Denim jackets have been a staple of my wardrobe for as long as I can remember. The last one I owned (it's a little big on me now after losing a bunch of weight but it's still going strong) was a Wrangler "rugged wear" denim jacket in XL. I bought another one in large to wear without heavy layers in warmer weather but the one I got was not the same jacket as the one I bought in 2019. My old XL one was perfect, so it came as quite a disappointment that the newer "rugged wear" models are now being made with thin, twill, work-shirt-weight denim and no longer have the worn in look that I liked so much. They are just a thin, raw looking denim. The fit was about the same as my old one, just one size smaller, but the overall quality was not what I've come to expect from Wrangler so I sent it back. I went to a few local department stores thinking that I might have better luck finding a good denim jacket in person but all the denims they had on the shelves were either made from thin, stretchy material, had holes in them or were what I call "hipster cut" meaning too tight in the arms and shoulders and too short in the sleeves and torso restricting movement. It was clear to me that most denim jackets being made today are catering to fashion conscious urbanites, not active/working men. I ordered this "cowboy cut" model, not expecting too much from Wrangler at this point, but luckily this jacket was made from a nice thicker denim material and is not "hipster cut" like the ones they sell at malls and department stores. There's plenty of room for laying with a hoodie or heavy weight flannel and it's cut for an active person working or recreating outdoors to be able to move around in without losing the coverage and protection that well-made clothing is meant to provide. This particular model is not as loose fitting as my old "rugged wear" jacket which has more of a relaxed fit but it's still made for working people in mind rather than the vegan, skinny jean wearing fashion crowd. I'm 6'1, about 180-185lbs and the large fits me great with plenty of room for layering. I'm wearing it now, as I type this review, layered over an XL Dickies t-shirt, an XL Wrangler cotton twill work shirt and an XL Fruit of the Loom hoodie (large is a better fit for me but I haven't gotten around to replacing all the XL's in my wardrobe yet) and I can still move around without feeling restricted. This cowboy cut model has slightly longer sleeves, ample room in the shoulders and sits below the belt. For those of y'all complaining about the sleeves being too long or the cut of the jacket being too roomy imagine that you are working out in a barn loading square bales onto a trailer. You're reaching up over your head to load the next square bale and suddenly you notice the sleeves of your jacket, that had such a nice, tailored, fitted look walking around town, are now riding up to your elbows. You bend over to pick up the next bale and you feel an icy cold breeze creeping up your lower back. You begin to get a little chilly so you stop to put on a hoodie as an extra warming layer, but you find that your hipster-fashion jacket is not cut for layering, and you can hardly move your arms. Get the picture? So, if you're wanting a more fitted, "urban" look you may want to consider ordering a size down, looking at the more fashion-oriented brands or raiding your daughter's/little sister's closet for something more stylish. The stitching on mine looked solid but, as a previous review mentioned, there not as much of it as I would like compared to the Levis "trucker" jacket. This may or may not become an issue, only time will tell, but I can just about guarantee that this jacket fits more like a real, "old school" denim jacket than the Levis, so pick your poison. The collar is bigger and stands up taller than the one on my "rugged wear" jacket and I can button the jacket all the way up while wearing a hoodie which, to me, is a plus. The pockets are a little different than the "rugged wear" models as well. The chest pockets are a little smaller and have snap closures as do the sleeves something which I've found quite handy when I need to get to the contents of the chest pockets or shed a layer quickly so I can get back to work. The inside pockets are less roomy than the "rugged wear" jacket and are sewn differently but they are still very functional. I was a little disappointed in the color (I got the dark blue one) as it doesn't look like the pictures. It almost looks as though it's been worn in a dusty, dirty work environment but I haven't washed it yet so the look may improve after a couple of washings. The material the jacket was made from was a substantial weight denim but very soft compared to my old XL "rugged wear" jacket. It won't need to be broken in as much in order to get that comfy, worn-in-denim feel but it might not be as durable in the long run. Overall, I like this jacket a lot but it's still not what I was looking for as far as the look but it should make a good fall and spring work jacket (if it holds up) so I'm keeping it. Maybe after a couple of years of wearing it to work and multiple washings it will look more like what I was hoping to get. I may hit up some second-hand shops to see if I can find an older denim jacket that has the look, quality and cut that I remember and used to be the industry standard.
