What the “Coastal Cowgirl” Aesthetic Means for Interiors
By Kelsey Lawrence, Clever
Original Article Published by Clever
Do the Sheryl Crow lyrics “This ain’t no disco / This ain’t no country club either / This is LA” make you want to hold a beer high up in the air? Do you feel most at home when wearing a cowboy hat on the beach? If the answer to either of these questions is yes, the odds are the latest micro trend on the scene—coastal cowgirl—will deeply resonate with you.
Having grown up along the coast of Texas, coastal cowgirl feels warmly familiar to me. (Finally, a trend that helps me explain at least a little about where I’m from!) It’s time for the Gulf Coast beaches that are less glamorously depicted than their East and West coast siblings to finally shine. So far, most people are extremely down for the coastal cowgirl lifestyle—a cursory look reveals that more than a few cowboy hat craft nights soundtracked by Fleetwood Mac have already occurred in the month since this officially became a thing. Sydney Sweeney has also joined in, recently seen wearing a monochromatic white eyelet set from her Frankies Bikinis collaboration with matching cowboy boots. The hashtag #coastalcowgirl already has over 64 million views on TikTok compared to the 22 million views of its predecessor, #coastalgrandma.
How coastal cowgirl translates to interiors is more nuanced than a cowboy hat and a pair of boots. Various clips on TikTok show Turkish throw pillows, linen duvets, reclaimed wood furniture, and vintage cowboy prints and knickknacks. One such video that I found was by Kyra Smolkin, a creative director living in Los Angeles. “I would say the base of this style is refined furniture made from woods, leathers, and airy fabrics,” she explains. “From there it’s just about layering on your favorite throws, hanging some vintage frames, and showing your personality through knickknacks you collect at your favorite [flea markets] or throughout your travels.”
This is exemplified in the Pacific Ranch aesthetic harnessed by designer Jenni Kayne. Last year, she renovated a quintessentially Californian ranch in Santa Ynez with a lot of quietly plush textures like bouclé chairs and linen curtains, whitewashed walls, and lighter-hued woods like oak and cedar. (Not to mention her family’s other sprawling LA property that is drenched in neutral tones.) “Whether you’re leaning more coastal or more cowgirl, there’s an inherent timelessness that brings each aesthetic to life—and that’s why they’re able to work together so well,” Jenni says.
Though the fashion side of coastal cowgirl is pretty straightforward in its Western roots, the interior design possibilities go beyond just vintage Americana. “I believe it’s influenced by effortless Californian style and Southern charm, but [it] also pulls from other areas of the world, like Mexico (think woven baskets and patterned Mexican blankets) or even France and Turkey, where many of the beautiful antiqued pots and 100-year-old cutting boards are sourced from,” Kyra says.
Coastal cowgirl is the coalescence of a handful of trends in recent years. There’s some of that Coachella festival fashion seen perennially each spring (though it’s currently in its flop era), as well as cottagecore and a resurgence of shabby chic fabrics à la LoveShackFancy. The futuristic cowboy era of Y2K fashion is also present: think Madonna’s Music-era cerulean blue cowboy outfit or the many cowboy hats Beyoncé has donned. The visuals of being a cowgirl have been particularly enchanting to us over the last several years—we’ve seen the Y2K cowgirl, the disco cowgirl (this one ended up being dominated by bachelorette parties), the space cowgirl, the ’70s cowgirl. The swaggering aesthetics of Westernwear have been refracted through the lens of so many other trends because, simply put, they always look cool.
Kyra deems the trend a more “youthful and eclectic spin” on last summer’s coastal grandma, noting that in spite of how fast trends move nowadays, “those that stick are the ones that are the most accessible and relatable.” A formative shaper of this romantic California cowgirl hybrid has been singer Kacey Musgraves, whose Nashville home exemplifies the aesthetic with some added opulence in the form of details like an antique gilt French bed frame. In her home tour, old photos of her Texas family and cowboy boots are displayed alongside Moroccan mirrors and tropical greenery.
And though all of these hyperspecific trends can feel like purely the product of TikTok, sometimes they can be predictable in a refreshing way—it’s about to be summer; of course we want to escape to the beach. Coastal cowgirl is the more accessible and fun sibling to something like coastal grandma, which is more spendy, WASP-y, and Nancy Meyers–like. Coastal cowgirl is more “buy a cowboy hat at a beach shop with a giant shark mouth and hang on the beach.”
My current favorite example of coastal cowgirl design is found in Pamela Anderson’s MTV Cribs episode from 2001. She answers the door to her very, very shabby-chic Malibu beach house while wearing a cowboy hat, jokingly siccing her golden retriever on the camera crew. Pottery from the ’30s and ’40s, French and Italian chandeliers, antique blankets, Depression-era glass, oil paintings of flowers, wicker furniture, and “American-painted furniture” are just some of the home decor staples that she lists off. (I’m still not entirely sure what “American-painted furniture” is, but go off!)
But the main issue with coastal cowgirl decor is perfectly laid out by Houston native Rinny Perkins: “As it stands, the coastal cowgirl trend is missing the seasoning for me.” The performer, artist, and author of Not Everyone is Going To Like You mentions the work of archivists like Bri Malandro of @theyeehawagenda, who has been documenting Black cowboy aesthetics in pop culture and showcasing historical figures like the Southwest Trail Riders Association, which is one of the oldest Black trail rider associations in Texas led by women. Rinny also shouts out designer Johnique Resch of The Creatures—this desert-orange jumpsuit is exceptionally California cowgirl to me. “During the initial popularity of Y2K, cowgirl aesthetics pioneered by R&B artists like 702, Beyonce, and Mary J. Blige gained traction and it only makes sense that these looks are spinning the block now,” she says.
As Kyra notes, a convenient (and more sustainable) aspect of the coastal cowgirl aesthetic is that “pieces associated with it are mostly timeless and versatile, meaning you’re not going to be looking at a highly dated living room six months from now.” You won’t have to worry about finding yourself listing overly trendy pieces on Facebook Marketplace a year from now, and it probably won’t get you on a red flags list.
Between scouring Etsy for vintage Western enamelware or this nautilus shell vase, browsing Quince for some sumptuous linens, or finding seashell bookends in a 1stDibs hole, there’s an element of thoughtfulness and provenance to this trend that just might sustain it beyond a single season. “Try bringing in solid wood accents and materials like jute and raw cotton—whether it’s with a rug or throw pillows,” Jenni recommends for getting the look. “Vintage accessories are another way to really bring this to life. From metal dishes and ceramic bowls to coffee-table books that add a Western flair, there’s so much you can do to highlight the relaxed and organic nature of this aesthetic.”
So is the coastal cowgirl aesthetic cool or cringe? That’s ultimately up to you to decide. Until the jury is in, consider putting some Russell Dickerson on rotation, slipping those boots on, and heading to the nearest coast this summer.
