This week, a look at the growth of Western aesthetics in fashion as Good American collaborates with country music icon Dolly Parton.
Six months ago, the denim brand Good American released its first collection in collaboration with country music legend Dolly Parton to instant buzz. It was covered by Rolling Stone, Variety and Axios.
Now, the brand is going back to the well with its second iteration of Dolly’s “Joleans,” releasing this week.
For Good American co-founder Emma Grede, the partnership with Dolly Parton isn’t just about her massive star power, though that is a plus. It’s also about tapping into Americana heritage and aesthetics, which have taken off across fashion, but particularly in the denim category. Online searches for cowboy boots are at a 20-year high, growing by 47% between August 2024 and May 2025, according to Shelftrend.
“We love Americana and American icons,” Grede said. “Dolly has always been a wish-list person; for a long time, we were floating the idea of doing something with her. And, right now, there’s this resurgence of the Western aesthetic, and the timing worked out with her. It made sense to do it. And, because the engagement — and the sales — were so good the first time around, we knew we wanted to do more with her.”
Good American did over $200 million in revenue in 2022, and the first Dolly Parton collection was one of Good American’s most successful collaborations to date. It drove record customer acquisition rates and increased average engagement with the brand by over 970%.
Grede cited Dolly Parton’s beloved public image, which she tied to the star’s Imagination Library literacy program for children, her long history of supporting LGBTQ rights and, of course, her long career in music.
“There’s a younger generation who’s obsessed with her,” Grede said.
The new collection, made up of 24 pieces, goes beyond just jeans, including ready-to-wear and technical fabrics like lace. Many of those pieces were directly inspired by Parton’s country Western aesthetic, including gingham tops and Western yoke jeans.
The marketing campaign for the collection features Parton herself and supermodels Jordan Daniels and Stella Lucia. The collection is being sold on Good American’s online store, in its retail stores in five cities, and exclusively in wholesale at Macy’s in the U.S. and Selfridges in the UK. Macy’s is a recent partner of Good American, which launched at the retailer in March. Good American has also collaborated on collections with Anthropologie and Zara in recent years.
Grede noted that Americana and country Western aesthetics are having a moment in fashion. Beyoncé’s “Cowboy Carter” album last year brought mainstream fashion and cultural attention to Western aesthetics, as did her accompanying collaboration with Levi’s.
Country Western brands like Tecovas and Boot Barn have been growing, and even non-Western brands have been adding country-inspired looks and collections to their catalogs. Most recently, Pacsun announced an upcoming Western collection, which will be released in step with this weekend’s Formula 1 United States Grand Prix in Austin, Texas. In luxury fashion, brands like Valette and Acne Studios showed off country-inspired looks at Paris Fashion Week this month. And Kendra Scott just dropped a Western cowboy boot collection this week, as well.
“American style has always had lasting appeal, and brands that stay true to authentic Western culture are best positioned for strong sales and long-term relevance,” said Michael Petry, creative director at Golden West, a Western boot brand co-founded by country singer Lainey Wilson. “This isn’t a fleeting trend, but rather a timeless look that continues to evolve while staying rooted in tradition.”
Denim brands like Levi’s, Good American and True Religion are best positioned to take advantage of the renewed interest in the Western aesthetic, according to Baruch Labunski, the CEO of marketing agency Rank Secure.
“For heritage brands and those built from craftsmanship, Americana is a relevant and intelligent opportunity,” Labunski said. “Its Western-inspired themes are intergenerational and seamlessly align with modern styles. This is particularly true for denim, outdoor and heritage brands. Simplicity and all the freedom it brings are at the core of this trend, and individuality is at the forefront. And that is what people are asking fashion to deliver, more than anything else.”
The obvious danger is that it’s easy to come across as inauthentic when adopting a new aesthetic, particularly one with a long history like Westernwear, according to the stylists and sisters Elana and Dina Solomon.
“It makes the most sense for brands that already lean into lifestyle and storytelling, including heritage houses, elevated casual brands, and even contemporary labels wanting to feel more grounded and connected,” Elana Solomon said. “But it has to feel authentic, not performative.”
Stat of the week
47%. That’s the percentage of U.S. shoppers who are worried they won’t be able to afford holiday gifts this year, according to a survey of 2,000. The study was conducted by Narvar, an e-commerce personalization tech company that works with brands like Warby Parker, Levi’s and Sephora.
The same study also found that shoppers are prioritizing guaranteed delivery dates over low shipping costs. Fifty-three percent said the presence of guaranteed delivery dates will influence where they shop this holiday season.
News to know
- Shein announced that its pre-tax profits had fallen by 13% despite its 20% increase in revenue. The company has been hit hard by the end of the de minimis exemption in the U.S. and the Trump administration’s tariffs. The company warned that the rapid changes in tariff policies have introduced significant uncertainty into its business model.
- Trump’s newly threatened additional 100% tariff on Chinese imports, which theoretically would go into effect on November 1, is causing alarm among retailers. November is the prime holiday shopping season, but extreme tariffs on China will likely prompt pull-forward shipments as retailers try to get ahead of changes. That would cause backups at the ports and potentially raise shipping costs across the board.
- Walmart has teamed with OpenAI to let customers browse and purchase Walmart products directly through ChatGPT. It’s the latest of several new changes the generative AI platform has made to monetize its user base. Despite $20 billion in revenue, OpenAI is still unprofitable.
