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The Roots of the “Authentic” Western Wrangler Jeans

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The Roots of the “Authentic” Western Wrangler Jeans

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As American Eagle Outfitters senior design director, Clint Groom has guided the firm in the development of its flex design look and a market-leading position in men's jeans. Clint Groom has a passion for denim that extends to all of its iterations and he particularly treasures vintage denim for its authenticity and “human feel.”

One iconic denim brand is Wrangler, which has its roots in Hudson Overall Company, which was established in textile-rich Greensboro, North Carolina, by C.C. Hudson in the early 20th century. The successful enterprise was known as Blue Bell Overall Company by the time it was acquired by Kentucky’s Big Ben Manufacturing in 1926. The Wrangler brand was born in 1943 when the Casey Jones Company was acquired and with it a little used brand name.

Four years later, Wrangler earned its reputation as “authentic western jeans” when Rodeo Ben, a celebrity tailor with Polish roots, created an extremely durable material and a style that appealed to cowboys and those who lived in Western states. This iconic status was cemented through a longstanding endorsement deal with 16-time World Champion Cowboy, Jim Shoulders.

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Senior design director at American Eagle Outfitters Clint Groom was responsible for creating the revolutionary Flex Design high-stretch denim. When he’s not busy engineering new fabrics and working with cross-functional partners, Clint Groom enjoys surfing.

An efficient pop up to a standing position is key to riding waves effectively and smoothly, yet improving the pop up is a challenge for many surfers. Surfers must begin by improving their foundation, which involves increasing strength, power, and flexibility. Squats, push ups, and knee tucks are just a few exercises that increase strength in the core and legs, improving balance.

If surfers already have a solid foundation, they may need to work on their actual pop up skill. It is extremely important that surfers wait to work on skill improvement until their foundations have improved. Individuals who do not do this can quickly plateau or fail to improve their pop up altogether.

Skill improvement largely involves out of water practice. Out of water practice teaches surfers about the basic body movements required to pop up. This type of practice gives the brain time to wire in the specific motor pattern needed to be successful and allows surfers to perfect the movement. Ideally, surfers should begin practicing on solid ground. Over time, they can incorporate unstable surfaces to work on balance and begin practicing while on the water.

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Clint is a Fashion Designer in New York. Visit Clint's website from their page.

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Clint Groom - Senior Design Director for American Eagle Outfitters

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A graduate of Philadelphia College of Textiles and Science, Clint Groom holds a bachelor of arts in fashion design. The senior design director for American Eagle Outfitters in New York City, Clint Groom designs men's denim, pants, and shorts. He regularly travels to Asia to work with the company's cross-functional partners to achieve the brand's distinctive design aesthetic.

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Senior design director at American Eagle Outfitters for more than a decade, Clint Groom oversees the design of men's denim, pants and shorts. He was responsible for Flex Design, a type of high-stretch denim for men. In his free time, Clint Groom loves traveling the world and he has been nearly everywhere in Asia.

One of the most popular attractions in Asia is Angkor Wat, which covers roughly 500 acres of land in modern-day Cambodia. The huge religious structure consists of several temples, communication routes, and hydraulic structures, and is surrounded by a 650-foot-wide moat.

Angkor Wat was constructed by Suryavarman II between 1113 and 1150 AD. The structure originally was a Hindu temple that represented Mount Meru, the location where the ancient gods lived. The entirety of the temple was situated toward the west and the main entrance to Angkor Wat is on its west side.

For many years, scholars believed this direction meant that Angkor Wat was used primarily as a tomb, due to the association between death and west. However, it was later discovered that the Hindu god Vishnu was also associated with that direction, and scholars now believe that Angkor Wat was built as a monument to the god.

Angkor Wat remained a Hindu temple for several centuries before being converted into a Buddhist temple during the 14th century. Following the conversion, statues of Buddha were placed throughout the temple and those statues still remain alongside the structure's older artwork. Angkor Wat also served as the center of the Khmer Kingdom for several hundred years.

For 15 years, Clint Groom has directed the design of denim products for men at American Eagle Outfitters. In addition to traveling for work, Clint Groom enjoys traveling for pleasure, and he has visited several destinations throughout Asia.

Most visitors to Asia are familiar with sites such as the Great Wall of China, the Forbidden City, and the Taj Mahal. But Asia features a wealth of lesser-known opportunities for tourists, including:

1. Shodoshima, Japan. Also known as the Island of Little Beans, Shodoshima is a popular spot for natives though unfamiliar to foreigners. The island includes a mixture of olive groves and hot springs, and from Mount Hoshigajo-san, visitors can take in views of Shodoshima as a whole.

2. Bagan, Myanmar. Between the 9th and 13th centuries, Bagan served as the capital of the Kingdom of Pagan. The central feature of the town is the temple surrounded by a variety of ancient ruins that tourists can visit and explore. Bagan offers the most basic of amenities but provides a comfortable stay.

3. Ratu Boko, Indonesia. A palace complex located on the Thousand Hills ridge in the Yogyakarta region of Indonesia, the area's foundations and bathing pools remain intact and allow visitors to visualize the culture that once thrived there. Guests also gain a quality view of Mount Merapi, the most active volcano in the region.

As senior design director with American Eagle Outfitters for the past 15 years, Clint Groom has been responsible for men's denim, pants, and shorts concepts. He revolutionized the industry through a flex design that incorporates high-stretch in a men's product. A vintage jeans enthusiast, Clint Groom appreciates the quality, authenticity, and human feel that vintage denim imparts.

Vintage jeans also offer the advantage of never going out of style, with Levi's 501s being the classic straight leg fit, featuring a button fly that provides extra room in the hips and rear. Despite its reputation as a look that never changes, there are slight differences to the 501 aesthetic each year, with legs getting wider or narrower, and a higher or lower-rise waist depending on fashion trends.

Another classic denim brand is Wrangler, which stands out with the tan leather W logo on the back pocket. A straight fit that may be flared at the bottom, the Wrangler is also known for its ability to stretch and take on the dimensions of the body of the wearer over time. Vintage Lee Riders jeans are similar to Wranglers in many ways, without having the same Western look.

Another popular vintage option is the durable Carhartt carpenter jeans, which offers a roomy, wide leg that accommodates a wide range of body types. This function-first, "worker" style is also celebrated by brands such as Oshkosh and Gap.

Clint Groom serves as senior design director with American Eagle Outfitters and helps guide one of America's most popular casual apparel retailers. Clint Groom's firm has achieved sustained growth through pioneering a flex design look that has positioned it as a leader in the men's jeans market.

A 2015 Forbes article brought focus to a changing retail demographic and a strategy of achieving positive sales growth, despite market shifts that impacted traditional brands. One of major issue American Eagle tackled was redefining a product portfolio that was seen as offering limited fashion variety and too few online purchasing options.

A success highlighted was the #AEOLiveMEGAzine marketing campaign, which engaged with customers interactively through social media. Denim wearers were encouraged to share creative expressions in dance and music via Instagram. In addition, the #AEOLiveEXpress campaign coincided with the launch of a ripped jeans collection that encouraged purchasers to place temporary tattoos on the skin that showed through the holes in the jeans.

With a focus on younger demographics, American Eagle also coordinated the launch of localized websites in markets such as the UK and launched a new point-of-sale system in America that provided convenient mobile check out options. These efforts were described as key in positioning the firm as a flexible, future-focused brand with revitalized appeal to digitally focused consumers.

American Eagle Outfitters Senior Design Director Clint Groom is responsible for men's denim and pants. Clint Groom has been with American Eagle since 2002 and has contributed significantly to the brand's overall style direction.

When it rose to popularity, the American Eagle brand relied on heavily-branded logo merchandise. Like competitors Abercrombie & Fitch and Aeropostale, most American Eagle garments featured large logos. This trend started to subside around 2012 when young consumers began to look for more fashion-conscious garments with less prominent branding.

At first, all three popular brands were slow to respond to this shift. American Eagle has led the way since 2014, after making several positive changes. The brand expanded its variety of fashion offerings by providing more choices for consumers. They also improved the in-store shopping experience and shut down approximately 70 underperforming stores nationwide. They then opened new stores strategically placed in underserved areas to replace the underperforming stores.

Since these changes took effect, American Eagle's stock prices have grown fairly consistently. Competitors Abercrombie & Fitch and Aeropostale continue to face declining stock prices.

The brainchild behind Flex Design, an innovation that revolutionized the denim industry by making high-stretch denim the norm for men, Clint Groom functions as the senior design director for American Eagle Outfitters Inc. He has served in this capacity for more than 10 years and works closely with cross-functional partners. Clint Groom not only ensures these partners understand the aesthetic he is looking for with new designs, but also promotes teamwork.

A goal of many workplaces, improving teamwork can be difficult to achieve. The following are just some of the ways team leaders or managers can improve teamwork:

- Encourage social activities. When workers know one another, they are generally more likely to work together well as a group. Social activities foster camaraderie and familiarity that facilitate bonding and encourage employees to work together more efficiently.

- Value each team member. If certain individuals feel undervalued, they are less likely to put effort into various projects. Instead, each team member should know how his or her role is important to the team and be given all the relevant information needed to accomplish his or her work.

- Welcome questions. Team members are a valuable source of ideas and feedback that improve team functioning, and they should be encouraged to share these ideas with their team members. Management should also be available to listen to questions and suggestions.

- Mediate disputes. There will most likely be disagreements among team members at some point, and it is up to management to mediate these problems. Disputing team members should be empowered to solve their issues efficiently and encouraged to improve situations rather than blame others.

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Senior design director at American Eagle Outfitters for more than a decade, Clint Groom oversees the design of men's denim, pants and shorts. He was responsible for Flex Design, a type of high-stretch denim for men. In his free time, Clint Groom loves traveling the world and he has been nearly everywhere in Asia.

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Clint Groom has served as the senior design director at American Eagle Outfitters for 15 years. With a focus on aesthetics and comfort, Clint Groom understands how clothing impacts a person's self-esteem. Looking good can improve a person's confidence, which can actually...

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A senior design director for men's pants, shorts, and denim at American Eagle Outfitters in New York City, Clint Groom has developed and engineered fabric to ensure the perfect fit. One of Clint Groom's most notable contributions to...