What is Americana style? From problematic roots to Beyoncé’s modern reinterpretation
Americana style has drifted in and out of visual trends for decades, but in 2024, it’s back with a fresh twist. This year’s Americana style is a more elevated aesthetic compared to 2023’s popular cowboy core and coastal cowgirl trends. When envisioning Americana style today, think chic leather pants, pointed metallic cowboy boots, chunky low-waisted belts and oversized Stetson-like hats. This resurgence can largely be attributed to Beyoncé’s Americana-inspired look, which she debuted at the 2024 Grammys ahead of her March release of Cowboy Carter. But she’s not the only one embracing this classic Americana style. Here’s why this aesthetic is making waves now and, more importantly, how you can get back on the Americana style horse—pardon the bad pun.
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What is Americana style?
First things first: what is Americana style? Broadly speaking, Americana is an umbrella term that covers music, food, interior design, architecture, fashion and culture at large. The style often centres on the American West—think cowboys and cacti—as well as mid-century and modern small-town vibes—think apple pies and baseball. This blend of old Americana style and modern interpretations creates a timeless yet dynamic aesthetic.
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It’s no surprise that the Americana style reappears in popular culture time and time again; it’s deeply engrained in global consciousness. As writer Anastasiia Fedorova explained in a 2018 Highsnobiety article, “No matter where we come from, we’re all a bit American. Coca-Cola, Nike and Disney, blue denim, cowboys and roadside motels: these references are ingrained in the way people think, feel and consume worldwide.” These instantly recognisable symbols make Americana style ideal for fashion brands to reuse and recontextualise, blending vintage Americana style with contemporary flair.
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Americana style also has a strong connection to nostalgia. At its worst, this can lead to the romanticisation of divisive and incredibly problematic periods of history, such as the Antebellum South era. In these instances, the aesthetic often centres on the white male experience and selective memories of the United States.
However, at its best, classic Americana style can be a reinvention and reclamation of the country’s rich culture, whether through music, fashion, or interior design.
To gain more understanding about this, SCREENSHOT spoke with Katie Devlin, Assistant Fashion Trends Editor at Stylus, who explained: “The current version of Americana fashion we’re seeing is rooted in subversion, and wanting to reinterpret what came before for 2024. Western aesthetics have been really prevalent recently, but all with this central ethos of reclamation, and there’s been a real reevaluation of what that means and what it looks like.”
Americana style for women
This broadening of what Americana style is and can be is most dynamically represented by Beyoncé’s latest album, Cowboy Carter. A press release from Parkwood Entertainment stated that “the album redefines and rebuilds what is Country and Americana, and who gets to be included.” The history of Black cowboys and their related aesthetics have been celebrated by Beyoncé and her sister Solange for years. And with the chart-topping success of Cowboy Carter, it’s no surprise that these visuals and ideas have entered the mainstream in a big way, making Americana style for women more diverse and inclusive than ever.
That being said, the Knowles sisters aren’t the only ones pioneering the trend.
Americana style for men
Pharrell Williams is another major player in the Americana style space. The producer, artist, and fashion designer paid homage to the diversity of the Wild West in his Louis Vuitton FW24 menswear show, which featured collaborations with Native American artists.
“Brands are using Western aesthetics to interrogate stereotypes and celebrate the communities at the centre of the trend,” Devlin explains, citing Williams and the recent Sprayground x Compton Cowboys partnership.
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Other recent examples of where Americana-inspired style has been seen in the fashion world include Roberto Cavalli’s PF24 collection, Molly Goddard’s FW24 collection and Chloé’s FW24 collection. You’ve probably noticed the influence has spread beyond the runways. Whether it’s spotting cowboy boots on nights out or scrolling through Bella Hadid’s Instagram and catching a glimpse of her rodeo era with boyfriend Adan Banuelos, the trend is everywhere.
If that’s still not enough to convince you that Americana style is back, Devlin also notes that “2010s Tumblr fashion—think American Apparel and Lana Del Rey—is steadily making a nostalgia-driven comeback.” It’s no surprise, then, that this trend has become a major throughline of 2024 fashion.
Americana style interior design
The reinvention of this style trend is also reaching a fever pitch in the interior design world. While gingham textiles and rustic wood remain popular, many are choosing to update this vintage Americana style with modern, personalised elements. Benjamin Reynaert, a design and style expert, told Better Homes & Gardens that “Americana with a twist is all about mixing the past with the present, the antique with the new, and bringing your own voice forward in your design.” Similar to the functional-meets-fashionable aesthetics of cowboy core, you’re likely to find your dream Americana pieces at flea markets, charity shops and other secondhand outlets. According to Reynaert, the effect of these lived-in, storied items creates a layered, personal and comfortable living space.
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In its current iteration, Americana style is connected to both nostalgia and reinvention, which can seem a bit disjointed. As Devlin puts it, “Americana aesthetics are concurrently about romanticising the idea of the ‘American dream’, while also actively subverting and critiquing it, which is where we’re seeing this darker, grungier element come in.” This evolving style trend offers a fresh take on classic Americana, blending the past and the present to create something entirely new.
At a time when the relationship between the political and the personal is more complex than ever, it seems inevitable that stars and stripes would be a recurring motif throughout culture. But this updated Americana style widens the scope of what it is and can be, allowing room for every type of American history and memory.
