Kontoor Brands Inc. owns Wrangler, an American brand of clothing, mainly specializing in jeans and workwear. Wrangler’s headquarters is based in Greensboro, North Carolina, in the United States, with production plants situated across the globe.
In 1947, Wrangler Jeans were launched by the Blue Bell Overall Company, which had purchased the Casey Jones brand in the 1940s. Working closely with cowboys, Bernard Lichtenstein (“Rodeo Ben”), a tailor from Łódź, Poland, helped create jeans meant for rodeo use. His efforts were then backed by several well-known rodeo riders of the time.
The 13MWZ style, short for the thirteenth version of men’s western jeans with zipper, is still offered today, alongside several other lines that target different groups or demographics, such as 20X, Riggs, and Aura.
Besides selling in the US, Wrangler also exports its products to many countries, including Europe and Australia.
| Points | Information |
| Brand | Wrangler |
| Founder | C.C. Hudson |
| Owner | Kontoor Brands Company |
| Year of Establishment | 1904 |
| Headquarter | Greensboro, NC |
| Revenue | Not Available |
| Phone | (888) 784-8571 Monday – Friday: 8am – 8pm EST Saturday and Sunday: 10am – 6pm EST |
| CEO | Not Available |
| Registered Address | 400 N Elm St Greensboro, NC 27401 |
| Website | wrangler.com |
History
1897: C.C. Hudson, aged 20, departed Spring Hill Farm in Williamson County, Tennessee and headed to Greensboro, North Carolina in search of success in the rising textile industry. Here, he was able to secure a job in an overalls factory where he earned 25 cents a day for attaching buttons.
1904: When Hudson’s workplace shut down, he and a few of his colleagues decided to buy several sewing machines, rent a space above a grocery store in the city centre, and form the Hudson Overall Company.
1919: Blue Bell Overall Company was founded when the business constructed their inaugural factory on South Elm Street in Greensboro, changing their name from the original.
1926: Blue Bell of Greensboro has acquired by Big Ben Manufacturing of Kentucky, who have kept the original name for the merged companies and their headquarters.
1936: Blue Bell has released the Super Big Ben Overalls, which feature 100% Sanforized Fabric. This technology helps to minimize shrinkage after washing to under 1%, thus setting a new high bar for the industry.
1943: Blue Bell has added the Casey Jones Work-Clothes Company and its rarely used brand name, Wrangler, to its portfolio.
1946: Blue Bell has launched a line of jeans designed specially for cowboys, enlisting the help of renowned tailor “Rodeo Ben”. Workers at Blue Bell held an internal competition to come up with an appropriate brand name for the jeans, the winning suggestion being Wrangler – synonymous with a cowboy’s occupation.
1947: Blue Bell launched the Wrangler 11MWZ jeans to the American public, after having designed and tested 13 pairs of prototype jeans. These innovative jeans were specifically tailored for cowboys, with features such as felled outseams, inseams, and rear pockets positioned for comfort in the saddle, ‘no scratch’ rivet pocket reinforcement, a zipper fly, and the use of a strong tack in the crotch instead of a metal rivet. To promote the 11MWZ jeans, a campaign was created featuring 11MWZ test riders, and renowned rodeos stars Freckles Brown, Bill Linderman, and Jim Shoulders.
1948: Jim Shoulder’s impressive title of World Champion Cowboy led him to become an official endorsee of Wrangler. This partnership was extremely successful – he went on to win 16 world championships, including five in All-Around, seven in Bull Riding and four in Bareback Riding.
1952: The lot number 11MWZ has been changed to 13MWZ in order to accommodate the fabric weight of 13 ounces per yard (400 g/m) for this particular style of denim.
1962: Blue Bell opens a factory in Belgium and the Wrangler brand name enjoys a successful launch in Europe.
1974: Wrangler Jeans have been officially backed by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA).
1981: Wrangler brand becomes the primary sponsor of professional driver Dale Earnhardt and the legendary blue-and-yellow “Wrangler Jean Machine.”
1983: Nottingham Forest F.C., the European Football champions, is sponsored by Wrangler.
1986: Blue Bell merges with the VF Corporation of Pennsylvania.
1992: The cast of “Pure Country” starring George Strait was dressed in Wrangler jeans, with Strait himself portraying Dusty Chandler, a renowned country music star.
1994: Wrangler has relocated to a new global corporate headquarters located on North Elm Street in Greensboro. In addition, twenty new X western jeans were added to their product line.
1996: One of every five pairs of jeans sold in America is a Wrangler.
1997: To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the 13MWZ, a Special Collectors Edition of the product has been released in celebration.
2000: “Whatever You Ride” television ad campaign is launched, focusing on core brand values.
2001: Wrangler commences making its jeans in Mexico.
2002: “There’s a bit of the West in all of us” TV and print ad campaign is launched.
2003: Wrangler introduces two new brands: RIGGS WORKWEAR® by Wrangler®, providing top-notch workwear, and Wrangler® ProGear™ for avid hunters.
2004: For the celebration of its 100-year anniversary, Wrangler launched a new European print campaign called “Wanted” that honored the company’s roots. Wrangler had also created a limited edition collection, Blue Bell by Wrangler, that accurately recreated the very first Wrangler jeans. Additionally, the mainstream Wrangler collection had been reworked with iconic fits reminiscent of those designed by Rodeo Ben. The Wrangler brand was then acknowledged in 22 European countries.
2005: Wrangler closed its last U.S. sewing plant when they partnered with the American Quarter Horse Association to develop the Ultimate Riding Jean for women with features tailored to meet the needs of female riders.
2007 : Jim Shoulders, the “Babe Ruth of Rodeo” and long-time Wrangler endorser, passed away. This marked the end of a 58-year relationship between the two, making it the longest professional sports licensing endorsement of all time.
2009: Country Music super star Jason Aldean becomes the face of Wrangler Retro®, a fashion Western line for those who rock their style with an attitude.
2011: Wrangler held a consumer design competition to uncover the newest fashion in jeans. The victor, Song Anh Nguyen from Greensboro, saw her design manufactured and distributed by Wrangler.
2013: In December 2013, WranglerNetwork.com was created. This website showcases rodeo streaming video footage, rodeo scores and stats, plus country music videos, and the songwriter series every month. For men, Advanced Comfort jeans were launched, featuring a special cotton mix designed to provide maximum flexibility.
2015: Wrangler Premium Performance Cool Vantage™ hits store shelves in time for summer. The jean incorporates exclusive technology innovations for performance, comfort, and durability.
2018: Wrangler parent company VF Corporation announces plans to spin off its jeans operations including Wrangler into a separate public company.
2019: Wrangler, together with Lee and Rock & Republic, becomes part of Kontoor Brands, an independent publicly traded spin-off from VF Corporation.
2022: Wrangler Apparel Corp. has submitted a trademark application to the United States for the name WRANGLERVERSE, in order to provide users with virtual services such as hosting live and virtual performances, concerts, and social entertainment events, as well as allowing users to interact in virtual environments for recreation, leisure, or entertainment purposes. This application indicates an intent to expand their WRANGLER brand into the Metaverse.
Products
Wrangler Men’s Jeans:
- Wrangler Men’s Cowboy Cut Slim Fit Jean
- Wrangler Men’s Rugged Wear Relaxed Fit Jean
- Wrangler Men’s Retro Relaxed Fit Straight Leg Jean
- Wrangler Men’s Authentics Classic Regular Fit Jean
- Wrangler Men’s Advanced Comfort Regular Fit Straight Leg Jean
- Wrangler Men’s Advanced Comfort Slim Fit Jean
- Wrangler Men’s Premium Performance Black Slim Fit Jean
Wrangler Shirts:
- Wrangler Men’s Long Sleeve Western Shirt
- Wrangler Men’s Plaid Long Sleeve Work Shirt
- Wrangler Men’s Solid Long Sleeve Woven Shirt
- Wrangler Men’s Short Sleeve Striped Poplin Shirt
- Wrangler Men’s Retro Rodeo Short Sleeve Shirt
- Wrangler Men’s Active Sport Mesh Short Sleeve Shirt
- Wrangler Men’s Short Sleeve Pigment Dyed Henley
Wrangler Women’s Jeans:
- Wrangler Women’s Retro Slim Fit Boot Cut Jean
- Wrangler Women’s Ariat Mid Rise Boot Cut Jean
- Wrangler Women’s Q-Baby Ultimate Riding Mid Rise Boot Cut Jean
- Wrangler Women’s Authentics Classic Bootcut Jean
- Wrangler Women’s Advanced Comfort Curvy Straight Leg Jean
- Wrangler Women’s Stretch Skinny Jean
- Wrangler Women’s Stretch Flare Jean
Wrangler Shirts:
- Wrangler Women’s Long Sleeve Striped Poplin Shirt
- Wrangler Women’s Short Sleeve Relaxed Fit Button Up Shirt
- Wrangler Women’s Retro Western Yoke Print Shirt
- Wrangler Women’s Long Sleeve Woven Plaid Shirt
- Wrangler Women’s Short Sleeve Geo Print Shirt
- Wrangler Women’s Roll Tab Sleeve Denim Shirt
- Wrangler Women’s Long Sleeve Henley
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