Wrangler Launches Inclusive Women’s Jeans Line Bespoke

Global denim brand Wrangler has unveiled Bespoke, a new jeans line that was developed by women for women and inspired by a focus on finding the perfect fit.

Introducing new fit technology, Bespoke is designed to fit and flatter every body shape using fabric that has superior stretch and shape retention. The waistband features a four-piece contour waistband to avoid waistline gaps, and an exclusive yoke-over-body construction with angled back pockets to highlight curves. Available in three cuts — bootcut, skinny and flare — the collection retails for $69.99 and size range is from 25 through 34.

WWD’s sister publication Sourcing Journal caught up with Kontoor’s vice president of global marketing Holly Wheeler and Wrangler’s vice president of global design Vivian Rivetti to learn more about Bespoke and plans for the future. The Wrangler brand is owned by Kontoor Brands.

Sourcing Journal: When did the brand decide that a concept such as Wrangler Bespoke was needed? Was the research primarily among U.S. consumers or was it a look at what women complained about worldwide?

Holly Wheeler: Wrangler has continued to invest in the growth of our female business, from our marketing investment to design capabilities to intentionally partnering with Grammy Award-winning Lainey Wilson as our first female country music endorsee. The focus led us to recognize a gap in the market, which inspired the creation of Wrangler Bespoke.

Wrangler Bespoke, the brand’s most ambitious women’s line to date, was inspired after months of in-depth research to address the challenges of finding the perfect fit — and create the perfect women’s jean. Built with the everyday woman in mind, Wrangler Bespoke reinforces the brand’s commitment to creating denim fit solutions that address female consumers’ biggest pain points, including discomfort, inconsistent sizing and waistline gaps, ensuring they look and feel their absolute best.

SJ: Tell me more about the extensive market research that was conducted, how many focus groups and what were the demographics, and over what period of time? Were the results similar across the board or were there regional differences or preferences?

H.W.: The brand conducted extensive research, with multiple vendors, in order to identify and address the areas that currently make shopping for women’s denim a difficult and cumbersome task. We also looked at creative messaging to understand what imagery and language resonated positively with consumers. Wrangler Bespoke was born as a result of a number of online quantitative surveys and qualitative focus groups with female denim-wearers conducted over the past year in order to create a line uniquely designed to inspire confidence in women everywhere.

SJ: Where will Wrangler Bespoke be sold?

H.W.: Wrangler Bespoke will be available online [at wrangler.com] as well as at select retailers nationwide.

SJ: What were the pain points women identified? Were they the same across all groups or were there differences between petite, misses and plus-size?

Vivian Rivetti: The pain points identified by women within our research groups were generally consistent across different demographics and size groups. Key concerns raised by women centered around finding jeans that offer comfort, fit their unique body shapes and feature fabric suitable for all-day wear.

SJ: For Bespoke, was the primary focus just on yoke-over-body construction and the signature four-piece contour waistband because those were the main pain points? Are there other pain points that Wrangler plans to address in future Bespoke collections?

V.R.: The innovative fabrication, yoke-over-body construction, and the signature four-piece contour waistband were the primary focuses for this collection, which used these key design elements to eliminate gaping, provide advanced all-day comfort and shape curves. In signature denim washes and with iconic Wrangler details, our Bespoke collection offers an improvement over features offered by other denim brands.

While these aspects were central to resolving consumers’ fit concerns, we are exploring additional washes and leg openings with future Bespoke collections to further enhance the overall wearing experience. We will continue to speak to the customer and listen to the marketplace to address our female consumers’ changing needs.

SJ: The placement of back pockets often comes up as a general complaint at sites that allow for feedback from customers. Was this an issue Bespoke addressed and how was it resolved?

V.R.: Wranger Bespoke features an innovative design that includes angled back pockets to help lift, shape, and highlight curves along with the iconic W-stitched pockets to stay true to Wrangler’s signature style.

SJ: And depending on the denim weight used and the stretch component, how did those factors impact design in addressing the most common fit problems in sizing and discomfort?

V.R.: As sizing and fit were two of the most important concerns among the individuals surveyed, the Wrangler design team kept these priorities top of mind throughout the development process. By carefully working with the mills to ensure the fabric offered the perfect amount of stretch while still giving the feeling and look of denim, we were able to ensure the weight of these jeans offered the right balance of durability and flexibility.

The stretch component was equally important in enhancing comfort and fit by incorporating just the right amount of stretch to help adapt to different body shapes and movements without losing their shape or causing discomfort. This flexibility helped in minimizing common fit issues like gaping at the waist or restriction around the hips and thighs.

SJ: What is the anticipated runway growth for Bespoke? Will learnings from Bespoke be incorporated into other Wrangler women’s jeans products? How about using the learnings in Wrangler’s women’s non-denim bottoms, or are the pain points specific to denim fabrications?

V.R.: Given the positive reception to the collection to date, Wrangler Bespoke is set to expand with additional launches in the coming seasons. As Wrangler continues to innovate and refine the Bespoke line, the learnings and insights gained from this collection are expected to be integrated into other Wrangler women’s denim and non-denim offerings in order to improve overall fit and comfort across the brand.