John B. Stetson, the hatter credited as the inventor of the modern-day cowboy hat, could not have foreseen that the Western wear empire bearing his name, established in 1865, would eventually capture the admiration of a global superstar such as Beyoncé.
This unexpected relationship between a Western wear label and a pop icon started at the 2024 Grammy Awards on Feb. 4, when Beyoncé showed up in a custom Louis Vuitton look, hinting at an upcoming country era with a white cowboy hat from Stetson. Even the brand got caught by surprise as the singer wore a hat from her own personal collection.
Without losing time, Stetson jumped onto Beyoncé’s bandwagon. “When Beyoncé decided to reconnect with her Texas roots and embrace Western style, she reached for the genuine article — Stetson,” Tyler Thoreson, Stetson’s vice president of marketing, told WWD. “We’ve been working with her and her stylist on custom hats ever since, some of which she’s worn in public, others yet to make their debut,” he added.
At the Super Bowl LVIII on Feb. 11, Beyoncé continued her country-style streak with a surprise for her fans; the singer announced the release of “Renaissance: Act II” and dropped two country songs during the sporting event’s commercial break. On the cover of one of the new singles, “Texas Hold ’em,” she is seen wearing a black Stetson hat.
Three days later, Beyoncé posted another Western look on her Instagram to celebrate Valentine’s Day — her outfit was accessorized with another hat from the brand.
Beyoncé’s country era has helped bring a new audience to Stetson. “We’ve seen a spike in interest in the Shasta, the style she wore to the Grammys, and the response across the social media landscape has been nothing short of amazing,” Thoreson said.
Stetson, like many other Western wear brands, has been surfing in the cowboy core era trending in fashion and pop culture. “The current Western trend really kicked off with a rediscovery of the great outdoors during the pandemic, and was amplified by the breakout success of ‘Yellowstone.’ Ever since we’ve consistently had trouble keeping up with demand, but Beyoncé has taken things to a whole new level,” Thoreson said.
On Pinterest, searches for “Cowgirl aesthetic” have increased by 181 percent in the past 12 months, while “Western outfit ideas” went up by 166 percent, and “Country glam outfit” spiked by more than 200 percent in the same period.
Although cowboy core has always been part of American fashion, the trend has seen a resurgence on the runways in the past couple of years thanks to brands such as Diesel, Balmain and Calvin Klein. In January, men’s creative director Pharrell Williams presented his fall 2024 collection for Louis Vuitton, which was inspired by the original cowboys of the American West.
For Stetson, a brand whose history is inseparable from the Western style evolution, cowboy core is seen as more than a trend with an expiration date.
“The values that motivate us — a commitment to American quality and timeless style — transcend the trend of the moment, and while it’s always nice when the style pendulum swings toward the Western aesthetic, it doesn’t change the way we do things. Having said that, if the cowboy core trend gives us the chance to tell our incredible story to a broader audience, we’re all for it”, Thoreson said.
