Is Camberville ready for a Western fashion takeover?

It happened: I spotted it. On a crisp morning this week, a woman strolled through Harvard Square in denim shorts and knee-high cowboy boots, a clear sign that Western fashion is about to gallop into our spring and summer wardrobes. Even on a rainy Sunday, I spotted another woman wearing low red cowboy boots with a sundress in Porter Square – true dedication from the wearer and an even clearer sign that the trend is sticking regardless of political stance.

Across the country, Stagecoach has long been a barometer for the next wave of Americana style. This year, the Western aesthetic is bigger than ever, blending music festival flair with mainstream streetwear: distressed denim, fringe jackets, embroidered shirts, silver buckles, prairie dresses and, yes, cowboy boots with everything. Attendees from Stagecoach 2025 have already embraced this look, pairing classic Western staples with modern twists such as sleek tailoring, pastel tones and minimalist accessories.

It’s fascinating to see how Western fashion, once closely associated with traditional, conservative values, is trickling into broader, more progressive spaces. Style, after all, rarely stays in its lane for long. Expect the “coastal cowgirl” aesthetic to continue but with a slightly grittier edge this season. Raw-hem shorts, oversized leather belts and worn-in boots will pair seamlessly with basic white tanks or airy summer dresses. Spring and summer fashion forecasts already called for a boho-chic revival, so we’re right on trend, just with an added true American flair.

But in cities such as Cambridge and Somerville, where academic tradition blends with fiercely progressive values, it’s almost dissonant to see Western wear taking root. Cowboy boots and prairie dresses once symbolized a very different, more traditional America. Yet here we are: Rugged independence, nostalgic charm and a bit of tongue-in-cheek swagger clacking along Brattle Street. Looks like it’s time to grab my Tecovas boots out of the closet. Whether Boston Calling will be covered in cowgirl style when the bands start playing in May remains to be seen, but the Wild West isn’t coming. It’s already here.