As we collectively recover from the most recent wave of western wear in pop culture- see this rundown on Yeehaw culture- I am still enamored with cow print and the ways in which it has been abstracted to suit the stylistic needs of the Internet Age. While cow print is just one piece of the Yeehaw puzzle, its role in fashion began well before 2019’s cow craze.
Functionally, cowhide has been a valuable resource to humans since prehistoric times. Usually, it was more about the durability of the leather than the fun splotches of the hair on top, so the pattern would not have played a huge role in the shelter and clothing that cowhide was typically used for. In North America, the Plains Indians especially made use of cowhide, adopting it into their leather circulation once cows were introduced to the continent by white colonists. The Plains Indians have also used cowhide to make shields for battle, often painting the shields with protective symbols.
The patterns of cowhide- visible when the hair is left on rather than removed- are more visible in the traditional crafts of the Zulu people in South Africa. Historically, the Zulu people have used cowhide for clothing and accessories like skirts and loincloths. The most distinctive use of cowhide among the Zulu, however, may be the Nguni shield.
The traditional shield is named for the type of cow it comes from, as well as the language group under which the Zulu language falls. Typically almond-shaped, the shield’s display of unique cowhide patterning was used in battle to distinguish between ranks. The rarer hides, like plain white ones, were reserved for higher ranks, and more common spotted hides indicated regular soldiers. The shields were also thought to provide spiritual protection, much like the painted shields of the Plains Indians. Today these shields, along with other traditional crafts, serve a more ceremonial purpose, appearing in weddings or funerals rather than battles.
Left: Vintage 1950s Cow Print Top. Right: Vintage 1970s Costume.
The 20th century moved gradually towards the mainstream use of cow print, but Prada cemented its position in high fashion in their 1991 spring/summer collection. The collection delivered unto us a total of six cow print pieces, including a bodysuit, two miniskirts, and, unfortunately, a tunic.
Like clockwork, cow print made its way from the runway into the wardrobe of one Rachel Green, who sported this coat in a throwback that would have been set in 1994 (the actual episode aired in 2000).
So the nineties made cow print an acceptable- trendy, even- pattern to wear. Then, during the late 90s/early 2000s Y2K era, society was blessed with its first Yeehaw wave (yes, a whole twenty years before “Bitch I’m a Cow”). Pioneered by Black creatives, especially in the R&B and hip-hop industries, all of western wear became a costume, with bright colors, cowboy hats, sequins and cowboy boots lighting up countless red carpets and afterparties. Luckily for us, the rich history of the “Black Yeehaw agenda” is well-documented by journalist Carla Aurelie, art critic and writer Antwaun Sargent, and the expertly curated Instagram page, The Yee-Haw Agenda.
Clockwise from top left: Destiny's Child, Lil' Kim, Mary J. Blige, Jada Pinkett Smith
Like most major trends, we need to pay due diligence to the pivotal role that Black creators have played in creating the contemporary western aesthetic. Ever since the heyday of literal cowboys, the legacy of Black figures in western wear (and culture) has been overlooked, but it is finally getting more of the attention it deserves thanks to the aforementioned writers and critics, among others.
The second Yeehaw wave started in 2019, as the fashion cycle began revisiting the 1990s, and pop culture began to embrace- even reclaim- western style and culture. This period also saw a reworking of the country music genre, traditionally tied to conservative, rural values, to fit a younger, more diverse, and especially more liberal generation. Importantly, this country-pop renaissance was led by woke, queer, and/or LGBT-allied artists like Lil Nas X and Kacey Musgraves. As with the Y2K Yeehaw era, cow print today has played an accessory role in the overall trend, appearing in various outfits as an abstracted reference to the West. Cow print has made its way onto jackets, boots, hats, decor, and even lighters.
Journalist Sandra Song's coverage of the most recent Yeehaw wave suggests a link between the pop culture adoption of cowboy aesthetics and the shifted political climate following the 2016 election. Traditionally, western styles have been associated with a rural lifestyle which is largely defined by conservative values. Those values, racism and homophobia included, were amplified and empowered by the election of the now former president, prompting a popular reappropriation of the aesthetics and music that they have historically been associated with.
While cow print may have only been in the fashion lexicon for thirty years or so, it has a much longer, much more multifunctional history. Like many textiles and motifs, its story does not begin on the runway. Nor, even, does it begin with cowboys. However, it has come to represent much of what a cowboy does- especially adventure. Because what better antidote for our collective existential dread than something playful, something that makes us feel a little more carefree, even if we do have to stick it out and stay in the proverbial saddle?
In all likelihood, cow print will be recycled again a couple decades from now, permeating whatever social media our friends' kids are using as though it's brand new. It is highly unlikely that cow print will ever be more than a statement piece. But for us, it will always mark the bizarre and exciting moment that our generation chose to claim "yeehaw" for ourselves, to redefine it according to our needs. Even as cow print fades from our explore pages, we must continue to heed Mitski's directive to be the cowboy, because this is our rodeo now.
-Helen
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