The start of the essential Wrangler western wear brand was Hudson Overall Company in Greensboro, NC. C.C. Hudson and his brother, Homer, created the overall company in 1904. In 1919, Hudson Overall Company changed their name to Blue Bell Overall Company.
The year 1936 brought change as Blue Bell Overall Company introduced Super Big Ben Overalls, featuring 100% Sanforized fabric that reduced shrinkage to less than 1%, setting a new standard for the industry.
In 1943, Blue Bell acquired Casey Jones Company, a manufacturer of work clothing, and the rights to Casey Jones' rarely used brand name – Wrangler. The popularity of the Wrangler brand grew and become more exciting in 1947 when Wrangler authentic western jeans, designed by celebrity tailor Rodeo Ben, was introduced to the American public. Professional rodeo cowboys Jim Shoulders, Bill Linderman, and Freckles Brown wear-tested the Wrangler 13MWZ and endorsed the Wrangler name for durability, quality, and authenticity. By having these rodeo cowboys support the Wrangler name, true distinction was made between Wrangler and other denim companies. Jim Shoulders, World Champion Cowboy, signed on as an official endorsee of Wrangler in 1948.
Wrangler jeans flew into the mainstream in 1963 when "Newsweek" magazine coined the word "teenager" and featured a Wrangler jean-clad girl on the cover. Just over a decade later, Wrangler received more support from the rodeo industry, when in 1974 the Pro Rodeo Cowboys Association officially endorsed Wrangler Jeans.
In 1982, Wrangler became the primary sponsor of NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt and the legendary blue-and-yellow "Wrangler Jeans Machine". Wrangler became the first apparel company to have significant involvement in NASCAR. Wrangler continued to reach both traditional cowboy and contemporary jean wearers in 1992, when the movie "Pure Country" debuted. The film starred country music singer George Strait in Wrangler jeans as Dusty Chandler, a fictional super star in the country music world. This created a frenzy for western lifestyle apparel. With the rise in country western apparel popularity, Wrangler western wear also gained further recognition. By 1996, one out of every five pairs of jeans sold in America featured a Wrangler label.
The Wrangler 13MWZ Jean, the official jean of the Pro Rodeo Cowboys Association, celebrated its 50th birthday in 1997. In 2005, Wrangler launched Aura Jeans from the Women at Wrangler The new Aura Jean collection offered 120+ fits and revolutionized the way women shop for jeans. In 2008, Wrangler partnered with AQHA (American Quarter Horse Association) to develop The Ultimate Riding Jeans. Wrangler sought to capture the freedom, independence, and beauty inherent to every cowgirl. Wrangler spoke with the women of the American Quarter Horse Association to find out what was important to women who ride every day. The result was a Wrangler jean with flexible knees and a mid rise for riding - the perfect riding jean for the modern cowgirl!
Just a year later, in 2009, Wrangler western wear created the Wrangler National Patriot Program. National Patriot is a year-round program developed to help raise funds to support American military veterans and their families, and to serve as inspiration for all Americans to rally around each other in patriotism. In 2010, Wrangler revamped the 13MWZ jean and created the Premium Performance Wrangler 47MWZ Jean! Wrangler 47MWZ jeans updated fit are the Biggest Thing to happen to men's Wrangler jeans since 1947!
