Nudie Cohn was more than just a tailor of westernwear—he envisioned the Wild West wardrobe for country music royalty and Hollywood legends alike. From a tiny shop on Lankershim Blvd in North Hollywood, Nudie’s Rodeo Tailors dressed the wild hearts of America in raucous rhinestones and sequined dreams. Elvis’s gold lamé suit? Nudie. Gram Parsons’ chainstitched peyote trip? Nudie. Hank Williams, Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton, Elton John—they all walked through his door and came out brighter, louder, more mythic, and a little more mystic.
His unique touch was an ode to the art of being seen and his clothing seemed to have unapologetic confidence sewn straight into them. Nudie understood the power of spectacle. He knew that cowboys were the original rockstars—and he dressed them accordingly, with chainstitched roses, embroidered flames, and more sparkle than the lights that lit up the Sunset Strip in the 70’s. But the soul of Nudie’s wasn’t only in the sequins and starpower—it was in the story, in the swagger, in the sheer rebelliousness of daring to blend country grit with Hollywood glitz.
After Nudie passed in 1984, it was his widow, Bobbie, who kept the lights on. For a decade, she held down the fort, honoring his vision one rhinestone at a time. She ran the shop with the same pride, the same sparkle, even as the world around her changed. The music scene shifted. The style pendulum swung. But Bobbie kept the spirit alive—welcoming old country crooners, curious punks, and wandering romantics into Nudie’s world.
The shop finally closed its doors in 1994, ending a chapter in Hollywood history that will never be rewritten and never forgotten. But if you ever see a rhinestone-studded suit shimmering in a fancy Nashville thrift shop, or a chainstitched rose glowing under stage lights—you’ll know the soul of Nudie’s Rodeo Tailors is still alive and well right where it belongs— forever in the heart of country music.
Not for sale.
✌️& 🫶
Jack
Yesterday
