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June 23 - Western Shirts – Snapping Into An Americana Classic

June 23 - Western Shirts – Snapping Into An Americana Classic

David Shuck
June 23, 2025

Western Shirts – Snapping Into An Americana Classic

The Western shirt is a menswear staple that's been interpreted by nearly every major brand. Let's look at its roots and what makes it snap.

James Smith

Button-down shirts are a staple in any wardrobe, but not many of them stand out quite like the Western Shirt. With its ornate yoke and satisfying snap button closures, it’s an elevated form of the button-up that’s as American as apple pie.

As a heritage clothing icon that’s reproduced and reimagined by countless quality clothing brands, we naturally see a lot of western shirts ’round these parts. So, we thought it was time to hone in on this classic piece of shirting, where it came from, and its most common forms.

What is a Western Shirt?

Anatomy of typical Western shirts. Product images via Clutch Cafe.

A Western shirt is a button-down or popover shirt that features one or more of the following:

Snap-button closures
Pronounced, typically pointed yokes
Dual chest pockets with pointed or ‘sawtooth’ pocket flaps, also with snap-button

Western Shirts are typically constructed from denim, chambray, or other cotton cloth.

A Brief History Of The Western Shirt

The western shirt’s roots lie in the early nineteenth century, as European settlers and colonizers expanded into North America. The established communities’ dress was a mix of the popular garb of statesmen, their European counterparts, and traditional garments taken from Native Americans.

Original Rockmount Ranch Wear advert via Esquire

The shirt was originally sewn up from bovine leather and other animal skins, but this began to change in the early twentieth century when ateliers received better access to cloths of cotton and wool. It was at that time that the shirt was amended and normalized to include many of the hallmarks we see on modern Western-style shirts.

Longer hems were introduced to prevent the shirts from untucking while riding on horseback, and the archetypal pointed front and back yokes were added for extra durability. Perhaps the shirt’s most famous feature—snap closures—was also introduced in the early 1900s by Rockmount Ranch Wear founder, Jack A. Weil.

“A true pioneer, he introduced the first Western shirts with snaps (the Rockmount signature design with diamond snaps and sawtooth pockets is considered to be the longest production style shirt in America). Jack was motivated to develop a distinctive look for cowboys, ranchers and farmers living in the American West. Cowboys have a strong independent identity and want to be different. Jack A. offered them a special fashion statement.” – Rockmount Workwear on its founder, Jack A. Weil

The Western shirt remained, by and large, a workwear garment until the mid-twentieth century, when the rise of Italian spaghetti Western films saw many traditional Western-wear pieces become style icons. By the 1960s, the Western-style shirt was a typical piece of shirting worn by people from all walks of life.

The signature details and features of Western-style shirts began to get lost in translation as large-scale manufacturers produced them for mall stores and high street retailers, but brands like Wrangler, Rockmount, Levi’s, and Ralph Lauren have continued to make traditional-style Western shirts as the years have rolled by. In addition, many more contemporary brands — especially those in the raw denim sector — have produced faithful Western-style shirts with all manner of snap closures, sawtooth pockets, and ornate yokes.

Levi’s Western Wear advert via Pinterest (left) and Vintage Wrangler advert via Vintage Ad Browser

A Closer Look at Western Shirt Details

Snap Buttons

Snap closures on a Stevenson Overall Co. Western shirt via Corlection

Western shirts are built with snap buttons throughout. These are typically pearlescent or actual mother-of-pearl buttons, but can also be metal.

Pointed Pocket Flaps

Images via Vestis & Brooklyn Clothing.

Many Western shirts often have pointed pocket flaps. Seen above are the two most common types, the pointed (left) and sawtooth (right). And yes, the sawtooth shape is named after teeth on a saw.

Pointed or Curved Yokes

Pointed yokes on an Indigofera Western shirt (left) and curved yokes with piping on a Freenote Cloth Rambler Shirt (right). Images via Franklin and Poe and Freenote Cloth respectively.

Perhaps the most iconic part of a Western shirt is the ornate yokes that adorn the back and/or front of the shirt. These are most commonly pointed, but can also be curved, especially on ‘smiley’ Western shirts.

Rear yoke on a Full Count Western Shirt via Clutch Cafe.

Multi-button Cuffs

Smiley / Piped Pockets

Smiley pockets piped seam yokes on the Rambler Shirt by Freenote Cloth

Smiley and piped western shirts feature piped-seam detailing, with smiley versions featuring curved welt pockets that resemble a smile. Still featuring other typical western shirt details, smiley and piped renditions provide that extra ounce of rodeo steez.

Patterned Shirts

Patterned Stellan Western Shirt by Nudie Jeans, via Union clothing

Some western shirts go all out on ornate design, featuring custom embroidery, piping, and even all-over prints. They will still fall into the western shirt category if they feature some of the aforementioned details, like snap buttons. For the above shirt, Nudie has gone all out with embroidery, smiley pockets, and piping.

Modern Western Shirts Worth Your Attention

Western shirts are made by all manner of makers from mall stores to the catwalk and beyond. We focus on quality investments here at Heddels, so here are some Western Shirts that are ethically and robustly produced using quality materials and design cues.