NBA Star Bruce Brown Doesn't Just Dress Like a Cowboy—He Lives Like One, Too

When he signed with the Denver Nuggets in 2022, he saw an opportunity to lean into his growing love for western aesthetics, embracing a look that felt true to himself and the local culture. He ordered eight straight-brim cowboy hats from Travis Auston Customs in Nashville and started rocking them to games with skinny jeans. Fans ate it up.

He’s since learned he’s more into rolled-brim Stetson hats, which make up the majority of his unwieldy collection. And with cowboycore now rustling up attention thanks to stars like Pharrell and Beyoncé going all-in on the trend, he’s looking like a man ahead of his time.

These days, Brown works with Nashville stylist Cherie Kilchrist, who outfits country stars like Lianey Wilson and Jason Aldean. Which is why you may have noticed his fits looking especially rodeo-worthy lately. “That’s why sometimes I look like a country artist performing on stage,” chuckles Brown, who was traded to the Raptors last year as part of a package for All-Star forward Pascal Siakam.

“Toronto doesn’t have a lot of western wear,” he says, adding this was a reason he hired Kilchrist last year. “But I also wore a lot of simple stuff, so I wanted to expand my horizons in countrywear, because I wouldn’t just go into the store and buy corduroys. Five years ago I never thought I’d be wearing corduroys.”

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His cords of choice are Tecovas, which you’ll now often catch him rocking along with Woolrich western shirts and graphic country band tees. He’s also got a propensity for Carthartt overalls and Wrangler denim, which he likes to layer. But he’s proudest of his belt and boot game.

“I have a crazy collection of boots. Those are probably my grails. I wear a lot of Tecovas boots, some Ariats. I have ostrich, snakeskin, every kind of boot you can think of. There’s too many to count,” he raves. “My belts are insane too. The boots always gotta match the belt, so you can imagine how many belts I have.”

Brown’s Raptors teammates aren’t huge fans of his algorithm, which has been heavy on Combs, Thomas Rhett, and Morgan Wallen lately. “When I put country music on in the locker room, they’re not messing with it,” he laughs. But he’s been slowly bringing them over to the honky-tonk side. He gifted all his teammates Tecovas boots earlier this season, and even got franchise player Scottie Barnes to commit to a country getup when they were both sidelined by injury in November.

“The only thing I could critique is his hat choice,” notes Brown. “He just got it from a thrift store or something. If he got a Stetson or a Bailey, that would have made the fit. I was sitting next to him with a real cowboy hat on and he was wearing, like, a bachelorette hat.”

TORONTO, CANADA – NOVEMBER 18: Scottie Barnes #4, Ja’Kobe Walter #14, and Bruce Brown #11 of the Toronto Raptors look on during the game against the Indiana Pacers on November 18, 2024 at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2024 NBAE (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/NBAE via Getty Images)Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images