How to not look like a cowboy?

[Mr Tickle]

I find that a lot of the combinations I am enjoying putting together into outfits end up looking a tiny bit more cowboy than I am aiming for.
Is this a problem? Well, no, on the face of it, it isn't. The urban cowboy look is pretty trendy these days it seems. So I guess at least people will look at me and think I'm fashionable. But the problem is, I'm not a cowboy. Everyone who knows me knows I'm not a cowboy. So it feels like costume to me - the opposite of "style", as it appears to say nothing about me as a person (it's not relevant to my lifestyle) and feels like an affectation - in the same way as if I , a middle aged, middle class English professional man wore very hip-hop oriented clothes (for example) and ended up giving the impression that I thought I was an American rapper.

Some examples - checked shirts, jeans, suede/corduroy/leather jackets. All items that I love wearing but put the wrong combo together and I start to feel like I'm giving off Tex vibes - Michael the Geordie's USA-loving friend in series 2 of I'm Alan Partridge - the guy who thinks he's an American trucker when he's actually an East Anglian van driver.

I'll try and post some examples of outfits that I think accidentally give off this vibe when I get time to snap a few pics. Checked shirts seem to be the easiest way to fall into this trap, even though none of my checked shirts are even those western-style ones with two breast pockets. But does anyone else get this? And are there any handy tips for avoiding looking like I'd rather be out on the range than in London?

 

[johng70]

With regards to the shirts, it depends on the style of the shirt. But, you also want to have some differences - you don't want all solids or all checks - you want some variety: solids, stripes, window pane, check. I would be more curious about the jackets you like to wear. I like a quality leather jacket, but cheap ones can often look really bad. Corduroy and suede can be tougher still. Not so much a "tex" vibe as a "I just raided my dad's 1978 wardrobe" vibe. But, everything depends on the whole outfit and how it looks on you - the shoes, the belt, the pants all together. So, if you can post some photos of you in a couple of the outfits, that would help.

 

[Phileas Fogg]

Eat kale.

 

[Daniel Hakimi]

It'd be easier to answer this with photos...

What kind of boots are you wearing? Don't wear cowboy boots. Don't wear too much denim, don't wear flannel overshirts, don't wear... henleys, I guess?

OOooorrr... lean into it. Become a denim guy. Get a stetson. Get a flannel overshirt or a denim jacket. Get thick belts. Maybe even get cowboy boots. Get a dinner jacket but wear it like Ralph Lauren.