Americana meets the Aussie bush

Trying to get some bread in a cafe on Bellingen's main drag. Once the obstacle course of the packs of dogs on extendable leads are overcome it is time for waiting in a long queue on a Saturday. Many hipster families are there to have breakfast done for them.

One set was showcasing their three toddlers in a full 'American Western-inspired aesthetic', cowboy hats and boots. Mum had that Instagrammable ‘Mar-a-Lago face’.

Wide-brimmed hats are ideal to protect oneself from Australia's sun, but this was in the comfort zone of a cafe.

The "cowboy core" aesthetic facade harks back to the wide‑open‑spaces where cattle-herders (cowboys, stockmen/ringers) managed grazing livestock, for the pastoral industry, particularly in the Australian outback or American Western frontier.

Already in the 16th century, the Conquistadors and other Spanish settlers brought their cattle-raising traditions to Mexico and Florida.

The Western portrayed the cowboy as an enduring cultural figure representing freedom.

So why are these urban folks from the suburbs running around in 'costumes' looking like pastoralist workers from a mythical past? What 'sense of belonging' do they buy?

Maybe the fashionable habitus points to a vibe shift of the wannabe cowboys expressing preemptive subordination or imperial obsequiousness?

The rise of cowboy core: What's behind it.>>
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-03-10/dr-karl-how-things-work-cowboy-core-fashion/106336574

Plastic surgeons wrestle with requests for ‘Mar-a-Lago face’:
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/nov/18/mar-a-lago-face-plastic-surgery

Image :
In 1859 European wild rabbits were introduced into Australia so they could be hunted for sport. Now hats are made out of some of the invasive species.
https://www.nma.gov.au/defining-moments/resources/rabbits-introduced

#cowboys #pastoralism #SettlerSociety #fashion #WesternWear #CattleHerders #belonging #Bellingen #culture #MiddlePowers #subordination #RupturedGlobalOrder #BellingenObservations

"#DavidHalimi grew up #Jewish in #Tehran, watching #Bonanza. He now produces #rodeos in Northern #California and owns a bar modeled on Cheers.

At 73, Halimi is known around #Chico as the man behind a #Westernwear store stocked with thousands of #cowboyboots, a #rodeo circuit that draws #bullriders from across the region, and a U-shaped bar where locals joke about who might be the town’s version of Norm. Less obvious — but no less central — is that he is also a longtime #synagogue president, a #Hillel board leader, and a professor who teaches #businessanalytics at the local university.

Asked how an #Iranian #Jew learned the rhythms of the #American West, Halimi doesn’t mystify it. “I’m a quick learner,” he said."

https://forward.com/news/799020/david-halimi-iran-jewish-chico-western/

Timeless craftsmanship meets Western grit. Inspired by Jeff Bridges in True Grit, this grey coat represents confidence, tradition, and effortless style. 🧥

➡️ Discover more: https://www.filmsjackets.com/true-grit-jeff-bridges-grey-coat/

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Kendra Scott Expands Beyond Jewelry with Lifestyle and Westernwear Collections

Kendra Scott, the Austin-based jewelry brand known for its colorful, fashion-forward pieces, is expanding into new categories beyond jewelry, including eyewear and cowboy boots under its Yellow Rose sub-brand. The brand has grown to 159 stores in the US with annual sales exceeding $500 million, driv... [More info]