2023.07.20

The History of Denim Developed for Cowboys: 'Wrangler'

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Wrangler, the beloved denim brand of American cowboys. By tracing its history, it is possible to discover the unique features and designs that are not seen in other denim brands and to understand the unique personality of Wrangler. This time, we asked Sho Uchino of Edwin Co., Ltd. about the history of the brand, and he explained in detail the committed specifications and designs.

The Birth of Wrangler for Cowboys

"Wrangler was born in 1947 in Greensboro, North Carolina, USA. Interestingly, there's a long history before Wrangler got its start, including a predecessor company founded in 1904 called the 'Hudson Overall Company,' which changed its name to 'BLUE BELL' in 1919.

"This BLUE BELL mark is still found on the Wrangler logo today, so many people may be familiar with it. It was a workwear brand that later merged with another workwear brand, 'BIG BEN.'

"Later, BLUE BELL acquired a company called 'CASEY JONES,' which owned the Wrangler label. From there, they entered the cowboy market and Wrangler got its start as a western wear brand."

The company building during the BLUE BELL Era

Rodeo Ben, the Designer who Created Wrangler's Base Design

While Wrangler was a denim brand started for cowboys, it had a design clearly different from many existing denim brands. Let's delve into details about the specifications specially created for cowboys and the design work that enhanced the cool appeal of cowboys.

"The term 'Wrangler' is a kind of 'shepherd,' referring to workers on a ranch, hinting at its cowboy-oriented background. The Wrangler is notable for its logo known as the 'rope logo.' In the early days, the letter 'W' in the logo was 'inward coil,' but this was only produced for a short period from 1947 to 1950. After that, it became the 'outward coil,' which most people commonly see today."

The picture shows a reissue version. In the photo, the left side displays the 'inside coil' of the rope logo, while the right shows the 'outside coil' of the rope logo.

"The designer, Rodeo Ben, was a designer-tailor for cowboy costumes in the rodeo circuit. He introduced a lot of designs that took a different approach from the traditional 5-pocket denim trousers. For instance, the design of the front and inseam is like trouser pants, and many features are unique to Wrangler.

"I will explain this in more detail later, but I believe there was a consciousness to make it more beautiful and cool for cowboys. I think this is because American cowboys placed importance not only on the toughness required for horse riding but also on looking cool."

The backside of Wrangler's 5-pocket denim pants. It's iconic for its detailed sewing and brand name tag stitched into the lining of the front, which has been their characteristic since the old days.

Wrangler's Seven Icons

We've seen an example of Wrangler's distinctive specifications, but Wrangler also has features known as the Seven Icons that have been passed down through generations. Let's take a closer look at these features through some photos.

●︎ Rope Logo Button: "Button with a rope logo" ●︎ Rodeo Ben's Watch Pocket: "The small pocket on the front right side of the waist, usually called the coin pocket, is known as the "watch pocket." It is characterized by its slightly larger size to accommodate a pocket watch." ●︎ Seven Belt Loops: "While most jeans have five belt loops, Wrangler has seven. This design prevents the jeans from sliding down when riding a horse." ●︎ Reverse Full Field Yoke: "Some also feature a design known as "Reverse Full Field Yoke," a unique stitching above the hip pocket that is the opposite of normal, referred to as a mountain tall stitch. This makes sure anything that slides up from the hip pocket gets caught, a very cowboy-like detail." ●︎ No Scratch Rivet: "The rivets used to secure the hip pocket are designed to be flat so they don't scratch the horse saddle." ●︎ Rope Logo Patch: "Leather patch with a rope logo" ●︎ Silent W Stitch: "The trademark double W stitch on the hip pocket. It's called "Silent Double" because the brand's name, Wrangler, doesn't pronounce the initial 'W,' hence the name."

Signature Items Known as "11MW", "11MWZ", "111MJ", "11MJZ"

Let's begin by introducing the items that come to mind when you think of Wrangler, walking down the path of history.

"The first denim pants, 11MW, were introduced by Wrangler in 1947. The following year, in 1948, the 11MWZ model, which switched from a button fly to a zip fly, was launched. This model uses a dual-claw zip from the Zipper Company. This model was the beginning of the now-standard front zip design.

"Both models strive for a silhouette favored by cowboys and are created with a 'fit over boots' silhouette where there is almost no tapering below the knee to look good with western boots. Although straight denim pants are straight, they get narrower from the knee down. This could be considered a Wrangler's unique design work."