Iconic Suit to be at National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum

Ever seen the 1979 movie The Electric Horseman, where Robert Redford plays a former rodeo champion? If you have, you probably vivdly remember the outfit Robert Redford wore in the opening montage — pink and purple sparkly cowboy boots with a rhinestone-studded suit adorned with embroidered golden eagles and blossoms. And now this famous suit is going to be at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

NewsOK.com recently published a story about the museum’s acquisition of the suit. They bought it at an auction in 2005 for around $9,000, and it cost $5,000 to make the special mannequin and a protective case for it. According to the article, the suit originally cost $10,000 to make in 1971 when a famous rodeo tailor created it.

The curator of cowboy collections, Don Reeves, explained that the Electric Horseman suit “tells the story, visually and otherwise, of the rhinestone cowboy/urban cowboy craze … of the 1970s and ’80s.” And this isn’t the first costume from Electric Horseman to be at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum. Back in the 1980s, the  museum borrowed Robert Redford’s lighted suit from the movie.

In the article, Reeves goes on to say it’s an iconic artifact that’s not only an “amazing piece on its own merit but also stands as a symbol of the height of … Western performer fashion.”

Without a doubt, it seems this famous cowboy costume will have a great home at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum.

Western Wear at Allens Boots

You won’t find anything quite like Robert Redford’s Electric Horseman suit or cowboy boots at Allens Boots, but you will find some great Western wear and cowboy boots from Lucchese, Justin, Frye, Old Gringo and more. Stop by our Austin store, or shop online.