It seems unlikely in this most yankee of cities, but for about a year now, old-school cowboy duds have been flying out of trendy shops and vintage-clothing stores.

The look, which had its heyday in the '30s and '40s (think Hank Williams), owes its revival in part to the short-lived swing and rockabilly trends. "When the swing thing was popular," says Elizabeth Donovan, a manager at the Garment District, "people started getting more daring with their shirts. This is one step back further, culturally."

Also driving the trend is the crop of so-called alternative country bands following in the badass footsteps of Johnny Cash and Gram Parsons -- groups such as Wilco and Sun Volt. A whole magazine, No Depression, published since 1995, is dedicated to the genre.

Joe Niedbala, manager of the Closet Upstairs, a Newbury Street vintage store, calls the old-school country look easy to wear -- basically "an extension of a T-shirt and jeans."

"It's very comfortable and has some style," he says. "It's the sort of thing you can just throw on."

At Oona's, a Harvard Square vintage store, Western shirts cost $12 to $20. At the Garment District, they're about $8 to $12. The more elaborate the stitching or the embroidery, the more expensive the shirt. The Closet Upstairs carries a lot of higher-end items. Most shirts there go for $24 to $45, but the oldest examples, like shirts from the 1940s, cost up to $85.

Though many of these duds are secondhand, brand-new Western items abound as well. Cowboy hats, from straw to basic black to the Goorin Brothers' leopard-print style ($35 at Allston Beat), are part of the look. Boots are also getting wear. Some are colorful variations on traditional styles, like yellow round-toe boots with red stitching by John Fluevog ($129 at John Fluevog). Others, made by Bronx ($89 at Thom Brown), feature four-inch stiletto heels and patent-leather capped toes. Still others are accented in fuchsia.

Needless to say, they're not meant for cow-patty-kickin', but these clothes will let you mosey through the Back Bay in high style.