Wrangler and imogene + willie have released the second of three drops in their made-in-the-USA denim collaboration, and this one is built around fabric from America’s last large-scale denim mill.
Capsule No. 2 dropped Saturday, Oct. 24, and features Wrangler’s signature broken twill in jeans, jackets, and shirts. The fabric was developed with Mount Vernon Mills in Trion, Georgia, the last mill of its size still making denim in the US.
Every piece was patterned, cut, and sewn domestically with US fabrics, a specialty of imogene + willie, the Nashville brand that has made its jeans in America since opening in a converted gas station in 2009.
The headliners are Wrangler’s 13MWZ and 14MWZ, the men’s and women’s versions of the “cowboy cut,” which has been one of the brand’s best-known fits since the early ’50s. Both jeans come in washed indigo and black and keep the original’s ranch-ready details, like flat copper rivets, extra belt loops, and a flat-felled inseam.
There’s also a faded 12MJZ work jacket in 8-ounce Mount Vernon cotton twill, an 11MJZ washed denim jacket, and a 27MW western snap shirt, plus graphic tees, crewneck sweatshirts, trucker hats, and bandanas.
Made-in-USA denim is at a premium
People clearly want American-made denim with a real story behind it, and this collection has two: Wrangler making clothes domestically for the first time in more than 20 years, and fabric from the last big denim mill left standing in the US.
Splitting the collection into three drops also lets each one stand on its own. The first was about deadstock Cone Mills selvedge from a mill that’s now closed. This one is about a mill that’s still running. The third, due Nov. 7, goes back to the last of the deadstock for a set of western cuts.
The collab also lands as American denim is in an interesting position. We’re far gone from the days of denim-heads going Japanese-only; that said, it’s not like consumers are overwhelmed with alternatives. The fact that Wrangler can showcase its archives with imogene + willie’s domestic supply chain is a sign that maybe, just maybe, the bigger brands might also consider investing domestically for a chain of their own.
If you’re building out a denim rotation with more American-made options, here are a few denim brands worth the investment.
Where to buy it
Capsule No. 2 is available now at imogeneandwillie.com and Wrangler.com, with the 13MWZ and 14MWZ jeans priced at $275. The full collection runs $48 to $350.
