Wrangler/Blue Bell on Bread & Butter

The Blue Bell look for the fall 2012 season is themed “The Road Holder,” and it’s inspired by the lifestyle of the modern day biker who build his own customised motorcycle. The inspiration is especially found in the Falcon shop in Los Angeles, but it could have been any other custom shop, like for instances Wrenchmonkees in Copenhagen. Rope Dye got a full tour of treats and now you get to follow in my foot steps.

Similar to the spring collection for 2012 (which you can have a look at here), Blue Bell will once again for the fall include three basic concepts; workwear; sportswear; and naturally western wear. Since the Wrangler brand was introduced in 1947, focus has been primarily on the latter of the three before mentioned categories, but before sloughing into a rodeo brand Blue Bell was workwear, and as one of the few Blue Bell can rightfully state that they built the railroads of America. The workers could very well have been wearing pants like the ones below.

Blue Bell acquired the Sedgefield brand before Wrangler was introduced and with the updated Blue Bell collection the old American sportswear brand is revived and used as a co-work under Blue Bell.

All denim is still from Cone Mill’s White Oak plant and the jeans are also still made in the US. Amazing products at even more amazing prices. The collection is narrowed down to the three styles shown above; the slim tapered Buck; the anti-fit Eddy; and the old school regular (and slightly baggy) Jim. Regarding styling of the jeans, compared to the original Wrangler/Blue Bells introduced in 1947 the contemporary styles feature visible selvages in the split outer seams, which is today in very popular demand. However, back in the days the outer seams of Wrangler jeans were fully felled to provide extra strength for the cowboys and rodeo heroes. This main feature of the brand is also one of the “icons” that is honoured in the Wrangler collection for fall 2012.

The main customer base for the Wrangler brand is still the guys who were young in the 70s – at least for the Danish market. It may be a bit roughly put, but when the church bells ring, Wrangler loses a customer. It’s no secret that competition in the denim industry has become considerably tougher since the glory flower-power days, but then again, in a market characterised by an enormous supply it is the brands with a true story to tell that have the upper hand. Wrangler is definitely one of them. So by updating the classics and icons that created the success in the first place, Wrangler might very well once again become the lifelong favourite of many urban cowboys.

One of the most important news from Wrangler is the relaunch of women’s jeans. There’s a huge market, which in the recent years have been dominated by leggins, but the girls are slowly coming around. And of course Wrangler is going to be part of the new denim-look for girls. Fitting and detailing have been trimmed down and are made much more feminine. Because let’s face it, basically girls are on a quest for the prefect ass, so why not help them along.

The fall/winter 2012 Wrangler collection is called “Keep True,” and it revolves around a discrete honouring of the brand and its seven icons; flat rivets; watch pocket; felled seams; belt loops (7 of them); W-stitching; the leather patch; and the rope logo. These are the key features of Wrangler jeans and their success, and the brand owes much of it to good old Rodeo Ben who helped create and develope Wrangler jeans back in the middle of the 1940s. Today, customers are increasingly favouring brands with roots and a history, something tangible which makes the brand stand out from it’s competitors. You can read more about the history of the brand here.

Review by Thomas Bojer.