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Eight of the best denim shirts for cowboys and city boys

Eight of the best denim and cowboy shirts for middle-aged men
Eight of the best denim and cowboy shirts for middle-aged men

Some clothes are out of fashion almost as quickly as they arrive. Then there are the menswear perennials, classics that never let you down, and only get better as they get older. The denim shirt sits in that bracket, and it’s one of those wardrobe essentials I could not do without.

Depending on how it is detailed, the way it is cut and the treatment the fabric has undergone, I’d argue there’s almost nowhere you can’t wear it, other than formal black-tie events.

It’s also pretty much seasonless; worn as a shacket (shirt/jacket hybrid), as a cover-up for summer, or as an extra layer for when the days grow shorter. The first thing to decide when buying one is what its primary function will be.

There are denim shirts suited to smarter occasions, with preppy button-down collars (so you can wear them with a tie), and there are those with heritage-inspired Western detailing that tap into the rugged machismo of the Marlboro Man.

M&S Collection, Zara and PS by Paul Smith have you covered for the smarter style of shirt; all are cut from a lightweight denim that can be tucked into trousers, and all feature button-down collars.

Levi’s, AllSaints and Belstaff, however, are all firmly on the authentically styled dustbowl denim side of the fence. AllSaints’ Western denim shirt comes in taupe, so is a good way to avoid blue-on-blue, double-denim overload if you wear it with jeans.

Belstaff’s version is in an untreated, heavyweight dark denim; a suitable replacement for a jacket if worn over a T-shirt. Levi’s Barstow shirt is an iconic design that has been updated year-on-year in countless permutations.

Some straddle the line between casual and formal. APC, Uniqlo and Cos have excellent options here; collarless can also be a savvy choice.

Eight of the best

Tailored-fit indigo shirt, £125, PS Paul Smith 
Tailored-fit indigo shirt, £125, PS Paul Smith

Tailored-fit indigo shirt, £125, PS Paul Smith

Salur shirt in taupe, £99, AllSaints 
Salur shirt in taupe, £99, AllSaints

Salur shirt in taupe, £99, AllSaints

Slim-fit work shirt in light blue, £24.90, Uniqlo
Slim-fit work shirt in light blue, £24.90, Uniqlo

Slim-fit work shirt in light blue, £24.90, Uniqlo

 Georges ripstop denim shirt, €160/£142, APC
Georges ripstop denim shirt, €160/£142, APC

Georges ripstop denim shirt, €160/£142, APC

Western shirt in indigo, £175, Belstaff 
Western shirt in indigo, £175, Belstaff

Western shirt in indigo, £175, Belstaff

Organic cotton shirt in mole, £59, Cos
Organic cotton shirt in mole, £59, Cos

Organic cotton shirt in mole, £59, Cos

Basic denim shirt in black, £19.99, Zara
Basic denim shirt in black, £19.99, Zara

Basic denim shirt in black, £19.99, Zara

Barstow shirt in cast stone light indigo, £65, Levi’s
Barstow shirt in cast stone light indigo, £65, Levi’s

Barstow shirt in cast stone light indigo, £65, Levi’s