EL PASO TOUGH

STRENGTH IN THE DETAILS

The best quality canvas—the sort our Roughneck Pant is made of—offers a balance of toughness and flexibility. It’s resilient and made to last. It has a lot in common with the city of El Paso itself, a high desert town of nearly 700,000 people, standing proud where Texas meets Mexico.

It’s also home to Excel Manufacturing, which has its own history of strength and bouncing back from hard times, and where our Roughneck pant is made.


Joel Ortega, the latest of the Ortega family to run this business, told us the backstory: Excel started as a laundromat in the 1970s, and built a reputation for quality and integrity. The great American denim company, Levi’s, took notice and brought them in as a partner to handle the washing, and later sewing, of their storied jeans. 


It was a success for many years. But eventually, as clothing manufacturing moved away from the U.S., the facility and the Ortegas found they had big challenges to overcome. They had to stay determined, tough, and smart to navigate a changing apparel business. But they managed to do it. 


We partnered with Joel and his facility to produce the Roughneck Pant: they’re comparable to your favorite 5-pocket jeans (but with a bit of stretch for better mobility.) We spent a lot of time perfecting the signature canvas fabric, tightly weaving cotton yarns together for a tough, flexible result. The Roughneck is finished with smart details like beautiful stitching inside and out, custom metal hardware, deep pockets, and a leather patch.


These pants don’t shy away from work, but also dress up easily, making for a versatile closet staple. That’s probably why they’re our best-selling pant. A bit like the city of El Paso, they’ll stay strong, for many years to come.

ROUGHNECK PANT STRAIGHT

The canvas pant, updated for everyday wear. Made from rugged cotton canvas but cut like a 5-pocket jean with 2% stretch for comfort and mobility. Finished with smart details like beautiful stitching inside and out, custom metal hardware, deep pockets, and a leather patch.

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ROUGHNECK PANT SLIM

Made with the best quality cotton canvas, these are pants that work as hard as you do. Comfortable and ready to wear from day one – no breaking in required. Same waist but with a slimmer fit through ankle.

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BRAND MOMENT #1 OR PROCESS

Excel’s operators and sewers are some of the best in the business. The training program at Excel is well developed and honed to ensure all operators are skilled and experienced with the tools they use. Each operator plays a crucial role in bringing our Roughneck Pants to life.

BRAND MOMENT #2 OR PROCESS

We use metal hardware — real metal — brass, steel, and zinc, custom made with our signature delta. Each shank is securely attached with solid brass 2-prong fasteners. All of our Roughneck Pants are trimmed before going to dye to ensure stray threads don't leave marks or compromise quality.