Connect with us

Fashion

Urban cowboy aesthetic takes over ACL: Here were the hottest fashion trends in 2024

Published

on

Urban cowboy aesthetic takes over ACL: Here were the hottest fashion trends in 2024

play

Austin City Limits Music Festival is a celebration of the best that music has to offer, but it’s also a celebration of the best that your closet has to offer — and the 2024 edition of the festival did not disappoint. 

From desert chic to urban cowboy, the fusion of traditional Western items with a modern juxtaposition gave us yet another interesting year of fashion at ACL. 

Of course, the festival is also an opportunity to dress for your favorite artist and Chappell Roan gave scores of pink cowboy hats their moment on Sunday. 

And even though this year’s festival was a scorcher, fest-goers adapted. Some endured the sweltering weather, suffered for fashion, and were rewarded with plenty of compliments and Instagram-able pictures. 

Here are the best and most popular fashion trends we saw in the park. 

The urban cowboy/cowgirl aesthetic takes over ACL Fest

It’s no secret that the urban cowboy aesthetic, which fuses traditional Western elements with mainstream streetwear, has gone global in recent years. From runways to sprawling metros across the world, cowboy boots and other items are having a moment.

This weekend, the trend was right at home in the heart of Texas, where hats, belt buckles, bandanas, bolo ties, and even chaps were the official ACL uniforms.

The urban cowboy aesthetic is exactly what Harrison Jensen Kelly and Zander Powell said they were going for as they donned boots and vests. 

More: As western wear sweeps the nation, Austin might be capital of cowboy boot fashion trend

Kelly wore one of this year’s most memorable trends: fringe on various items. 

“We kind of wanted to go for the vibe of, like, dark, spooky cowboy western,” Kelly said. “It is October, Halloween month, but we also wanted to give it a little bit of the country ACL vibe.”

Powell, who had a leather vest on, said the hot weather over the weekend forced him to change his outfit for the better. 

“Originally I was going to wear a shirt under this vest, but I knew if I was going to be out here all day, I should just only do the vest and I actually think it looks better that way,” said Powell. 

Fun and functional accessories were a must

Megan Cowart and Taylor Maugham made the most of the accessories they brought to the park. 

Maugham wore not one but two belts that complemented her Western-inspired outfit. 

“I have been shopping specifically for today and I was at a thrift store and saw these belts,” she said, “I knew I had to have (the look) because it just sticks out.”

Cowart, whose outfit of flared jeans and a vintage button-down could have rivaled any fest fashionista this weekend, also employed functional accessories such as shades and a bandana. 

Dust was pervasive at the festival this year, and the bandana was a very popular item to use as a face guard. 

Pink Pony Invasion paints the park

In every corner of the park on the fest’s final day, there was no mistaking who many people came to see. In addition to bringing some great leathery looks herself, Chappell Roan’s fans painted the park pink.

They wore pink western hats, skirts, shirts, socks, shades and any other item you can think of. 

With the Midwest Princess playing two mega sets at this year’s festival, her pink outfit each weekend will be one of the most memorable fashion moments from this year’s festival.

Beck Andrew Salgado covers trending topics in the Austin business ecosystem for the American-Statesman. To share additional tips or insights with Salgado, email Bsalgado@gannett.com.

Continue Reading