The cowboy hat was never really gone, but what's changed is when people reach for it. Once confined to autumn and Western-themed dressing, it now shows up year-round, a shift driven in large part by Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter era and Bella Hadid's habit of moving seamlessly between runway glamour and genuine ranch life.
From rodeo runway to feathered trims
Pharrell Williams staging an actual rodeo for Louis Vuitton in 2024 is widely seen as the turning point that pushed the hat from Western-wear staple to runway fixture. Designers have since pulled it further from function: Etro's Spring 2026 hat came oversized and deliberately crumpled, styled with tasselled skirts, Polo Ralph Lauren paired layered looks with polo-collar jumpers for Fall 2026, and Sabrina Carpenter has worn hers trimmed with feathers.
A festival staple turned pop-culture fixture
Practicality still matters at music festivals, where the wide brim earns its keep as sun protection, but the hat's reach now extends well into K-pop: Stray Kids' Felix fronted an Atiissu campaign in a silver-accented hat, Wonyoung wore a straw Miu Miu piece at Paris Fashion Week, Blackpink worked Western staples into their Deadline World Tour wardrobe, and Twice's Jeongyeon performed in a bedazzled white version.
How to actually wear one
The cowboy hat isn't the easiest accessory to pull off casually, but a few approaches make it manageable. A bright color, red like Jennie's, adds a focal point to an otherwise monochrome outfit, while a maximalist styling mood pairs well with wraparound eyewear or carabiner charms. For indecisive days, a softer neutral, coffee brown, khaki or toasted chestnut, does the job without demanding much else from the outfit, and a denim or fluffy version works as an easy save when nothing else is coming together.