Unlikely collaboration combines very different styles for one awesome ‘West’ feel

Opposite sides of the fashion spectrum collide

By Mark D McKee Published October 3, 2024

WranglerxPACSUN Look 2 — Courtesy of Wrangler

No matter how you dress, avoiding being put into a box in the fashion world is always difficult. When we were in high school, you had all sorts of cliques that dressed a certain way. The preps. The jocks. The goths. The skaters. The surfers. The cowboys. The list was endless and always looked like something straight out of The Breakfast Club. Now, two brands well known by their own unintended cliques are coming together to mash up two very different styles from out west. Wrangler is teaming up with PACSUN to bring us a brand-new aesthetic that plays with each other’s borders.

Wrangler is typically known as the legend of the Western wear world. By revolutionizing denim workwear that holds up to anything and everything you could ever have to accomplish on a ranch in Texas, Montana, or Colorado, they became a favorite for cowboys everywhere, whether for work or play. PACSUN, on the other hand, embodies everything the California surf world plays into. Laid back, comfortable, and never missing a moment.

Recommended Videos

Melding the two styles

WranglerxPACSUN Look 1 — Courtesy of Wrangler

On the surface, the cowboy and the surfer couldn’t be farther from each other on the fashion spectrum. One is hardworking with a purpose. The other is laid back with a focus on living in the moment. But both wake up early, find peace and solace in their own little corner of nature (land and sea), and neither one of them lives the 9-5 life. With that in mind, they find common ground for a collaboration.

The collection includes garments that crossover into both styles such as: denim, oversized hoodies, graphic t-shirts, flannels, and everything else you could need for the fall on the ranch or the beach.

Contributor

Mark is a full-time freelance writer and men's coach. He spent time as a style consultant and bespoke suit salesman before…

Topics

Fashion & Style

Style hacks: Your suit should come with two pairs of pants

Remedy one of the biggest struggles with suits with this one hack

Man in Men's Wearhouse Blue Suit

When I first started selling suits, it was mostly to men who were leaving the military and starting as aides to politicians, or men working as doctors, lawyers, or accountants. Then, of course, you had the lucrative wedding business. But one thing was common among every man I sold suits to: They were hardworking and spent their days getting things done.

Now, while this sounds honorable and a fantastic way for a man to live life, working hard and providing for his family, there are some setbacks or some side effects to this lifestyle. One of them is the impact it has on your best suits. Suit pants for men are typically lighter, with an elevated fabric that doesn't always stand up to the more rigorous work of the hardest-working men. Therefore, there's a hack that you should start implementing in your suit shopping every chance you get. Every suit you own should come with a second pair of pants. It will save you years of heartache.

Fashion & Style

The best spring sweater is one locally made at Hotel Ranga in Iceland

Skip the run-of-the-mill spring sweater and get a custom made in Iceland

Icelandic sweaters at dinner

The most common thing that happens when we feel the first bit of warm weather is that we get that false sense of security, thinking that the cold weather is gone. Out comes the summer wardrobe and away goes the winter wardrobe. The problem is that the weather is unpredictable, and the cold weather is almost guaranteed to return. Especially if you live in the northern United States, one of the most valuable garments you can get is a spring sweater. It's the perfect layering piece and keeps you warm when unexpected cold snaps return. Most guys will hop online and find some run-of-the-mill spring sweater that everyone else has. But there is a better way.

I recently got the opportunity to travel to Iceland where I stayed at Hotel Ranga in the scenic countryside on the Southern part of the island. Everything you could want from a resort can be found at the hotel. Great food, expertly crafted drinks, hot tubs, and even better for me and anyone else looking for the perfect seasonal sweater -- custom Icelandic sweaters made just for you, all organized by the hotel itself.

Fashion & Style

J-Frost x New Era launches Hidden Messages collaboration for MLB

A combination of love for the game and love for the home town

J-Frost

If you've been a baseball fan as long as I have (1989 was the first time I remember watching a game, and I've been hooked ever since), then you know that what you wear to a game is crucial. It also says a lot about you and what kind of fan you are. One of my favorite things to do with my brother, who shares my love of the game, is to go to a game and point out all of the obscure player jerseys we see on fans. Guys who either played for the team in our childhoods or guys who played for a short time but made an impact. One of the other things I love is unique team apparel that means something. The new J-Frost x New Era Hidden Messages collaboration is the exact kind of thing one of us would tap the other on the shoulder and point out at a baseball game.

City love front and center