Cowboy Cut - Heddels

Save a horse, ride a cowboy…cut pair of jeans! You may have heard the new trend of western fitting jeans sweeping legs across the world, but we’re here to give you a straight-shooting definition of what Cowboy Cut Jeans are, where they come from, and where they can be found.

What does Cowboy Cut mean?

Anatomy of a Cowboy Cut jean featuring the Wrangler 13MWZ.

Cowboy Cut is a style of jean made popularized by Wrangler. Designed and wear-tested with horse riders in mind, the jean features:

• Higher pockets, for access while riding
• A tapered leg that flares at the ankle to fit over boots
• A wide gap between the front belt loops to accommodate a western belt and trophy buckle
• Smooth round rivets to not tear up saddle leather
• Higher rise and extra room in the seat and thigh to make riding easier and more comfortable

Cowboy Cuts are available in a variety of different fits and from a variety of makers

Where did the Cowboy Cut come from?

You may imagine old west cowboys driving cattle across the prairie in the 1800s in their cowboy cut jeans, but that couldn’t be farther from the truth. It wasn’t until 1947, nearly a century after the last cattle drives, that Wrangler introduced their “Cowboy Cut” jeans.

The pants were originally designed by Bernard “Rodeo Ben” Lichtenstein, a Philadelphia tailor well-known for designing the clothes of rodeo stars and singing cowboys such as Roy Rogers and Gene Autry, and Wrangler sought to capitalize on the image of the cowboy revival in post-WWII America.

Ben worked closely with rodeo stars to develop a line of jeans that would be the most useful for them, including features such as higher hip pockets that could hold more while on horseback and wider belt loops for wider, western-style belts. Rodeo stars Jim Shoulders and Freckles Brown both had endorsement deals for the jeans, helping to instantly popularize the line in rodeos and with working cowboys.

Why do Cowboy Cuts make your butt look good?

You’ve seen the bumper sticker, now learn the science. The variety of features that make a jean appropriate for riding a horse also accentuate a certain anatomical feature. The higher rise lifts and separates and the higher back pockets keep the pocket on the glute rather than breaking it up halfway down the thigh, only making things look bigger.

Where can you find Cowboy Cut Jeans today?

Wrangler continues to sell Cowboy Cut jeans for both women and men in a variety of fits. The most classic of which is the 13MWZ, which stands for a 13oz. “Men’s With Zipper”, and this raw denim icon can be had for less than $50 at Wrangler.

If you’d like to take it up a notch, you can find elevated versions of the same Cowboy Cut style from a variety of other labels.

Freenote Cloth Wilkes Jean

This made in USA manufacturer from San Juan Capistrano keeps that same western DNA alive, but with 14.5oz. raw Japanese selvedge denim.

Available for $265 at Iron Shop Provisions.

Warehouse & Co Lot. 1002 Cowboy Pants

And if you really want to go all out, even pre-Wrangler’s invention of the Cowboy Cut, have a look at Warehouse’s WWII Cowboy Pants. These are modeled after Lee jeans and their cost-savings approach during the wartime rationing of WWII like the herringbone ‘Victory’ pocketbags, laurel leaf donut buttons, and a hair on hide patch.

Available for $325 at Clutch Cafe.