Country star Lainey Wilson has been wearing Wranglers her whole life. So it didn’t take a lot of convincing for her to join the apparel brand as an ambassador. She was the face of the brand’s fall 2023 collection and her hand-selected Lainey’s Picks pieces sold out immediately this spring.
And now, Wrangler will unveil its first true Lainey Wilson-branded collection, a co-branded line of jeans, shirts, coats and hats based on the singer’s life.
“When y’all reached out, it was a no-brainer for me, because when I think of my family, I think of Wrangler,” Wilson said at a recent launch event. “My parents had me in a pair of Wranglers before I could walk. One of my most favorite memories is rodeoing in a pair of Wranglers. They just make me feel at home, and especially during a time of my life that is constantly changing. But I’m truly trying to hold onto those things that make me ‘me’ and tell my story, and Wrangler feels like me.”
Wilson, who spent more than a decade in Nashville looking for her big break, is now the reigning Entertainer of the Year of the Country Music Association, and has won a Grammy Award.
She said she worked closely with the Wrangler design team when creating the Wrangler x Lainey Wilson Collection — and it shows. Not only does the line features an assortment of her signature bell-bottom pants, but the designs are inherently close to her heart. That includes one set of flared jeans with matching cropped trucker jacket that includes graphics of everything from her beloved French bulldog and her guitar to her “Hillbilly Hippie” song title and the numeral 9, the year she wrote her first song. There’s also a striped Rodeo Ben sherpa coach inspired by a heritage model created by Wrangler designer Ben Lichtenstein.
Lainey Wilson in her Storyteller Print pants.
Courtesy of Wrangler
One of Wilson’s favorite pieces is the Storyteller Print set. “Whether it’s the leopard print from my very first pair of bell-bottoms or the butterflies that came from the first song I sang at my kindergarten graduation called ‘Butterfly Kisses’ and my French bulldog — everything is on this outfit,” she said. “This is who I am in a nutshell.”
“This collection offers a powerful blend of contemporary style and classic Western influences,” said Vivian Rivetti, vice president of design for Wrangler. “We worked hand-in-hand with Lainey on every element of this collection, from the curve-hugging silhouettes to the luxurious embellishments; Lainey’s iconic style and the strength she brings to the stage is reflected in each piece.”
Wilson said Wrangler “took the time to get to know me and my story, which is really cool that because this is a completely different world that I’m just finally starting to dip my toes into.”
The bulk of the collection is for women, but there are some girls’ pieces too. Wilson said she feels pressure to live up to the expectations of her young fans. “When I look out there in my crowd and I see a lot of little girls hanging onto every word that I’m saying, I just want to remind them that they are beautiful and talented and smart and godly and important,” she said.
Embellishments and bold patterns are a hallmark of the collection.
Courtesy of Wrangler
And she’s not shying away from the fact that most of the bottoms are flared, a style she’s been wearing since she was a teenager. “I realized that as a female in the business, just being a decent singer/songwriter sometimes is not enough, and you’ve got to do something that makes you stand out and makes people raise their eyebrows a little bit.”
Wilson said to expect more collaborations in the future. “We just shot the spring collection, which I’m so pumped about,” she said. “It’s just another way for me to be creative. What I learned from all the opportunities that I’ve been given, is I know that it started with my songwriting and my storytelling, but I’ve never wanted to be scared to walk through doors that maybe felt a little scary. Whether it was acting for ‘Yellowstone’ and ‘even’ doing this collection, I’ve learned a lot, and I’ve learned just that I love being creative, and I love telling a story, and that’s the fun part about all this.”
Lainey Wilson was instrumental in the design of the collection.
Courtesy of Wrangler
The collection ranges in price from graphic Ts at $44.99 and long-sleeve button-down shirts for $79.99 to bell-bottom jeans for $89.99 for basics to $139.99 for a vintage-inspired flocked version. The Rodeo Ben coat is $209.99. Wilson is featured in the campaign for the collection, shot by Zoey Grossman, and the collection will be sold on the Wrangler site and at select retailers nationwide.
