Wrangler, known worldwide for its quintessential American jeans, is expanding its Rooted Collection as a part of its continued focus on “farm-to-label” sustainability across the brand. The Rooted Collection is a line made from start to finish in the U.S. The collection, which is just four years old, highlights the use of cotton from single-family farms as the company returns to its roots. The line celebrates local farmers and highlights made-in-America quality.
“From start to finish, our approach to this collection reflects the attitude of farmers toward the earth: responsible, respectful, and rooted in U.S. soil,” said Allen Montgomery, Wrangler NAM western and workwear vice president. “The goal of the Rooted Collection is to honor American farmers and promote traceability and the sustainable farming practices including soil health, water saving techniques, and regenerative agriculture.”
The Greensboro, NC-based company has partnered with small farms in five states for the sustainable cotton used to make the Rooted Collection blue jeans.
Source farms such as the Martin Family Farm in Alabama, Vanderman Farms in Texas, Tri T Farms in California, and Buie Family Farm in North Carolina are single-family operations committed to long-term sustainability with their crop.
The collection also includes American-made T-shirts manufactured using similarly sustainable methods in 13 states, including California, North Carolina, Montana, Wyoming, Texas, and Alabama.
“We love U.S. cotton, and we know exactly where the cotton comes from. It’s just another great benefit of using U.S. cotton, and I think people wear these jeans with pride,” said Jeff Frye, vice president of Global Product Development, Global Procurement, Sustainability, and Innovation for Kontoor Brands, Wrangler’s parent company.
Rooted is just a part of the brand’s big moves toward full net-zero sustainability. The company is currently on track to source more than 80% of its cotton from sustainable cotton farms, intending to reach 100% by 2025.
Wrangler is also set to meet three additional sustainability goals by 2030: 50% water reduction, 100% use of renewable energy, and 100% clean chemistry use.
Each pair of Rooted Collection jeans goes one step further to honor the farmer and the sustainable crop used to create each piece. The jeans come with a packet of information about the cotton farm, and the metal shank that closes the zipper fly is the outline of the state where the cotton was grown.
“The collection is about sustainability, traceability, and state pride,” Frye added. “We wanted to highlight the farmers who grew the cotton and pay tribute to their work ethic and land stewardship. When someone puts on a pair of jeans from the Rooted Collection, they’ll see the farmer’s signature who ‘grew’ those jeans.”
