What is 'coastal cowgirl' fashion? Just ask these horse girls.

Coastal grandmother. Coastal Cowgirl. When it comes to TikTok fashion trends, this town isn’t big enough for the both of them.

The Nancy Meyers-approved, billowy, oversized, crisp white button-down and wide-brim hats of spring 2022 have made way for something a bit more ... yeehaw. While there are striking similarities to coastal cowgirl’s predecessor — linen being a central tenet of both aesthetics — now, it’s being paired with denim cut-offs instead of leggings and cowboy boots instead of white sneakers.

“It’s a really natural aesthetic,” Bernadett Vajda, a stylist, image consultant and model tells Yahoo Life. “It’s totally West Coast, just effortlessly chic.”

The look has gained so much popularity that the #coastalcowigirl hashtag boasts more than 18 million views on TikTok alone. According to a recent BooHoo study, searches for the Western-inspired boots first popularized in the 1930s are currently the most popular in the entire country.

Like many viral trends that have come up as of late, this one, of course, did not originate on TikTok. But we don’t need to look that far back to track down the origins, and popularity, of this look. Brie Larson recently posed in not one but two pairs of cowboy boots for a Harper’s Bazaar spread. Pamela Anderson’s cutoffs paired with a T-shirt and boots is an ultimate ‘90s fashion moment. In Daisy Jones & The Six, the entire cast nails the trend’s ‘70s iteration.

That longevity is one of the things Vajda loves about it. While you might not (yet) have a crocheted tank top in the rotation, many of the staple pieces might already be hanging in your closet. “It’s basically taking functional pieces that exist in people’s wardrobes, cutoff jeans, a nice tank top, and giving them a relaxed vibe.”

For some, the look has been naturally part of their style. Take, for instance, 25-year-old content creator Paige Lorenze, who is the founder of Dairy Boy, a lifestyle brand inspired by her daily life in Connecticut, which includes riding her horse, hanging with farm animals and gardening. "My style has always been more relaxed and super denim oriented," she says. "I think people are seeing the value of good denim, good boots, and more earthy tones."

Madi Wood is based in Calgary, Alberta and points out that the coastal cowgirl aesthetic has been the trending fashion at the Calgary Stampede, a 10-day annual rodeo event also referred to as the “Mardi Gras for Canada" by Wood, for years.

“Listen, I never thought that Calgary, Alberta would be on the leading end of any fashion trend,” Wood recently declared to her followers, “but we’re having our moment.”

“When I saw the Coastal Cowgirl trend, I couldn’t help but laugh, because all the things they’re describing are things people wear during that time,” she says. “Cowboy boots, linen. During those 10 days in July it’s normal for everyone to be wearing linen dresses, jean shorts, everything in the aesthetic.”

Wood got some heat for the video, with commenters pointing out that Calgary is landlocked. Still, she explained people joke that “Calgary is the Texas of Canada,” and she wouldn’t be surprised if, thanks to its growing popularity, the aesthetic filtered slightly into the typical Calgary style this summer.

The trend has not come without its fair share of commentary from actual coastal cowgirls, too. Michelle Serna, or @brokeasshorsegirl as her TikTok name reads, lives in Northern California with five horses and three dogs, and rides professionally and has a bio that reads “making horse girls cool again.” In a recent video, she poked fun at the aesthetic’s newfound popularity by showing off her version of coastal cowgirl essentials.

“My anti-depressants, I don’t have to explain that one, you already understand,” she jokes, while also showing off a pair of worse-for-wear boots she calls her “s*** kicker 3000s.”

Though Serna admits there are some in the Western industry and rodeo community that are peeved by the idea of people co-opting their lifestyle for purely fashion purposes, Serna isn’t one of those people. On the contrary, there are aspects of it that excite her.

“I really like it a lot,” she tells Yahoo Life. “I think it’s funny that it’s being presented as a new discovery, because if you really look at fashion in America it has been heavily influenced by the Western industry and a lot of the time that goes unnoticed. Fashion amongst women in this industry and lifestyle is a hugely celebrated part of the industry, so I think it’s a fun acknowledgment — even though people don’t really realize they’re acknowledging it.”

Serna, who can recall a time not so long ago when she was living in San Francisco and people would giggle at her cowboy boots, gets hers made custom. She notes that can be a pricey endeavor, but does have a slight “annoyance” with where much of the TikTok set seems to be sourcing their coastal cowgirl must-haves.

“It’s a lot of girls going on Amazon and buying $40 cowboy boots,” she says. “I know going out and buying cowboy boots is expensive, but you can find vintage, made in America, by real craftsmen.” Some of Serna's favorite brands include Boulet for boots and Kimes Ranch for denim.

Lorenze agrees that investing in "a real pair of boots is so worth it — and looks amazing with most any coastal cowgirl-inspired outfit."

Ultimately, Serna appreciates the interest in the lifestyle she has known her entire life, and is open to the idea of people taking a wider liking to it, especially if it means keeping the industry alive.

“To them it’s a cute trend, it’s cute clothes, but they’re representing something so much more and shining a light on something so much bigger, and I would never want to gatekeep that,” she says. “Our fashion is part of what keeps the industry alive, and unless we have outside support it will fade away.”

Lorenze too has noticed the larger impact. "I have gotten hundreds of messages of girls getting into horseback riding because of my videos and blogs, and I know personally how healing horseback riding has been for me. If I can influence someone to do that, then that’s amazing," she says. "This trend also seems more sustainable, as it’s really about good basic pieces and good boots that will last you forever! I think as long as we are crediting our inspiration to Western fashion and riding culture, then it’s totally cool."

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