The Yee-Haw Shirt: Western Shirt

Ten years ago, the idea that a smart dresser would non-ironically have a western denim shirt in their wardrobe could have been laughable—but today? No, it's a treasured classic, and few would think to disparage it.

I'd be lying if I said that we at Poszetka always believed in this success. I remember too well the internal and external resistance we faced during our first attempts to interpret this legend our way and introduce it into our offer. In the end, it turned out well—so well, in fact, that the dark denim colorway from the first series was instantly called a classic. Not only did we warm up to it; I believe this piece has found its way into many previously conservative wardrobes.

Two years after the initial realease, we celebrate the premiere of an updated "2.0" version which debuts as a Classic (yes, with a capital "C"), joining the ranks of items that are available at Poszetka year-round, regardless of the season.

On this occasion, western shirts definitely deserve this long-awaited post!

Where to start? As befits the Everyday Classic blog, of course, with a bit of context and nitpicking, er, probing into seemingly obvious matters.

At first glance, it seems simple. You don't have to delve deep into cultural codes to recall the universal association "western shirt = cowboy = Wild West." The connection of this garment to a specific country, social group, and era is obvious. But is it really that straightforward?

I don't know about you, but as a child, I always had trouble linking cowboys to a single memorable event in history, some characteristic date on the calendar. We know that gladiators belong to ancient Rome, knights to the Middle Ages... but cowboys?! We know they are from the “Wild West,” but it is more about where, not when, for most of us. They rode horses but used relatively modern firearms; they lived in the splendid America, but still a wild one; the construction of railroads often happened in the background of the stories, yet it didn't seem like they lived in an industrial revolution world. Oh, and most importantly—they looked quite contemporary.

Well, we should realize that the timelessness of their look was largely a creation, a by-product of popular culture—which, driven by patriotic and pro-American motives, tended more toward creating a myth and associating the cowboy image with certain ideals rather than a moment in history. Today, if someone dressed not like movie cowboys but a real person from the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, based on photos or paintings from the era, they could only go to a costume party, not walk down the street.

What we see instead is the image of a cowboy in jeans and a snap-button shirt with chest pockets, a wide-brimmed hat on his head, a bandana around his neck, and a wide belt with an ornamental buckle (and a revolver attached) on his waist. Captured in photos and films, turned into monuments, the figure has survived decades, firmly lodging itself in the collective imagination... and transferring its historical-emotional charge to the aforementioned garments.

By the way—that's how the monument in the above photo has aged.

I'll later mention how associations became a double-edged sword for denim shirts among others—keep those styles from the cover sessions for “Sweet Baby James” and "If You Love Me, Let Me Know” in mind—but first, let's touch on the national aspect, i.e., the "American-ness" of the cowboy style, because it's quite interesting.

Looking at it coldly, it turns out that today we view a garment made of fabric of French provenance, decorated in the style of Native American clothing, as inextricably linked to modern US culture.

Let me explain that:

First, we need to address the origin of denim—know that the word “denim” comes from “Serge de Nîmes,” literally translated as serge (today we'd rather say twill) from the city of Nîmes (in southern France). It was probably there, in the 18th century, that the two-colored, indigo-dyed, durable twill fabric (from which modern denim derives) was first woven. In the mid-19th century, it crossed the Atlantic, where it was well received, becoming an alternative to rough canvas. That’s the fabric that Levi Strauss and Jacob Davis began sewing their characteristic blue workwear—first overalls, then pants, jackets, and shirts—from, which, starting from the American West, eventually conquered the entire world.

Secondly, we should say more about the decorations and details. Ornamental buttons or snap closures, embroidered details, fancily shaped yokes, curved pocket flaps, decorated collars, and cuffs—these are not modern inventions, but largely motifs borrowed from the native inhabitants of today's USA and Mexico territories, which incoming workers gladly adopted for aesthetic reasons.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not mocking anything here, nor am I trying to undermine foundations—quite the opposite. Maybe after all, it's a blend of various influences that holds the beauty here and makes the whole thing so interesting?

The United States, its history, and culture, are shaped by the resultant of different forces; they are a combination of exported European-ness with the few remnants of what was on these lands before. This mash was distilled over almost 300 years of independent history, during much of which this country was (and still is) a leading world power.

Court of fashion, please disperse; let’s consider the identity matter closed.

However, we still have the naming issue to address:

Just as not every denim shirt is a western shirt, not every western shirt has to be denim.

The first assumption is rather well known to all men’s fashion enthusiasts—the popularity of denim shirts in a "smart" cut (without pockets, with a spread or button-down collar) in recent years only proves this.

The second may require additional explanation—if needed, refer to the photos above, where we deliberately included several good examples. The western-but-not-denim shirts come in a variety of fabrics (sturdy cotton gabardines, delicate, shiny satins, and many more) and share one common feature - rich decorations. They come in the form of fancily cut panels and pockets, shaped yokes, colorful piping, and embroidery. This type of shirt may (for now?) be mainly associated with rodeo styles rather than everyday fashion.

The Poszetka Classic Denim Western Shirt, the one which sparked this article, lies at the intersection of these two categories. It is both denim (of course!) and western (without going overboard).

It is an egalitarian item that anyone can wear today, not just cowboys; simultaneously interesting enough to be the focal point of an outfit and versatile enough to be worn every day.

When designing it, we turned to the classics—those that formed in the post-war era and conquered the world in the 50s and 60s. In our opinion, it was in those decades that the golden era of denim-cowboy style happened—the cuts and fabrics were already modern but not yet exaggerated; it was then that denim shirts and jackets became something that belongs to everyday fashion, but still were devoid of the burden of specific, over-colored nostalgia.

Here I’d like to return to what I mysteriously called the double-edged sword of associations—it's worth recalling the wave of cowboy style popularity in the 70s and 80s (emblematically represented by the film “Urban Cowboy”), which first promoted it by creating a hyper-American, over-colored stereotype, and then quickly led to the oversaturation of the trend. After this era and the end of a certain fashion, country music became for decades the music of Southern rednecks, cowboy boots the symbol of shady Texas businessmen, and many other things (both clothes and cultural works) were unfairly classified as something of bad taste. It can be said that only today their rehabilitation is gradually taking place. Just look at Instagram—in recent years, bloggers and influencers have been working hard on dispelling stereotypes associated with wearing double denim, wide-brimmed hats, ornamental belts, and aforementioned western shirts.

We've already mentioned that this is the "2.0" version of our western shirt - yes, we've made some subtle changes compared to the first release.

One of them (and perhaps the most important one) is the color of the thread - now the entire shirt is sewn with a silver-gray one that matches the color of the silver-framed pearl snaps, which gives the whole garment a more refined character and does not introduce additional color into the mix. We have also slightly revised the shape of the yoke and pocket flap decorations - although this difference will pass unnoticed to many, it will probably catch the eye of detail-obsessed geeks (that we are). All these details go beautifully with the soft, long-point collar that’s been already featured, among others, in our summer work shirt.

The fabric remains unchanged - we have reached once again for the "Old School Denim" woven by Albiate, a part of their RETWIST® line, made of a mixture of recycled yarn and American Supima cotton. This Italian denim is completely different in character than its American and Japanese counterparts - despite the characteristic, irregular texture of the material, it is thinner and lighter; additionally, the dyeing method slows down the process of fading and color loss.

This is a garment made for those who need a tad smarter version of the western shirt and do not aim for a strong patina and a heavily worn look. Well, we certainly think you could wear it with a sportcoat or a blazer!

It's also a great option for everyday, casual use - its great advantage is that it works well on its own, without any additional layer or accessories. Details break the monotony of dark fabric, contrasting stitching and shiny snaps serve as decoration, and two chest pockets can fit a small wallet or glasses if necessary. Like most clothes with a western/cowboy origin, such a denim shirt naturally fits in summery circumstances - if necessary, severely unbuttoned at the chest, with rolled-up sleeves.

In addition to dark denim, we also have a beige version, cut from a similar Albiate fabric - you could say that it was tried and tested by our Katowice team… and we have a picture to prove it.

Regardless of which one you will ultimately choose, it's a real classic - or a Classic, even!