YOU DO NOT IRON A CREASE IN YOUR JEANS!
That’s been the golden rule of denim for years. Why? Simple. Jeans are casual. Workwear. Creases spell formality. Mixing the two? It’s like wearing a tuxedo to mow the lawn.
But my old man, Tom McKay, ironed his jeans religiously. Well, he wore ironed jeans. My mom did the actual ironing.
As a federal game warden, Dad’s work uniform was a pair of crisply ironed bootcut Wranglers, a pique polo, and cowboy boots. As a kid, I remember watching Mom iron a sharp crease into my dad’s jeans while she watched Touched by an Angel and thinking to myself, “What gives? Jeans aren’t business slacks!”
Fast-forward to me in my 40s, and I’m flipping through old photos at my folks’ house. There’s Dad in his razor-sharp creased Wranglers, and damn if he doesn’t look like he means business.
Tom McKay, meaning business in his ironed Wranglers, circa 1989.
But I also started noticing ironed Wranglers in other places besides my old family photo albums.
The troubadour George Strait rocks creased Wranglers like they’re dress pants (even wearing them with a tuxedo top). Cowboys in rural Oklahoma sport pressed denim like it’s their Sunday best.
Turns out, there’s a whole subset of cowboys who swear by starched, ironed jeans. Their reasons?
- Protection: They claim the starch acts like armor. (Debatable — science says it might weaken the fabric.)
- Looks sharp: A crease in your Wranglers says, “I’m ready to bale some hay, but I could also take my gal to Cattleman’s Steakhouse right afterward.”
Besides seeing them on 90s country music legends and cowpokes in Blanco, OK, I’ve also been seeing ironed Wranglers amongst the hip, young crowd. Bootcut Wranglers, ironed to perfection, are becoming a thing amongst fashion-forward cool dudes. Even the Wrancher — a polyester cowboy dress pant (another style staple of Tom McKay) — is gaining traction.
And so, curiosity got the better of me. I took the plunge and ironed my Cowboy Cut Wranglers. Reader, it’s a solid look. At least, I think so.
Here are a few looks I put together with my ironed jeans:
Calling this first fit “The Tom McKay”— ironed bootcut Wranglers with a pique polo shirt and a thick leather belt. Pops was a Land’s End polo shirt man, but he had a few Lacoste polo shirts too. He mixed Southwestern desert vibes with 80’s tennis preppy. The man had style!
Sporting my Grandpa Bill Hurst’s Western sport coat and bolo tie. Great for Sunday church services or when you’re solving a murder in a Cormac McCarthy novel.
Repping my New Mexican heritage with the yellow Zia red sun t-shirt. Tucked-in, natch. Cowboy belt from Zilker.
It’s funny how life works. Here I am, channeling my dad’s 40-year-old style. Cat’s in the cradle, indeed.
A Few Thoughts On Ironing Jeans:
- Stick to bootcut Wranglers. Ironing your jeans is a Western thing. Your straight-fit selvedge denim? Don’t iron them. Also, since you’re ironing your bootcut Wranglers, wear cowboy boots with them.
- Iron them just like you would dress pants. See our extensive guide on how to iron pants. My mom recommended that you use a lot of steam to get that sharp crease in the jeans. I starched mine and liked the results. It might not be good for the fabric, but boy howdy does it provide a nice, crisp crease.
- Dress high, medium, and low. Dress up your ironed jeans with a fancy Western shirt and sport coat, go Tom-McKay-business-casual with the pique polo, or take things down a notch with a tucked-in tee and a cool belt.
Want to shake up your style? Give ironed Wranglers a shot. They mean business.
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