And the category is: Beyoncé, the cowgirl. She’s no stranger to this title, as she’s been fine-tuning her connection to cowboy culture all of her life. Fortunately, Beyoncé didn’t have to look far — she’s from Houston, an ever-growing city that’s helped build, preserve and slowly diversify the image of an American cowboy. Now, in a full circle moment, she’s creating her own country bliss on her latest album, Cowboy Carter.
Aside from music, Beyoncé’s style has always had a western-leaning touch. In the early years of Destiny’s Child, the singers’ outfits — which were largely designed by Beyoncé’s mom, Tina Knowles — felt like a warm slice of Houston. They’d wear denim, coordinating sequin outfits, fringe galore, and the occasional cowboy hat. The latter accessory became Beyoncé’s signature for quite some time, as seen in several of the group’s performances.
Beyoncé’s western glam didn’t slow down when she went solo. While she leaned more into luxury custom pieces, the singer still found ways to incorporate rustic fringes and various Stetsons over the years. That dedication hit a new echelon in her Renaissance era, where she impressively encouraged fans to celebrate themselves with a tip of her silver cowboy hat.
She’s continued that effort on Cowboy Carter — denim chaps and Southern twang in tow. In honor of the newly-released album, here are 11 times Beyoncé has embraced her inner cowgirl.
As mentioned, Beyoncé’s cowgirl couture goes back to the early days of Destiny’s Child. That can be seen in the 1999 music video for “Bug A Boo,” where she wears a red cowboy hat with a matching top and jeans.
The Stetson’s back, baby. At the 1999 Soul Train Awards, Destiny’s Child performed “Bills Bills Bills” in matching all-white denim outfits. Fittingly, Beyoncé added a cowboy hat to her glam. Though she wore this nearly two decades ago, it’s aged gracefully. This look would still be perfect for the Houston Rodeo, as long as you have some type of covering when it’s time to eat. The rodeo’s known for stuffed, loaded, and on-the-stick foods — obviously, the couture can’t get messed up in the process.
In May 2001, Destiny’s Child wore blue fringe cowgirl outfits. Their standout accessory? Those silver, blue-belted cowboy hats.
No matter the location, Beyoncé has always repped her hometown of Houston. For those who don’t know, she was born and raised in Third Ward, one of many neighborhoods that uplifts Black Cowboy culture. True to the city’s love of livestock, Beyoncé wore an off-the-shoulder horse shirt with “Houston Girl” written on the top while on BET’s 106 & Park (RIP) in 2001. Her sister Solange matched the vibes, wearing a straw cowboy hat.
Let’s tip our own hats to this look. At the 2001 Radio Music Awards, Destiny’s Child wore a mixture of denim (a classic in American Cowboy culture), rustic colors, and low-hanging western belts. Similar to her all-white look, Beyoncé’s outfit would still be an ideal outfit for the rodeo.
The denim continues. In November 2005, Beyoncé wore a vest-top and skirt combo that reminds of her previous look. Her brown belt adds a perfect “yee-haw” touch, and draws together the tan-golden hues of her jewelry. Her mom also understood the assignment, livening up her own denim with diamond-studded boots.
As with any tour, Beyoncé’s costumes on her and JAY-Z’s On The Run tour were show-stopping. However, her look for their 2014 show in Houston was chef’s kiss. The singer wore an Atelier Versace bodysuit with a black cowboy hat. Yes, this is Texas indeed.
Goodbye, Renaissance. After two years of wearing silver and chrome Stetsons, Beyoncé returned to her solid-colored one for the 2024 Grammys. She completed the look with a custom Louis Vuitton jacket and skirt, later switching out to pants for a more “western mayor” vibe. That title is fitting, considering she’s now the mayor of Cowboy Carter — a musical town where saloons are packed, Lexus’ are parked in every lot, and juke joints have Beyoncé’s remix of “Jolene” on repeat.