, influencers were all wearing cowboy boots.

Stagecraft and fashion shoot looks are extreme, points out Toronto stylist Talia Brown Thall. I thought she would be the perfect person to discuss costume with, as in addition to her Hollywood clientele (she did editorial work with Meghan Markle, during her Toronto years), Brown Thall has dressed singers for performance, including Avril Lavigne and Tyler Shaw, plus country star Tim Hicks. “Off stage, you don’t want to do any look head to toe,” says Brown Thall. “That isn’t modern. What you want to do, to keep things less costume, she says, is to do a mix of fitted and more relaxed silhouettes then add on a little bling: “A rhinestone belt or a Western shirt with pearl buttons, or a collar with lace on it or fun trim,” she adds, “maybe some fringe under a sleeve.”

Denim on denim, the Western-styled look, is huge right now, she says. “Go out and find the most perfect denim shirt, and pair it with a worn-in pair of jeans you already have.” Levis are having a big moment; there is something for everyone and every age. Brown Thall points to her picks from the brand: Levi’s Teodora Western shirt has a nice, loose fit and darker denim detail across the shoulders; the Kenzo x Levi’s button fringe jacket is a grown-up take, in dark denim with a deep brown suede fringe element.

As for jeans, classic looser Levi’s are the flavour of the moment, and these are especially easy to wear at every age. Yes, you have heard correctly: Skinny jeans are on their way back into town, but meantime, looser straight-legged choices are au courant. Reformation has a nice, subtle take on the cowboy moment with a faded jean finished with studs along the side seam: This is a great example, says Brown Thall, of how to nod to the trend without looking costume.

It’s all about balance. So, white jeans with a blinged-out denim top, she says. Or jeans with rhinestones paired with a plain white T. “To keep it fresh, make only one thing pop.”

As to accessories, “I love a bolo tie with denim or a crisp white shirt,” she says. “But you could go more subtle still, with a little bandana tied at the neck. You could upscale it even further and make that little tie an Hermès: They make terrific little silk scarves made to be rolled and tied at the neck.”

A belt is another place you can shine, if you keep the rest of the outfit simple. “A big forged belt over a trench coat is a lovely and subtle way to signal Western,” she says. “Or go all out with a rhinestone belt, or a turquoise belt, even a red suede version, just tone the rest down.”

As to the big question, the cowboy hat, how can you get away with that in regular life? “Make sure it is just one piece that is driving the eye,” she says. So again, dress the whole look down and keep the hat as punctuation. This is for men and women both: the temptation to add to the hat with more gear is strong, but keep it at bay. Probably the simpler the hat the better to keep it street worthy. Stetsons are Nashville classics, but if you want to keep it Canadian (and intend to go to the Stampede) Smithbilthats.com is the place to check out.

By contrast, says Brown Thall, cowboy-flavoured boots are the easiest piece to seamlessly incorporate into your wardrobe. For a subtle look, go for brown or black, worn with jeans, she says. But if you really want to go for it, cowboy boots look great at any age under a skirt or jeans. Keep the skirt longer and fuller as you get older: Leave the minis and cowboy boots for the Coachella kids.

  The Alberta Boot Company (albertaboot.ca) creates  authentic handcrafted pairs fit for royalty (King Charles, and the Prince and Princess of Wales all have boots from this outfitter). The pieces are an investment – starting around $450 – but will quite literally last forever and get better with age. The trendy cowboy label right now is City Boot (cityboots.com), sponsoring all manner of influencers and dandies-about-town; also handmade, these hail from Texas, special edition pieces cost in the mid-US$2,000s US. 

But you needn’t go all in for stomping clodhopper boots. Isabel Marant has done some terrific ankle boots with a cowboy feel in a silvery wash. We also saw a great pair of dainty black boots with a cowboy flavour from Anine Bing, the toe pointy, the height grazing the ankle bone and the heel a discreet kitten shape. Staud also focused on a Western vibe this season, in an array of kitteny heels and some citified wide-legged longer boots that give just a whiff of the range.

So there is certainly lots out there to buy, and to play with, to flirt with cowboy fashion this summer. 

Costume, for the most part, doesn’t work at any age. But carefully integrated nods to a trend are a great wardrobe refresher. After all, if you aren’t having fun with fashion as you age, you aren’t taking advantage of the confidence that comes with wrinkles. We should get more adventurous over time, as we care so very much less what people think of us.

Always asking questions,

—Leanne Delap