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First Look At the New W.H. Ranch Dungarees R1936 Jeans

W.H. Ranch Dungarees R1936 jeans on model sitting

Rope Dye Got the Exclusive On the Background Story of the New W.H. Ranch R1936 Fit

Ryan Martin is not one to waste opportunities when he finds them. When visiting Lee’s archival Heritage Hall, he got the idea for his latest W.H. Ranch Dungarees style, the R1936. It’s the kind of jeans that 1930s rodeo riders would proudly wear, but they will look just as good on any 21st-century urban cowboy. And it’s a treat for denimheads!

Inspired by Original Rodeo Jeans

The R1936, also referred to as the Rodeo Ryder, was inspired by a recent trip Ryan took to Kansas City, his birthplace and first home. There, he visited the Heritage Hall museum at Lee’s headquarters, which is the equivalent to the Levi’s Archives in San Francisco.

The museum is home to some of the greatest Lee relics in existence as well as documents from the company’s history, from the present day all the way back to its inception in 1889.

Near the end of the display sit several original 1930s 101 Cowboy pants in near-mint condition. This is where it happened:

“Their presence was striking and the idea for the R1936 Rodeo Ryder hit me like a bolt of lighting,” Ryan recalls.

W.H. Ranch Dungarees R1936 jeans on model

The Details of the R1936 Rodeo Ryder

The R1936 is true to the era that inspired it with a high rise and a generous cut in the thigh and knee with a slight taper. It does all of this without looking sloppy or ill-fitting. Everything from the American-made burnt orange thread to fuller pocket bags and larger back pockets new for W.H. Ranch.

Ryan also did a completely new pattern from the ground up. He created a pattern with no hip curvature; a unique feature that allows for the selvedge edge of the pocket bags and denim to run straight up to the waistband. No edge binding of any kind is needed.

Every pair will be made from start to finish by Ryan himself. The yoke and centre seams are all triple stitched, with a single-needle lock stitch construction, using the heaviest thread made for apparel. The waistband is made from two pieces making it sturdier and less likely to stretch.

Other important construction and design details include:

  • Riser Seams instead of standard machined felled seams to add extra durability
  • Self-enclosed components, which means no raw fabric or overlocked edges
  • Heavy 10 oz. drill cloth pocket bags (made in USA)
  • YKK copper hand-set rivets and burrs (made in USA)
  • Tacked back pockets for added durability and strength
  • Hand branded hair-on-hide label
  • Extra-heavy belt loops
  • Buttonholes set with a vintage Reece 101

W.H. Ranch Dungarees R1936 jeans showing Cone Mills shrink-to-fit denim details

How To Order the R1936

The jeans are available from the W.H. Ranch website and will be cut and sewn to order per your specifications. This means it’s vitally important that you measure your true waist and refer to Ryan’s chart, as the jeans cannot be returned. Production time varies between 4-6 weeks – you can contact before you order to get a lead-time.

The R1936 is currently available in W.H. Ranch’s Lot 8 Cone Mills White Oak 11.5 oz. shrink-to-fit denim. The denim will shrink approximately 1.25 inch in the waist and 3 inches in the length. Ryan recommends you size up one size from your true measured waist size.

If you need a brush up on ways to shrink your jeans, click here.

Like all W.H. Ranch jeans, the R1936 are made with 39-inch inseams as standard, which can be customised upon request. You can also get the jeans with blank back pockets if you want.

Photography by Cory Piehowicz, a.k.a. the Bandit Photographer.

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1 comment

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20bet September 14, 2023 at 08:57

Your article gave me a lot of inspiration, I hope you can explain your point of view in more detail, because I have some doubts, thank you.

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