Red-hot Western Trend Spurs Interest at Dallas Market Center Trade Shows

DALLAS — Not even an impending ice storm could dampen the spirits of the retailers and exhibitors who turned out for this January’s Dallas market. The weeklong event — dubbed Dallas Fashion Week by its organizers — showcased women’s, men’s, Western and English apparel and accessories at the city’s World Trade Center and adjacent Market Hall.

And while the weather did impact some of the show’s traffic, particularly at the men’s show where retailers in the path of the storm canceled their appointments out of caution, the vast majority made the trip to check out the latest looks for summer and fall. The biggest crowd seemed to be centered around the red-hot Western market, with visitors — many in cowboy hats and boots — crowding into both permanent and temporary showrooms to add Western-themed apparel, footwear and accessories to their assortments.

“We had a second consecutive record year of business,” said Jade Opfer, chief executive officer of Montana Silversmiths, a Western accessories brand known for its belt buckles and jewelry. “Every month exceeded 2024. There’s definitely an appetite for Western apparel and accessories.”

Opfer said that it’s not just traditional Western consumers who are gravitating to Montana Silversmiths, but people from outside the industry are also open to trying out the line.

Montana Silversmiths, which has a strong online business, is also sold at major retailers such as Boot Barn and Cavender’s as well as farm-and-ranch retailers and travel centers. “We’re seeing growth across the board,” he said.

Bolos are among the most popular items, he said, attributing it to the popularity of country music, which he called a “gamechanger.” And it’s not just men buying the ties — women are also wearing them, with sales now about even between the genders.

Also strong are belt buckles in sterling silver as well as rose gold, along with earrings and necklaces. He said the “Yellowstone phenomenon” has been the driver of the belt buckle business. “It’s the strongest it’s ever been.”

Opfer doesn’t see the category fading anytime soon. “Business has been gaining momentum for five years and I don’t see it as a trend,”

Ditto for the team at Lucchese, the El Paso, Texas-based boot and apparel brand. “We’re definitely seeing a huge demand,” said Fallon Appleton, senior brand manager of communication. “New customers are coming in and experiencing the brand. Instead of Western being a trend, it’s becoming a staple.”

The Priscilla, the company’s top-selling 17-inch-high model for women, has seen success of late with metallic finishes and more options will be offered later this year.

Although traditional cowboy boots remain the most popular, Lucchese is also targeting the crossover customer with a Made in Italy collection that was introduced for women this fall and is being expanded into men’s for spring. The collection offers a lower heel and more “metropolitan” styling, she said, such as ropers and moto-inspired models in a range of leathers.

Lucchese has also seen growth in its apparel, which ranges from jeans and outerwear such as shearling coats to silk scarves with different Western-inspired motifs, Appleton said. “We offer head-to-toe styling, not just cowboy boots.”

Tom Striegel of Striegel Sales, a multibrand women’s showroom, said both his exhibitors and their retail customers are upbeat. “For most of my accounts, the last couple of years were their best years,” he said. “Retailers are happy and buying like normal.”

One of those happy retailers was The James, which operates three women’s stores as well as one men’s store, Roman James, in the Grand Rapids, Mich., area. They carry elevated contemporary womenswear as well as modern sophisticated menswear from brands such as Liverpool Los Angeles, CK Bradley, Rails and Marine Layer.

According to owners James Garnart and Deb Lopez, the women’s stores have experienced 20 percent growth in each of the last three years and, since opening this August, the men’s store has gotten off to a strong start. They’re expecting to hit that double-digit number again this year.

They attributed their success to the fact that the market in Grand Rapids has either very high-end stores or opening price point retailers, so finding a home in between has proven to be the right formula.

“We want to be the place for women to go for that $250 to $800 dress,” Lopez said.

They also scour the market for brands that are not carried by other stores. “We’re looking for cool pieces that not everybody has,” she said.

At the Dallas market, they found several brands that fit the bill for both women’s “event” dresses and date-night tops as well as “cool, edgy jewelry,” Lopez said. In men’s, Luchiano Visconti was on their shopping list.

Patty Hoffpauir of The Garden Room in Austin said sales in 2025 fell a little short of projections, but she attributed that to the overall sadness her customers experienced after the flash flood that killed 27 people at nearby Camp Mystic in July. Many of the children who perished were related to her customers, she said.

She’s hoping for a rebound this year. “I think it will be an interesting year for boutiques,” she said. Her store, which was established 47 years ago, specializes in mother-of-the-bride or groom dresses from Olvi’s, Teri Jon, Connie Roberson, Komorov, Robin Kaplan and more, and her strategy is to continue to search out brands that are unique to the area.

At the Dallas market, she was mainly hoping to get a “pulse of what people are buying. I was looking for early fall and it just wasn’t there,” she said. She plans to return to the March market to complete her buy.

Although she wouldn’t provide specific figures on attendance, Cindy Morris, president and chief executive officer of the Dallas Market Center, was pleased with the performance of the latest edition — despite the weather issues.

“Weather had an impact on attendance more toward the weekend and more for men’s versus the other shows,” she said. “Because we are open daily with permanent showrooms, we are exploring ways to welcome buyers between shows. We also expect our March women’s market to be well attended.”

While men’s may have been impacted, Morris deemed the entirety of Dallas Fashion Week a success. “We experienced an attendance increase over last year and every show and neighborhood reported steady traffic and order writing. But perhaps more importantly retailers took advantage of what makes Dallas unmatched: the ability to easily discover and buy across categories including women’s, men’s, Western and even gift and home. That’s why more retailers are coming to Dallas.” 

And starting in July, the men’s exhibitors will have a new home, and it’s going to be inside the World Trade Center where the Western and women’s brands are housed during markets. While temporary men’s exhibits have been in the adjacent Market Hall building, a shuttle ride or long walk from the World Trade Center, starting this summer, they will be on the 11th floor. And next January, the mart will be relocating some of the design firms currently on the ninth floor to create a new home for temporary booths on that floor for the future. This also creates space for future expansion of the men’s show.

Here are some of the top brands in men’s, women’s and Western from the latest market.

Wrangler Footwear

There’s arguably no better place to showcase Wrangler footwear than the Dallas market, where the brand has a major presence. In July, the company signed a deal with Genesco Brands to create a wide range of shoes under the Wrangler name and this market saw the introduction of a Wrangler Footwear-specific showroom in Dallas. The collection is multipronged, with Western, work, outdoor and fashion categories all represented at a premium price point, with most models retailing for $160 to $240.

“The Wrangler brand is on fire,” said Rick Higgins, president of Genesco, who added that the collection leans into the denim company’s authenticity and true Western heritage.

The men’s and women’s offerings include a range of Western models, such as feminine styles sporting stars, butterflies and hearts in traditional cowboy boots, low boots in pony hair and others with fringe. The men’s Western offering includes boots with inlays and decorative stitching on the shafts.

There are also hybrids for everyday wear on farms and ranches that feature functional bottoms, durable outsoles and flex zones for comfort.

Genesco sees major opportunity in the work category where it has created a range of models with steel toes and slip-resistant bottoms, some of which include denim insets, that will retail for $120 to $180.

The fashion component of the line includes trend-relevant models that have been “Wrangler-ized,” he said, some with a horseshoe logo on the bottom and cap toes.

The collection also includes a line of outdoor shoes based on Wrangler’s All Terrain Gear collection that includes hiking boots.

The collection as a whole launches for fall.

Tribal

The Canadian women’s brand also leaned into the Western trend with its fall line. Although the collection features a range of product in a variety of categories — sport, jeans and swim among them — Western was one of the company’s three key trends for the season.

Christine Loule, vice president of U.S. sales and marketing, said the influence was “modern Western,” such as that showcased in Beyoncé Knowles-Carter’s “Cowboy Carter” album last year. That translated into a denim jacket with a suede collar and details on the pockets as well as jeans with a suede waistband. There was also a reversible suede and shearling jacket, shirt jackets, blouses with faux suede fringe and embroidered Western accents on denim pieces. “It’s a feminine way of doing Western,” she said.

The second trend was called Polished Preppy, which Loule described as “not varsity, but pinstriped and tailored,” such as a rugby-style sweatshirt, striped blouses with oversize collars and cuffs, wide-leg jeans, fitted vests in dark denim and “chic argyle vests” in a variety of pop colors.

The third category was the extension of quiet luxury and included a teddy bouclé jacket, a leopard print bomber, Fair Isle sweaters and tonal chiffon polka-dot blouses.

The collection retails from $68 to $250.

Tony Lama

Count the venerable boot company as the latest footwear brand to set its sights on the apparel business.

The company took the opportunity to unveil its fall apparel collection at the Dallas market, offering a range of elevated basics with a Western spin, according to Elizabeth Jackson, creative director of accessories and apparel.

“We’re an elevated boot brand and we knew we wanted to create a lifestyle brand,” she said. It started with small leather goods and an alligator duffel bag that retails for $8,000. The success of those products prompted the expansion into apparel.

“We want to be a bridge brand,” she said.

The debut collection is menswear only but several pieces are unisex. Top items include a lightweight waxed canvas jacket, an unlined shirt jacket in goatskin, a lambskin aviator jacket which will retail for $599 with a double-way zipper and side pockets, and a lamb suede chore coat for $399.

There is also a collection of selvage denim jeans, which is a departure from what other Western brands offer, Jackson said. The jeans are made in El Paso from 12½ ounce Japanese denim and feature rivets with the company’s TL initials engraved on them. The jeans will retail for $299.

And of course, “you can’t go wrong with a pearl snap,” she said, pointing to the assortment of short- and long-sleeve shirts in 100 percent cotton with simple yoke detailing.

Jackson also created men’s and women’s letterman jackets in leather and wool to lean into the Ivy League trend, but they tie back to the company’s roots with a Western yoke on the back.

In addition to the apparel, Tony Lama continues to offer accessories in a variety of materials, including exotic skins.

Tecovas

After testing the waters successfully through its own channels, Tecovas brought its apparel collection to Dallas in a move to build a wholesale business.

Best known as a boot brand, the men’s and women’s collection is built around jeans, but the company also offers a range of other categories including shirts, sweaters, pants and outerwear for men and women as well as women’s dresses and skirts. Accessories are also part of the package.

“We’re a polished tailored brand,” said Madisen Li, senior vice president of merchandising and design.

The men’s denim offering featured a number of different fits and washes, ranging from slim straight, which can accommodate a boot, in both heritage and stretch models as well as a stretch twill, and a modern boot cut. The heritage fit is made from 99 percent cotton and 1 percent elastane while the stretch jean is 86 percent cotton, 12 percent Repreve and 2 percent Lycra. The twill adds 2 percent elastane to the cotton.

The men’s jeans retail for $145 and the twill pants for $135.

For women, there’s a high rise that retails for $155, as well as carpenters.

There is also an assortment of performance pearl snap shirts with UV protection, moisture wicking and anti-odor properties and vented yokes. Short-sleeve models are $85 and long sleeves are $95.

For both genders, the leather patches on the back of the jeans can be customized, a service the company also offers for its boots and hats. Li said the Tecovas apparel is being targeted to independent specialty stores as “ammunition for the little guys against the big box stores.”

Tommy Bahama x Stetson

Tommy Bahama may be best known for its laid-back beach-inspired collections, but now it’s bringing that aesthetic to the Western market through a collaboration with Stetson.

Bradley O’Brien, executive vice president of product design and development of the Seattle-based company, said the Stetson team reached out about a partnership and Tommy Bahama thought it would be a good way to expand on its Indigo Palm denim collection.

“The Western trend is something we see and we wanted to play into it in an authentic way,” she said. Collaborating with a true Western original like Stetson seemed like the perfect entry point.

O’Brien said the company created three dual-gender prints: a silk jacquard, a serape blanket stripe inspired by horse blankets and a patchwork bandana pattern that features horseshoes, stars, the state flower of Texas and other “winks and nods to their brand” as well as hibiscus flowers and palm trees that speak to Tommy Bahama’s heritage.

There are nine pieces for men and six for women including midi and three-quarter length dresses in the bandana pattern; a long-sleeve denim shirt; a twill shirt with embroidery at the shoulder; a long-sleeve T-shirt, and the hero piece, a Palmdana cardigan in a luxe cotton yarn with a special concho button for females.

For men, there’s a Baja hoodie, long- and short-sleeve shirts in the bandana print, a long-sleeve T and a special-edition printed camp shirt with the Life of the Rodeo bucking horse print on the back.

The dual-branded logo for the collection reads: Saddle Up for Paradise.

Prices range from $110 for the T-shirt to $275 for the Life of the Rodeo shirt.

Although the collection is a one-off right now, O’Brien said Tommy Bahama’s key accounts have embraced the line so there may be additional offerings in the future.

Clint Orms

Clint Orms started making hand-tooled leather belts when he was in high school and managed to sell a few to some local Western stores. But knowing that the belts would one day just be thrown away, he started searching for another, longer lasting, outlet for his creativity.

His path led first to Western sculptor and saddle maker Buck Brumley, where Orms started making belt buckles. He went on to apprentice with four silver designers in the West and combined the skills he learned from these artisans with his study of vintage buckles, silver teapots and Victorian jewelry.

Fast forward some three decades and today, Orms and his team of craftsmen have emerged as arguably the industry’s most esteemed engravers. These master silversmiths turn out an upscale assortment of handcrafted belt buckles, jewelry and accessories that embody the Western heritage.

The brand never produces more than 10 pieces from each design, with several limited to just one piece. Everything is made from sterling silver, solid gold and precious or semi-precious stones.

At the Dallas market, Clint Orms and his wife Roxy highlighted some of their most special pieces, including a limited-edition square buckle in yellow and green gold and sterling silver with inset rubies that was first created for Post Malone. Retail price? $32,250.

There was also a buckle first designed for Ralph Lauren that featured a steer head in sterling silver that retailed for $3,380 and a hand-engraved scroll model for $1,890.

Appropriate for the 250^th anniversary of the U.S., Clint Orms offers a collection of patriotic buckles featuring flags, the Don’t Tread on Me snake logo and other images. There are also a variety of animal engravings, ranging from trout to buffalo.

For those seeking something other than belt buckles, the company also makes bracelets, cuff links, pendants, necklaces and rings as well as alligator leather belts to hold those intricate buckles.

While luxury Western boutiques are the company’s main customers, the brand also sells in high-end specialty stores around the country.

Liverpool Los Angeles

It was in 2012 when Jill and Ron Perilman set out to create a jean for women that was comfortable, trend-right and affordably priced. Two years later, Liverpool Los Angeles offered its first models and immediately made an impact.

Two years later, they expanded into sportswear, starting with the Kelsey model in a stretch ponte fabric that still ranks as the brand’s top-selling trouser, before adding a variety of other blazers, blouses, sweaters, jackets and pants. Menswear was added in 2017.

Even today, the bulk of the line retails for around $100 with some pieces selling for just over that threshold.

The collection, which was part of the Striegel Sales showroom, offered a wide range of products for fall. Not surprisingly, the brand is introducing some new fits in denim that include a comfort encased elastic waistband and stretch pockets to create a flattering effect. The comfort waist is offered in a variety of models including skinny, flare and bootcut.

Other key denim fits include a high-rise relaxed wide leg, a high-rise vintage straight, a loose flare, a slouchy cuffed girlfriend and even a culotte, designed to be worn with boots.

In trousers, Liverpool has created an elongated Brooke High-Rise Wide Leg that can be worn for work or on the weekend, offered in solid colors or a plaid pattern.

Tops and sweaters are intended to complement the jeans and pants and include layered sheers, lace accents and contrast trims in a range of textures including knit-and-woven combinations. Styles include asymmetric cuts, plaited stripes and sculpted cables, reversible quilted vests and updated “coatigans,” a model designed to bridge the gap between a sweater and a coat.

The biggest additions for fall, according to Otaner King, vice president of marketing, include a focus on jackets in a variety of fits and styles, from peplum to fringe, as well as the “third layer,” such as a sherpa-trimmed denim long coat, a teddy coat with an animal print lining or a new swing coat in a brushed ombré plaid.

Deke

Only in its second season, Deke has already amassed quite the roster of customers. The Canadian menswear brand is carried at some of North America’s finest retailers including Harry Rosen, Mitchells Stores, Nordstrom and other independents. And when they bought into the brand, it had just one product: shorts.

But while there are countless numbers of shorts in the men’s market, what sets Deke apart is its ability to fuse a tailored aesthetic with performance technology, a niche that the company identified from the outset.

“We identified the white space in men’s stores,” said Seamus McIntyre, North American brand director at Throat Threads, the owner of the brand. “And we saw shorts as an opportunity.”

The shorts are categorized under three subsections: dress, active or casual. All feature tailored construction for a polished appearance, a pressed outseam in an 18 3/8-inch length, inner fly button, deep microfiber pockets, a 360-degree flex waist, reinforced stress points, taped seams in the waistband and a built-in gusset to enhance mobility.

The shorts are offered in a variety of fabrics including the bestselling Japanese honeycomb, seersucker, warp waffle, nylon warp knit, jersey, sateen and others. They retail for around $148 to $168.

For fall, Deke is expanding beyond shorts into pants that will offer the same construction and materials, along with an assortment of complementary tops. The pants will average around $228 while T-shirts will be $98 for a modal elastane short sleeve and $118 for a long sleeve.

“That’s the natural next step,” McIntyre said.