Three decades after country music star Alan Jackson topped the charts with his hit “Gone Country,” America has gone country once again. From films showcasing western fashion to pop sensations embracing country-inspired sounds, the influence of country music and style is unmistakably back in the spotlight.
“I haven’t seen anything like it since the 1940s, which is the golden age of cowboy boots,” Lisa Sorrell, a custom cowboy bootmaker based in Oklahoma told BPR News via phone. “People are experimenting, and they are doing wild and crazy things, and they are doing it well. They are innovating and that doesn’t happen unless there are customers.” Sorrel’s comments come after witnessing a renewed interest in cowboy and western fashion, as more people embrace the style in bold and creative ways.
Major pop culture fueling this resurgence include Academy Award-winning Barbie, which featured the main characters dressed in H Bar C western wear, and Beyoncé’s country inspired Cowboy Carter, which took home album of the year at the Grammys this past February. These are just some examples of recent media that has helped propel country music and western fashion back into the forefront of American pop culture.
“I feel like there are many, many people out there that want to wear western wear, and they want to wear cowboy boots, but they think it’s not cool. When I go to shows, people will come up to me and say, ‘My grandpa used to have a pair of boots and let me tell you what he did in those, and what they looked like,” Sorrell said. “People have this fond memory of cowboy boots, but it takes movies like Barbie and albums like Beyoncé’s to let them know it’s okay – it’s cool again, and I can wear them. I’ve always wanted to and now I can.”
The country and western trend has always had a home in Western North Carolina, but it has gone more mainstream in recent years. One Asheville venue is getting in on the action: The Double Crown, a speak-easy-style bar in West Asheville. The bar offers “Western Wednesdays”, a mix of country western live music, dancing, and fashion.
Western Wednesdays began shortly after The Double Crown opened in 2012 as a country music DJ night hosted by Greg Cartwright and Brody Hunt. Wednesdays quickly evolved to feature live performances by both regional and national country music acts curated by musician Wes Pearce.
“It snowballed after one of the owners, Steve Mann, was like ‘hey, so you and your friends that do this music thing, right?’ I was like, ‘yes, absolutely,’ And, he was like, ‘Why don’t you get some more in here whenever you want,’” remembered Pearce. “Spinning off the country DJ sets that Brody and Greg had been putting together, I started to book bands on those nights, too.”
Pearce recalled that the turning point for Western Wednesdays happened following the pandemic.
“It just blew up. I don’t know what it was particularly. There’s a few things you could point to. After that, people, especially young people, started showing up.”
Tricia Tripp, of the local honky-tonk band Hearts Gone South, has been with Western Wednesdays since the start.
“At the beginning it was pretty tiny. There was definitely a dedicated crowd, but it was still something that was a little more niche than it is now,” Tripp said. “It just kept building more and more to now it’s pretty much THE night – that’s what people do on Wednesdays in Asheville.”
Martha Spencer has been a mainstay at Western Wednesdays, along with her group, the Wonderland Country Band. She is a fan of not only the music, but also the fashion.
“I’ve always been a fan of fashion and self-expression,” Spencer said. “I think it’s like a song, or anything. I think fashion can show a part of yourself. I’m probably one of those people that wears anything to the grocery store. I think it can uplift your mood or share a little bit about you.”
Spencer combines her love of fashion and country music with her Old Song Vintage Fashion Blog on Patreon, where she performs a song with an outfit to match the lyrics. “I pick a tune, or song, usually like an old ballad,” Spencer explained. “I try to recreate a look that would go along with that and record a song.”
A few of the pieces Spencer performs in came directly from Uniquities – a North Carolina vintage shop specializing in vintage cowboy and western wear in Hillsborough. Jeannie Peterson, owner of Uniquities and a vintage stylist, has seen a recent rise in popularity in country and western fashion through her shop and styling services.
“Unlike just turning on the TV or going to a movie, social media has brought on a whole new generation and appreciation. I think in a good way. I think that’s why more people are willing to get out there and try a few more of the trends,” Peterson told WNCW.
Those trends are on full display every Wednesday at The Double Crown. Tripp says the popularity of the western style and influence in the larger cultural landscape has driven more people to the event, but it is the hard work and dedication that keeps people coming back week after week.
“I think the amount of love and hard work that has gone into building Western Wednesdays into a successful night also built that,” Tripp said. “They built a night where people know there is going to be great music, there’s going to be dancing, and it’s going to be really fun.”
That same sense of dedication and community was evident in a very different context after Hurricane Helene hit Western North Carolina in September 2024. In the wake of the storm, The Double Crown was utilized as a recovery space to aid the community following the destruction. Co-owner Steve Mann witnessed firsthand how the community came together in the aftermath, reinforcing that the venue’s role was more than just a spot for entertainment - it was a place of refuge and resilience.
“It was really amazing to see all the neighborhood people come together… Everyone was asking what they could bring,” Mann said. Once people saw us setting up there – people just dropped things off or asked what they could do or if they could take things somewhere. It was really amazing to witness that part of it.”
Western Wednesdays returned to The Double Crown about a month after the storm. According to Pearce, who books the bands, attendance is picking right back up and he is committed to keeping Western Wednesdays a viable gig for musicians and artists impacted by the storm.
“I’d say that, generally, musicians and artists are at pretty high risk financially,” Pearce said. “So much of the wellbeing, financially of a musician is dependent on, especially in Asheville, tourism.”
He says that tourists visiting the region are vital for musicians, restaurants and bars.
“I can understand that without any of those things, it’s absolutely terrifying,” Pearce said. “On the other hand, it seems to be bouncing back in a way that is incredibly cool.”