Midland is the Best Dressed Band in Country and Here’s Why
A long time ago, in a Nashville lost to time and commercial interests, Country Music stars were style icons. Much of what we think of as classic Rock and Roll style from the 1970s was pilfered from Country artists. The mash up of classic cowboy gear with tailored suiting was part of the country scene going all the way back to the 1940s. Denim shirts, boot cut jeans, fringe jackets, embroidered everything, and cowboy boots all made their way into popular fashion during the 1970s through Country Music. Once high fashion and Hollywood adopted the look it became timelessly cool.
Unfortunately, popular Country style went awry in the 1990s. Somewhere between Billy Ray Cyrus’s mullet and Garth Brook’s midwestern dad look, Country artists adopted a pedestrian style. For the past couple decades, most of the men in country music have settled into a bro style of jeans, t-shirts and trucker hats. Perhaps this transition was meant to make the artists more approachable and keep their look in line with the commonality of their music. But it simply isn’t becoming of a professional musician and disrespects the rich heritage of Country Music’s fashion.
Country’s aesthetic was not lost completely, however, as a handful of artists kept the torch burning for the past thirty years. Foremost among these keepers of the flame is Dwight Yoakam. Along with being an iconic musician and accomplished actor, Yoakam has represented Country’s style heritage throughout his career (showcased here in GQ Style). His wardrobe has consisted of popped collar denim jackets, tight fitting boot-cut jeans with a massive flair, embroidered rodeo shirts, tailored shirts, suiting jackets and vests, fringed leather jackets, giant belt buckles, and always a ten gallon hat.
It appears that Yoakam and the Old Nashville style he represents had a strong influence on many in the newest generation of Country artists. Leading the charge for Country’s style renaissance is a three-man act from Texas by the name of Midland. Their aesthetic is a combination of a 1970s honkytonk bar and a 2000s Brooklyn thrift shop. Embroidered suits are worn over vintage t-shirts. Skinny jeans flair out over snake skin cowboy boots. Wide brimmed hats are worn over shoulder length hair. Camp collared shirts drape open, with four buttons undone, to reveal dangling gold chains. Midland have developed a look befitting Country Music stars.