Bringing the new American West to life at Bozeman Vintage 

By Taylor Owens CONTENT MARKETING LEAD

“I’ve been wearing and selling vintage clothing since I was 14-years-old,” Spencer Stewart, owner of Bozeman Vintage, said. “So this goes way, way back.”

Situated on N 7th Ave. in Bozeman is a small shop packed with vintage finds. Bozeman Vintage is a unique store specializing in carefully curated vintage clothing and accessories. This shop offers a nostalgic journey through history, featuring a diverse collection of items from various decades, each piece handpicked for its quality and style. 

“When we started all this, we weren’t quite as Western leaning. It was about 50-50,” Stewart said. “But that really turned out to be what people were looking for. So we leaned into it much harder.”

Shoppers can find anything from classic denim, old cowboy hats, retro dresses, one-of-a-kind accessories, all reflecting the timeless charm and character of Western vintage fashion. 

“We see so many people coming in, not just buying our stuff casually, but very specifically looking for types of pieces,” Stewart said. “We get such an interesting, diverse crowd looking for vintage Western wear. Everything from the real, hardcore rodeo kids, to college students, to tourists. And it’s always fun when they’re buying the same pieces but styling them in such different ways and looking for them for different reasons. I think we’re really the source of a lot of it.”

Vintage shops and thrift shopping have seen a resurgence in recent years, driven by a combination of sustainability, nostalgia and the desire for unique, one-of-a-kind fashion. More people are turning to second-hand stores to find quality clothing that tells a story, rather than contributing to the fast fashion cycle. The appeal of vintage lies in its authenticity and the personal connection shoppers feel with the past, as well as the opportunity to express individual style in ways that mass-produced items don’t allow.

“We had the crustiest old cowboy you’ve ever seen, a dealer from Japan, a group of college kids on spring break, and a family from LA, all in the store at the same time,” Stewart said. “You make that Venn diagram and there’s almost no crossover. And they were just all having a good old time finding stuff.”

While Bozeman Vintage has become a locale for those looking for Western vintage clothing, this clothing style isn’t necessarily historically accurate for this region of Montana. 

“I think the reality of the way that people dressed in this area in that past era, is different from the way that people imagine it,” Stewart said. “So you look at pictures of people in downtown Bozeman in the 50s, and it’s suits, overcoats, fedoras. Much more just like regular street wear for that time. Not as cowboy as you’d think. But people have this idea of the American West, and we try to provide more of the idealized version than maybe what the actual reality was. We’re giving people what they’re looking for, but also what they expect.”

Bozeman Vintage has embraced the idealized vision of the American West, creating a style that is both nostalgic and contemporary. The shop sources items from all over, particularly from regions with a strong cowboy culture like eastern Montana and Wyoming, blending the nostalgic appeal of the past with the creative reimagination of the present. It feels like the perfect fit for the unique Bozeman vibe.

“Bozeman was pea farming, and more agricultural, and a lot of the ranching was further east,” Stewart said. “Cowboy chic versus farmer chic. We’re sourcing a lot of stuff from Billings in eastern Montana and Wyoming and really all over the country. But I think the way that we’re putting it together and recontextualizing it is very Bozeman.”

The resurgence of 90s Western wear has been one of the defining trends for Bozeman Vintage. The bold prints and styles from this era resonate with both nostalgic shoppers and new generations looking for standout pieces. These items are becoming increasingly rare, making them highly sought after.

“Our biggest thing this past year is the Wrangler Brushpopper shirt, which were the brightest, most obnoxious prints of the 1990s,” Stewart said. “There’s been a real big trend in Western wear, I’d say in the past five or 10 years of it being very serious, just kind of gray. But I think people are kind of rebelling against that and really going for these bright, bright, bright colors. And we cannot find those shirts fast enough. We cannot keep them on the shelves. They’re gone before they even hit the door.”

One of the challenges Bozeman Vintage faces is finding vintage clothing that fits a wide range of body types. Unlike modern clothing, vintage pieces often come in limited sizes and unique fits, requiring extra effort to provide options for everyone.

“We try really hard to have a jeans section that suits everybody,” Stewart said. “All sizes, all fits, which isn’t always easy. It’s a struggle finding things that fit, especially that are vintage. But we really put in a lot of extra effort to do that. I think we’ve got the best boot selection, probably in the state, for vintage boots.”

Items like cowboy hats and boots are some of the most popular at Bozeman Vintage, though they often don’t look the way modern customers expect. Vintage cowboy hats typically have taller crowns, and older boots come in styles that differ from contemporary designs.

“Everybody wants cowboy hats,” Stewart said. “Again, hats can be a little challenging because what they’re looking for often is more of a modern style hat, so a lower crown, wider brim, and what we have are vintage hats, which are very tall, and it’s just a different style. Same thing with boots. Square toe boots weren’t a thing until probably 15, 20 years ago, and what we have are boots that are 40, 50, 60 years old.”

Behind Bozeman Vintage is a small warehouse full of even more pieces not out on the floor. 

“Right now I’ve been really, really trying to find, 70s Western ski wear,” Stewart shared while pointing to several racks of brightly colored vests. 

Stewart explained that he has been specifically focusing on gathering and collecting vintage Western ski vests created by Powderhorn Mountaineering, a brand established in 1972 by John Horn with the goal of introducing a new breed of ski mountaineering outerwear. These down vests were a staple of the brand with their unique leather patching and bright colors.

“I see things through a design lens. And so much of Western wear seems like it was designed without a single adult in the room. They were just like, ‘what if we made the weirdest pocket flap?’ ‘What if we added 18 belt loops to these jeans?’ ‘What if we made these boots electric orange with butterflies on them?’ Stuff is so much more experimental and just interesting, and you can sort of see what people were thinking. You can see what worked, what didn’t, and what caught on. Whereas a lot of other fashion, especially vintage fashion, can be a little more safe,” Stewart said.

“I like how strange and wild it can be.”