Long before city slickers became urban cowgirls, there were real women who wore western themed clothing for duties on the farm or ranch. City dwellers who escaped to “dude ranches” brought western shirts, skirts, jackets, and boots for a taste of the Wild West. Throughout the 1930s, 1940s, 1950s and beyond, the Western look has thrived and revived into mainstream fashions every 10 years or so, like with the Western Rockabilly style.
Currently, vintage westernwear is back! We gathered up some of our favorite women’s vintage western outfits to inspire you and linked to some western inspired vintage reproduction clothing to help you find the perfect western outfit.
Read 1930-1950s Western Wear for Women and Men for more history and outfit ideas.
Vintage Style Western Wear
Shop Vintage Western Wear Brands
- Her Wild Rose – Amazing reproduction 1930s -1950s western wear.
- Fables by Barrie – Pinup western wear and swimsuits. Mostly 1950s.
- Wrangler – Has a “retro” and “heritage” line of jeans and shirts
- Rods – Mostly contemporary clothing, but some works for the 1960s+ vintage western look
- Cattle Kate – Old West clothing for women (1890s to 1910s).
- The Western Company (eBay) – carries classic retro western shirts by Rockmount, Scully, and Roper. Search for real vintage Rockmount for some more timeless styles.
Western Wear Outfit Ideas
- Denim Jeans – dark blue, high rise, straight leg denim blue jeans with contrast stitching.
- Vintage breeches and riding jodhpurs scream early vintage wester wear.
- Denim Dresses and Skirts – Shirtwaist dresses and A-line skirts are classically western
- Gingham print or plaid dresses are adorable!
- Plaid shirts – Fitted two pocket plaid shirts or blouses are a must!
- Western Blouses – With embroidery, fringe, and patchwork.
- Fringe jackets – Suede and leather fringe jackets.
- Leather or Suede vest is an excellent layering piece.
- Western Boots – Even modern western boots have a vintage look to them.
- Scarf- A western neck scarf or hair scarf is the best accessory.
- Belt – Chunky western belts with large buckles came about in the 1970s.
- Pinup Western – Fringe trimmed short skirts and crop tops.
- Square Dance Western – Full tiered skirts or dresses (gingham and plaid)
- Rockbilly Western – Musical themed shirts, dresses, T-shirts, and dark blue jeans plus all of the above.
- Retro Western outfits – High waist flare jeans, big belts, plaid snap western shirts
- Old West Western – Wild West Victorian to turn of the century explorers. Look at the Victorian pages. Many split skirts and breeches can also be found here in Edwardian.
Debbie Sessions has been teaching fashion history and helping people dress for vintage themed events since 2009. She has turned a hobby into VintageDancer.com with hundreds of well researched articles and hand picked links to vintage inspired clothing online. She aims to make dressing accurately (or not) an affordable option for all. Oh, and she dances too.
