Westward Expansion

Western themes remain a key trend in fashion collaborations involving all sorts of properties, from entertainment IPs to celebrities to artists and beyond. As an example, food- and beverage-related brands, especially alcoholic beverages and restaurant chains, have been active in this space in 2025, with the collections being a way to highlight the corporate brands’ Western (often Texas) roots. Wrangler is a key partner in such initiatives, but other denim and western brands are part of the trend as well, as this handful of examples illustrates: 

• In September of 2025, its 75th anniversary year, Whataburger paired with Sendero Provisions Co. for a nostalgic, Western-inspired, limited-edition collection of button-downs, hoodies, hats, and t-shirts, sold through the two companies’ online shops and at select retailers. The initiative celebrated the Texas roots of both companies. Previously, in February 2025, Whataburger had partnered with Wrangler for another Texas-inspired collection incorporating the orange and white stripes of the burger chain’s branding. The 33 apparel and accessories pieces included a filled denim vest, trucker jackets, orange-and-white-striped jeans and shorts, hats, and graphic t-shirts, all sold through the two companies’ e-stores. 

• The 150-plus-year-old Coors Banquet brand, part of the Molson Coors portfolio, partnered with Wrangler in August for a 20-piece collection including an embroidered denim Pinnacle Jacket, denim vests, pullover sweaters, Wrangler 13MWZ Cowboy Cut jeans, and graphic t-shirts, sold through Wrangler stores and western retailers and online at the Coors and Wrangler shops. Coors is using promotions such as these to underscore the Western and retro heritage of the Banquet brand, which is still made in Colorado with Rocky Mountain water and bottled in the same bottles it has been using since 1936. The Banquet collection followed a collaboration between Wrangler and Coors Original last year that began in the fall with a pair of “beer-wash jeans” — like acid-wash jeans, but using repurposed brewing resources in lieu of bleach or other acids — and expanded into a 32-piece collection. 

• In July, fast-casual chain Chili’s, founded in Dallas, teamed with Tecovas, a Texas-origin label specializing in western apparel, for men’s and women’s cowboy boots made out of the red leather Chili’s uses for its booth seating, dubbed Booth Boots, as well as a Booth Belt. The products were available on the Tecovas website and generated a positive reaction from fans of Chili’s and western fashion alike. 

Other western- inspired apparel and accessories capsules featuring food and beverage brands have surfaced in the past, of course, although the pace is picking up in the current landscape. Earlier examples have included, among others, Buffalo Trace Bourbon pairing with Wrangler in November 2023 for a co-branded assortment of sherpa-lined jean jackets, canvas distiller’s jackets, woven work shirts, cotton snap shirts, pullovers, aprons, baseball caps, and graphic t-shirts for men and women; tequila brand Código 1530 collaborating with denim maker Lucky Brand for a collection of hoodies and accessories in 2021; and Todd Snyder and bourbon brand Legent partnering for a “bourbon-selvedge” denim jacket in 2020, with the item re-released the next year. 

Watch for Raugust Communications’ monthly e-newsletter this coming Tuesday, December 16. The Licensing Topic of the Month will take a look back at the year in tariffs, while the Datapoint research spotlight will examine collaborations involving functional beverages. If you do not yet receive this free publication, you can sign up here. 

Another heads-up: Our annual round-up of the licensing trends of the year — this edition recapping 25 trends from 2025 — will be posted next week as well. A link will be provided in the next edition of RaugustReports on Monday December 15.