WILD LIFE TAILOR and Wrangler Rework a Workwear Staple Into a Suede Double-Knee Jean
Built from an entirely new pattern for the retailer, the special order arrives in black and indigo.
Summary
The Wrangler for WILD LIFE TAILOR EX Suede Double Knee Jean pairs a relaxed straight silhouette with a workwear-rooted double-knee construction
Washable cow suede reinforces the knee panels, balancing a premium hand-feel with everyday practicality
The special order was designed from a newly created pattern made exclusively for WILD LIFE TAILOR
Wrangler and WILD LIFE TAILOR have joined forces on the EX Suede Double Knee Jean, a special order that filters the denim label’s utilitarian roots through a considered, retailer-exclusive lens. Rather than pull an existing fit off the shelf, the two built the jean from a newly drafted pattern, threading a workwear signature through a silhouette designed specifically for this release.
Wrangler’s identity has always been tied to labor and the American West, a brand that made its name outfitting rodeo riders and working cowboys with denim engineered to survive the saddle and the job site. The double-knee construction at the center of this collaboration draws on that same lineage, a reinforcement detail long associated with carpenters, ranch hands, and tradespeople who needed their trousers to outlast the wear that knees take first. By anchoring the project to a feature the source itself frames as emblematic of workwear, Wrangler and WILD LIFE TAILOR position the piece as a nod to function before fashion.
Where the special order departs from tradition is in its material choices. The knee panels are executed in washable cow suede, an upgrade that lends the utilitarian detail a more refined texture while sidestepping the fragility suede usually carries, since it can be laundered rather than babied. The base is a straight-leg jean cut with a moderate amount of room, a relaxed shape that reads closer to a contemporary tailored fit than the rigid, body-hugging cuts of Wrangler‘s mid-century catalog. Offered in black and indigo, the two colorways keep the palette grounded and versatile, letting the suede reinforcement carry the visual interest.
The collaboration also reflects WILD LIFE TAILOR’s position within the JUN retail group, whose customer center handles inquiries for the release, and points to the growing appetite among Japanese specialty retailers for reworking heritage American workwear through a local, detail-driven sensibility. It is a familiar formula in that market, taking a storied Western label and refracting its codes through Japanese craftsmanship and material obsession, and the EX Suede Double Knee Jean slots neatly into that tradition.
The Wrangler for WILD LIFE TAILOR EX Suede Double Knee Jean releases Saturday, August 1 via WILD LIFE TAILOR stores and online, along with select ADAM ET ROPÉ HOMME locations.
