RUGGED CHIC

From way back when we first started paying extra for already-distressed denim, there was born an almost inexplicable appreciation for a “well-loved” look.

Fashion is once again trending toward a relaxed and rugged vibe with boxy silhouettes, classic cut button-downs, and wide-legged jeans. More elevated than the “shabby chic” of the ‘90s, this era is all about embracing the “raw” aesthetic – expect unwashed indigo denims and worn-raw details like frayed edges and mock-mending. Perfectly imperfect.

Naturally, that vibe coincides well with Cowpoke U, a collection intended to have a hard-working, rough-around-the-edges feel to it, and it’s exemplified in one of *the* signature pieces of the season – the Cowboy Tropes Jacket.

“Usually, when we’re talking about a season’s signature jackets, it’s going to be a biker,” explained Cheryl. “But that’s just another attribute that makes Cowpoke U so entirely unique, because from my perspective, the signatures for this collection are the Cowboy Letterman Jacket – which is in a league all its own, and really set the tone for the ‘academia’ vibe – and the Cowboy Tropes Jacket, which embodies the rugged-chic style I wanted to define this collection and also incorporates the key elements of our collaboration with Bruce Lee Webb.”

Certain to be a collector and one of those pieces you see and instantly associate with the Cowpoke U collection, even years from now, the Cowboy Tropes Jacket amalgamates aesthetic elements that make it feel authentic and individualistic, like a well-loved favorite. We started with a custom woven ticking that channels turn-of-the-century cowboy style and gave it pops of personality with mock-mended denim elbows, chenille applique patches, and a corduroy collar, all finished with raw hems. It also features a large-scale iteration of the Western Slick Up cowpoke by Bruce Lee Webb, embellished with beading and embroidery. It’s like a chore jacket, but way, WAY cooler!

“Not to mention, it came with its own little vocab lesson!” Cheryl laughed.

Oh yeah, and that! As we were stocking the Ft. Worth store and staging it for Cowpoke U, our helpers and our models and even a few of our own family kept getting tongue-tied and calling it the Cowboy Troops Jacket, rather than Tropes, which resulted in a fun little impromptu education about not only what a trope is, but what some of these specific tropes meant.

So, what is a trope*, exactly? In its most basic sense, it’s a figure of speech – a metaphor, a euphemism, a pun – particularly one that’s intended to paint a picture or provide a visual. (Think, “worker bees buzzing about”; no, they’re not literal bees, but you picture quick and constant movement working toward a common goal.) In this particular context, well, it’s cowpoke slang.

And if you’re curious what all that doodled jargon Bruce Lee Webb worked into the Western Slick Up, here’s a quick glossary:

TROTTER BOXES – Shoes or boots, or “anything you can stick your feet into”

YANNIGAN BAG – A cowboy’s bag where he carries his personal items

MUD PIPES – Any kind of boots or shoes, but mostly applied to riding-boots

TOGGERY – Clothing, “togs” for short

SHOP-MADES – Boots

CHOKE STRAP – A necktie

FOUR-HORSE ROLL – The old-style way of turning up the cuffs on jeans about 4 inches

MASCADA – A plug of chewing tobacco

HAIR PANTS – Chaps made from a hair-covered hide

MULE EARS – Boots

SLOPS – Large and loose trousers

*In literary terms, a trope can often refer to a character or arc that’s so commonly used it’s easily recognizable and almost cliché – for instance, a “dumb blonde” or “damsel in distress”.