Wrangler Butts

Country-born styles like flannelette shirts and Wrangler jeans, typical rodeo-worn fashion, have been converted into trendy styles, proliferating city dwellers’ wardrobes.

R.M. Williams has even broken ranks from their usual country magazines into other more fashion based media such as Madison, to convey that country clothing is not just for the cowboys and farmers, but is casual wear that can suit any Australian.

How things have changed; with Wrangler and imported designs by Marc Jacobs now found side-by-side in fashion stores, to give the label the giddy-up it needs in the fashion stakes.

The revamp of Wrangler is a company strategy to increase business and widen their target market.

In the UK, Wrangler's recently assigned brand director, Giorgio Presca, is setting the stage for the brand's image, moving it upmarket, as he did when working for Lee.

“There is a good 60 per cent innovation rate every season now. We will, of course, keep our core business, but we will innovate every season to propose new stuff to the retailer," Presca says.

Presca is also launching a footwear line in 2009 to help the brand out of the traditional boundaries of core denim.

A common movement among brands is changing their image to increase sales and suit fashion trends, but how is it that a flannelette shirt from Lowes can become a season's hottest trend?

Jamie Walsham from One Teaspoon, based her design for the flannie double-breasted jacket, a best seller last winter, by going to Best and Less and wearing the $8.95 shirt around to try out the trend.

The flannelette shirt typically worn by a truckie, farmer, or heavy metal fan has become a best seller for stores such as Jeans West, Sportsgirl, and General Pants and certainly not at the same price as the Best and Less version.

Not only is country and western clothing style weaving its way into the fashion world, but also a rise in country music, like singer Keith Urban, and reality television shows, such as Farmer Wants a Wife, are gaining popularity.

The romanticism of the simple country life is by no means the reason for complete company makeovers, but has helped create an image of the outback that is no longer daggy, rugged, or just for red-necks.

Home grown rodeo couple, Des and Les Abdy, have always bought Wranglers for work wear and social events, but never imagined the clothing would find its way into the main fashion world.

"I've always bought Wranglers, even as a kid, for a lot less then what they are now,” Des Abdy says.

“It's interesting to see the jeans now in the city."

Even males originally from the country, but adhering to city trends, are noticing work boots, such as Blundstones are being worn out on the town with good jeans.

Hi-top western boots were a major hit three years ago and were transformed from their usual Cuban style, designed for riding purposes, into a variety of styles, including scrunching the boot down or using leathers that wouldn’t withstand the tough outback conditions.

Lee and Wrangler jeans were considered on the same level in the fashion stakes, being typically for rodeo riders and cowboys.

Now the brands have converted their jeans from the basic riding style into a variety of flares, boot-cut and skinny tube legs in an array of vibrant colours.

From boho to emo to surfer dude, country style is another of the many trends that continues to inspire individual style and identity within the relaxed and casual nature of Australians.