Rhinestone cowboy

The origins of the image

Buffalo Bill Cody .

As Western fashion historian William Manns points out, the trend for vibrant cowboy outfits dates back most likely to the days of the Lewis and Clark Expeditions . After two years in the Rocky Mountains , these enlightened explorers returned to civilization dressed up in suits with rawhide fringe trimmed with Native American beadwork and wolf-skinned hats on their heads. For their counterparts from the East Coast , a similar look looked extremely provocative. A significant amount of beautiful finishes was found in the equipment of American pioneers - the settlers who mastered Frontier had nowhere to take their usual clothes and therefore they were inspired by elements of Native American costumes and adopted the appropriate fashion. In the 1870-1880s, not a single cowboy was considered properly dressed without high boots that reached his knees ^[1] . They borrowed this style from the British cavalry in the 1860s ^[2] . The craving of cowboys for boots with various ornaments grew over time and reached a peak 70 years later ^[1] .

It is in cowboy culture that the roots of the “strass cowboy” go back to its roots, and its first rudiments appeared at the turn of the 19th – 20th centuries, when rodeo and Wild West Show artists began to order bright multi-colored suits with catchy trim and fringe for everyday work ^[3] . In 1883, Buffalo Bill Cody launched his own performance and soon realized how important the stage image was. He replaced his bay horse, Charlie, with white, as it was more conspicuous, and added silver trim to the saddles and wore long jackets and rawhide gloves with fringe and beads . Thus, he virtually single-handedly launched the era of “high fashion” in the style of Western , making cowboys style icons. His followers wore embroidered shirts, multi-colored bandanas and ornamental chapas , and soon the clothing style of the performers of the Wild West Show and the early rodeo stars began to be taken over by real working cowboys. Rodeo parades of the early 1900s inspired them to dress themselves and dress their horses in the most colorful and unimaginable outfits and most horse studios in the West launched the so-called “rodeo chapas” and “rodeo spurs”. The former were broad, in the shape of “bat wings," and were usually densely decorated with thousands of copper rivets and multi-colored layers of leather; the second - larger than usual and with a beautiful silver finish. Over time, the fashion for such a style only grew ^[1] .

In 1909, the early star of cowboy films Tom Mix , who once performed at the 101 Wild West Show , brought his stage-style western style to Hollywood . In the 1920s and early 1930s, he was the main cowboy star there and can be considered the "father of the strass cowboy." He wore bright and fancy costumes with contrasting embroidery, fringing, lace on cuffs and trousers. His style of Stetson hats became widely known as the “Tom Mix” due to the enlarged crown and margins with curved upwards ^[4] . The fashion for a country vacation at a ranch in the 1920s and 1930s gave rise to a nationwide demand for bright clothes. Wealthy residents of the East Coast in pursuit of the “Western appearance” cultivated a hyperbolic style - widespread chapas, belts with huge buckles, luxurious boots and even more luxurious shirts ^[5] . In the 1930s, there was a boom in the influence of Hollywood on Western-style clothing. Western films were the basis of the film industry - they were inexpensive to produce and studio top managers, using the popularity of western music, created the aesthetics of “ singing cowboys ”, in which Gene Autry and Roy Rogers stood out (the latter usually played with his wife Dale Evans ). The black and white image dictated the need for more elaborate robes for the stars to stand out from the rest of the actors and special tailors soon appeared for these purposes ^[4] .

Start: Rodeo Ben and Nathan Turk

The tradition of “strass cowboy” developed in the 1930-1940s ^[6] . Early samples of this look were created using multi-colored embroidery, appliqués and various finishes made of genuine leather ^[7] . Hollywood western stars like Roy Rogers or the Lone Ranger sang their faithful horses, dressed in colorful shirts, fringed suede jackets and trimmed jeans tucked into expensive Mexican boots, inspiring many to dream of cowboyism ^[8] . In the wake of the “singing cowboys,” hillbilly performers such as Pee King began to change their traditional work overalls and soft farm hats to suits similar to those worn by cowboys in the movies. These outfits provided entertainment on stage and appeared just at the right time, complementing the sound of new musical styles - western swing , bluegrass , honky tonka and western cruners. During the 1930s, costumes of “singing cowboys” became a cult image in the country and, as the trend developed, tailors wearing Gene Autry and Roy Rogers began to provide first-class “strass cowboy” robes to artists such as Hanu Snow , Webb Pierce and Little Jimmy Dickens ^[9] . However, compared to their colleagues from the movie screens, country performers turned out to be even more sophisticated - in their clothes there was so much fringe and variegation that even the ironic cowboy outfits from Versace subsequently looked very modest against their background ^[8] .

One of the first fashion designers to mix practical cowboy clothing with pompous trim was Rodeo Ben ^{[sn 1]} from Philadelphia ^[12] . In the 1920s, he was famous for costumes for wandering rodeos and circuses, but was soon inundated with orders from stars of cowboy films like Tom Mix , Gene Autry , Roy Rogers and Dale Evans ^[3] . The tailor opened his first store in 1930 under the slogan "The most western store in the East." Being engaged in tailoring suits to order in addition to retail, he attracted customers with fabrics of kaleidoscopic colors (including gabardine , flannel and twill ), elegant embroidery (with ornaments from Indian heads to sialia ) and high-quality design. Following Autry, Rogers became his client, and the tailor decided not to make similar costumes for them. In 1933, he was the first to use metal buttons in cowboy shirts instead of buttons for his rodeo customers; for the shirts of Rogers and Autry, he used pearlescent buttons ^[12] .

Another favorite of the stars of Hollywood Westerns was Nathan Turk ^{[sn 2]} from Los Angeles ^[3] . In 1923, among the ranches and scenery for Westerns in the San Fernando Valley , his atelier Turk of Hollywood was opened ^[14] . The tailor specialized in costumes with ornaments for the annual Pasadena Rose Parade and his designs became more and more spectacular over time. By the 1930s, his branch at Sherman Oaks was dressing rodeo riders and the film industry, and soon the tailor's work caught the attention of Autrey and Rogers. By the 1940s, the beautifully embroidered robes of the Turk were also discovered by country artists from the West Coast - Maddox Brothers And Rose and western swing band leader Spade Cooley ^[15] . The sets made for them, ruggedly decorated with floral ornaments, are among the most famous works of the Turk ^[3] . In 1944 and 1946, Ernest Tabb and Han Snow became his clients, respectively. The name of the musical genre in which these performers worked had changed from “hillbilly” to “country and western” by that time, and the visual style of western was finally fixed in their appearance ^[15] .

Climax: Nudi Cohn and Manuel

In addition to Rodeo Ben and Nathan Turk, there were other designers of “strass” dresses, for example, Faye Ward ^{[sn 3]} , but no one received recognition in this field comparable to Nudi Cohn ^[4] . Having started his career as a boxer first, he then began making clothes for exotic dance performers, opening Nudie's for Women atelier, and subsequently turned into the largest manufacturer of bright western-style garments. In 1947, he founded his own studio in Hollywood - Nudie's Rodeo Tailors of Hollywood ^[4] . By that time, many hillbilly performers, who themselves often had never been west of the Mississippi , had adopted the vivid fashion of movie stars ^[3] . They especially liked the business of Nudi’s flair (he even took on thongs and costumes for strippers in New York ) and the fact that each new collection of his studio was more challenging than the previous one ^[3] .

The first clients of Nudi from the world of country and western were the band leaders of western swing ensembles Tex Williams and Hank Thompson . Although for the Williams, for example, the tailor took the measurements far from ideal, the artist liked the costumes anyway and he began to recommend them to his colleagues. In 1949, Little Jimmy Dickens was the first to perform in a costume by Nudi on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry ^[15] . Cohn's production robes have become an integral part of the wardrobe of any movie star or Western singer and 1950s rodeo artist. Each honky tonka artist who could afford it had an iridescent costume by Nudi in his wardrobe ^[19] . Roy Rogers and Gene Autry had many similar outfits ^[20] .

Soon, Western-style clothing became so popular in Nashville that Audrey Williams and Hank Williams (both of Nudi’s lucky customers) opened a boutique called Hank and Audrey's Corral in 1951; Hank's signature white costume with black musical notes was from Nudi. The tailor embellished the cowboy look with detailed embroideries, fringe, and by the end of 1951 - with rhinestones ^[15] . So he became one of the first designers who began to sew imitation diamonds on clothes in the style of Western ^[19] . At the end of the 1950s, rhinestones were already inextricably associated with country music ^[21] . Over the years, Nudi’s costumes have sparkled and shimmered with artists such as Lefty Frizell , Hank Williams , Little Jimmy Dickens , Ernest Tabb , Kitty Wells , Buck Owens , Conway Twitty , George Jones , Tammy Wyatt , Merle Haggard and Dolly Parton -pioneers and pioneers Flying Burrito Brothers (in particular, on the cover of their album The Gilded Palace Of Sin ) ^[3] . The decoration on Nudi's costumes included images of kicking horses, wagons , longhorns , horseshoes, Indians, and the expression “never happens much” with respect to Nudi’s designs was more relevant than ever ^[20] . Ultimately, he turned into the most famous manufacturer of colorful outfits for country stars, and costumes of this kind became collectively known as Nudie Suits (from the English - “Nudie costumes”) ^[3] .

Since the mid-1960s, Nudi hired embroiderer Rose Clements ^{[sn 4]} , who, having moved to California from England, brought with her special equipment. Her intricate and original designs required serious craftsmanship and combined various types of embroidery - Swiss, chain and stitch . In addition, Nudi attracted experts in leather dressing, who created fashionable custom-made cowboy boots, chosen by design, usually to match the main costume. To satisfy the growing demand, Nudi additionally hired 21 tailors, one of whom was a Mexican named Manuel Cuevas , who later turned into a famous designer (by analogy with his teacher, he calls himself simply by name - Manuel). He joined the Nudi team in the 1950s, at the very peak of colorful fashion in the Western style, when among the clients of Kohn's atelier were Han Snow (costume with the image of bull frogs and lily leaves), Faron Young , Cowboy Kasop , Merle Travis , Ray Price , Johnny Cash (signature black) and Jimmy Newman (with Kajun ornaments) ^[21] .

Sunset and Current Status

The trend of motley western costumes faded by the mid-1960s - then the fashion for minimalism and practicality returned to Hollywood , although in Nashville the “strass” trend lingered a little longer ^[20] . However, by the end of the decade, country clothing had become more sophisticated, and the music itself more sleek in the light of the Nashville Sound - tuxedos and cocktail dresses replaced the cowboy outfits. Nevertheless, country singer Buck Owens from Bakersfield at the same time began to wear custom-made costumes from Nudi Cohn of his own style, including a bolero jacket that shone with bright rhinestones and embroidered with metal thread. Since the late 1960s, participants from The Nudi began to buy vestments from The Rolling Stones and The Byrds , and the culmination of the trend was the costumes created by Manuel for Graham Parsons and his band The Flying Burrito Brothers ^[23] . The design of Parsons' most famous costume embodied his creative goal - to bring traditional country music to rock and roll listeners - and combined bright white hip-hagger pants (with flames on each leg) and a short jacket decorated with embroidery depicting naked women, marijuana leaves tablets and a large cross on the back ^[23] .

The very expression “strass cowboy” in 1975 gained mass fame and popularity thanks to the single-titled single “ Rhinestone Cowboy ” by country singer Glen Campbell , who himself was willingly dressed in the corresponding outfits ^[24] . However, in general, the decorative cowboy appearance returned to the mainstream country only in the late 1970s and early 1980s due to two completely different musical trends - urban cowboy and neotraditionalism ^[23] . In addition to country performers, other artists also wore Nudi's vestments, including Elton John , Diana Ross , Michael Jackson , Liberace , Cher , The Beatles and ZZ Top bands. One of the most famous was the costume of Elvis Presley , trimmed with 24-carat gold and costing $ 10 thousand - in it the singer is depicted, in particular, on the cover of his album 50,000,000 Elvis Fans Can't Be Wrong ^[3] .

Although Ben Turka, Ben Rodeo and Nudi Cohn have long been dead, Manuel continues to create high-quality and impressive Western-style costumes for the new generation of country stars. In his Nashville studio, he dressed artists such as Linda Ronstadt , Dwight Yokam , Winona , Alan Jackson and Travis Treet ^[3] . Today he is the most important Western fashion designer. ^[4] Old "Nudi costumes" over time have become a collector's rarity, and their cost sometimes amounts to tens of thousands of dollars ^[25] . Many vintage robes from Nudi, Turk and Ben were on display at museums: Autry Museum of the American West in Los Angeles ; The Roy Rogers and Dale Evans Museum in Victorville (closed in 2009); National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City ; Hall of Fame and Country Museum in Nashville . In addition, many individual museums of specific artists also exhibit these colorful costumes, for example, Buck Owens Crystal Palace in Bakersfield ^[3] . One of Nudi's most famous costume collectors is also country singer and musician Marty Stewart ^[25] .

At the turn of the 1990s and 2000s, the image of the “strass cowboy” largely survived the revival, and the very same Stuart rarely appeared in public without a vintage jacket from Nudi or a modern counterpart from Manuel ^[4] . In the 2010s, there was also a rise in interest in rhinestone robes - they could be seen on young country artists such as Margot Price , Kelsey Waldon, Nikki Lane , Robert Ellis , members of the Midland band and even such a distant country artist as Lady Gaga , who wore a vintage Manuel’s costume during the Nashville part of his tour of the Dive Bar Tour , and then became a client of his student and protégé Riley Reed ^[26] .

Such clothes served country artists as stage dresses and status symbols in the industry, reflecting the specific ideas of Music Row residents about how clothing should look for business ^[3] . Unlike Wall Street , a flashy costume of a flashy color, for example, turquoise with ornaments executed with embroidery , rhinestones , rivets or sequins , was typical here ^[3] . It was complemented by a Stetson cowboy hat and cowboy boots in the same style. The patterns were specially made of such a size and brightness that even spectators from the last rows were evident at concerts ^[27] .

Ornaments included images of gold coins, dollar bills, musical notes, guitars, and more modest - simply the names or initials of the artist. The aesthetics of westerns were popular - cacti, revolvers, steppe flowers, arrows and wigwams. Some designs beat the names of the performers ^[27] . So, the outfits of Porter Wagoner were decorated with images of the wheels of the van , and the clothes of Ferlin Husky were decorated with dogs of the Husky breed. Other vestments beat well-known songs of their owners - for example, one of Webb Pierce's costumes depicted locks, keys and prison bars, referring to his hit “In The Jailhouse Now” ^[3] .

Following their shining male colleagues, women wore costumes dotted with rhinestones or with appliqués and fringe (the beloved appearance of Audrey Williams , Dale Evans and young Patsy Kline ), as well as multi-colored gas dresses with tiers and trim, inspired by Mexican fiesta dresses and Indian skirts Navajo (favorite clothes of Maybel Carter and her daughters - The Carter Sisters ) ^[21] . At the earlier stages of the trend, in the 1930s, country singer Patsy Montana wore shirts with Western-style pockets like Smile and decorative colors that imitated similar outfits of movie stars ^[9] .

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  Buffalo Bill Cody (1910)

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  Left Freezell (1951)

•  

  Webb Pierce (1957)

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  Hank Snow (1963)

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  Faron Young (1964)

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  Hank Thompson (1966)

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  Liberace (1968)

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  Han Snow (1970)

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  Little Jimmy Dickens (1971)

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  Roy Rogers and Dale Evans (1989)

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  Porter Wagoner (1999)

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  Porter Wagoner (2007)

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  ZZ Top (2010)

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  Elton John (2017)

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  Ray Price Costume

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  Hank Williams Costume

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