When Post Malone took the field last night at Allegiant Stadium ahead of Super Bowl LVIII, he was playing to a tough crowd. Most folks watch the Super Bowl for one of three reasons: the actual game (imagine that), the half-time performance (surprisingly menswear-coded), or the commercials. The pre-game performance, where Posty was scheduled to sing America the Beautiful, typically registers as pleasant ambiance in the build-up to the main event.
So if you hopped off the couch during his act to grab another beer or restock on loaded potatoes, you might’ve accidentally caught a pretty solid version of the patriotic ditty—but you definitely missed a truly killer outfit. Most pop stars tapped to perform at the Super Bowl take the 50-yard line in a get-up flashy enough to see from space. Last night, though, Post Malone reminded the world that an outfit doesn’t need to be blinding to be sublime—on the contrary, in fact.
Accompanied by nothing but his acoustic guitar, the singer strolled up to the mic at center field in a pared-down tailored fit that we can only describe as genteel cowboy (but with face tats). He wore a snuff suede blazer layered over a white henley and slick suede boots to match. A bolo tie around his neck and western belt around his waist hammered home the vaquero vibes, but the magic mortar that held it all together was his perfectly faded Wrangler jeans, all-American dungarees that should look pretty familiar to longtime GQ readers. In a wide-legged world, their thigh-grazing silhouette makes a strong case for the slim-but-not-skinny jean’s comeback.
We’ve extolled the virtues of Wrangler’s Cowboy Cut jeans in the past, but it’s worth repeating here: for our money, there are few better options on the market. They’re slim but not rubber-banded-watermelon-slim, and when you anchor ‘em with boots like Posty’s, the pants-to-shoe matrix is a sight to behold. Best of all? They only cost you about sixty bones—and they’re available on Amazon. Doesn’t get much more ‘Murica than that.
