Think Southern California beaches, washed-out sunsets, and hip-gripping denims that bell at the ankle. Now, add a Ford Bronco navigating the rugged coastal terrain to the scene and you’ve got the essence of Madewell Men’s capsule collaboration with the storied automotive company.
At first blush you may be surprised by the pairing of Madewell, known for its collegiate prepster denim and beach T-Shirt aesthetic, and Ford, the legacy automotive company whose name is synonymous with car culture writ large. But reduced to their cores, these two American-born companies have a lot in common.
For the seven capsule pieces (ranging from $19-$145), Madewell leveraged vintage Americana and car racing cuts to prop up the ‘70s beach vibes of Ford’s most adored SUV: the Bronco.
The denim jacket is the kind you could imagine Brad Pitt wearing in Once Upon A Time… in Hollywood — with a strong corduroy collar, bold branded patch, and the exclusive ‘Bronco’ wash — a weathered blue, lightly battered, and bleached by the sun.
Of course, there is a classic trucker hat in the official “Ford Blue” colorway, two graphic T-shirts emblazoned with vintage Ford Broncos looking muscular, and a leather key fob embossed with a real bronco, by which we mean a horse, not the car — because this is the California-Baja border, after all.
The collection is built on the mythos of the Bronco. Initially introduced in ’65, it was the world’s very first sport-utility vehicle — not just a rugged, all-terrain Jeep-like machine and not just a comfy weekend sedan, either. It was for off-roading but also taking the family on a picnic. The Bronco was a hit. Eventually, though, it went out of style, only to be revived after a 24-year hiatus in 2021.
Almost 50 years after it first hit the market, the Bronco is as popular and well-loved today as it was then. The Madewell x Ford collection borrows from this legacy of utilitarianism in design and functionality while allowing in the cool breeze of ‘70s beach fantasy by way of its staple garments, colors, and cuts.
The limited-edition pieces will be available for purchase online from August 18 via select Madewell Men’s stores across the US.
