Jason Crews is the owner and editor of INFRARED MAGAZINE and a Dallas–Fort Worth-based music journalist and concert photographer. Through INFRARED MAGAZINE and JASON CREWS PHOTOGRAPHY, he covers rock, metal, country, and live music with a focus on album reviews, artist features, concert coverage, and photography. His work is driven by a genuine passion for music and helping artists connect with new audiences through honest writing, strong visuals, and meaningful storytelling.
DALLAS, TX — The STATE FAIR OF TEXAS has added another Texas name to the wardrobe of its most famous cowboy. CAVENDER’S BOOT CITY has been named the Official Western Store of BIG TEX beginning with the 2026 Fair.
The partnership includes Cavender’s work on Big Tex’s new signature Western shirt and a collaboration with longtime hatmaker RESISTOL, which will outfit him with his familiar 95-gallon cowboy hat.
Three Texas Institutions Meet at Fair Park
The partnership connects the State Fair, Cavender’s, and Resistol through a shared connection to Texas Western culture. Cavender’s began in Pittsburg, Texas in 1965 and has grown from its East Texas roots into a major Western retailer with more than 130 stores across 19 states.
Resistol’s connection to North Texas runs even deeper. Founded in Dallas in 1927 and now headquartered in Garland, the company has spent nearly a century making cowboy hats worn by ranchers, rodeo competitors, musicians, actors, and generations of Western-wear customers.
Resistol’s Fair Park History Comes Full Circle
There is also a direct historical connection between Resistol and Fair Park. The company’s first Western cowboy hat debuted during the 1936 Texas Centennial Exposition at Fair Park. Roughly nine decades later, the brand is part of the wardrobe of the 55-foot cowboy who has become one of the property’s most recognizable symbols.
Cavender’s role extends beyond simply supplying clothing. The company worked with the State Fair on the design direction for Big Tex’s 2026 shirt, which begins a new yearly tradition in which selected shirt panels can change to commemorate milestones, anniversaries, and Texas stories.
Together with custom Levi’s 501 jeans announced later in August, the Cavender’s and Resistol partnerships give Big Tex a complete 2026 Western wardrobe built around brands with deep ties to Texas and American culture.
Fairgoers can see the finished look when Big Tex returns to Fair Park for the 2026 State Fair of Texas, running September 25 through October 18 under the theme “Stars, Stripes, and Howdies.”
For more information on STATE FAIR OF TEXAS, visit:
Source information courtesy of the State Fair of Texas.
