Carhartt has been the unofficial uniform of America's blue-collar workforce since 1889 and it still is The Detroit born and raised brand cut its teeth outfitting railroad workers with bib overalls as it expanded laborers from farmers to carpenters and construction workers started wearing the rugged clothing but, Carhartt isn't just some legacy brand once the hip-hop community adopted the workforce style carhartt became a pop culture icon.
When you are wearing something or you believe, something is the best rappers tend to let you know that and they kind of change culture for a while today it's almost impossible to walk around any major city from Brooklyn and Los Angeles to Tokyo and London without seeing the Carhartt logo on coats t-shirts and jackets.
But the Carhartt watch cap is by far its most popular Carhartt sells about four million of them a year. The original A18 cap was actually a promotional cat that they created and it just caught fire a wide range of celebrities from Jamie Foxx, Kanye West, Rihanna, Bella Hadid and Drake, all wear Carhartt gear the company says it has never sought out that kind of attention in fact fast fashion and the fleeting exposure that comes with it is antithetical to its mantra outworking the mall.
Since 1889. here's how carhart built America's favorite blue collar brand and became a modern day fashion icon this is suddenly obsessed. In 1889 Hamilton Carhartt opened a small workshop in Dearborn Michigan with two sewing machines and five workers he began outfitting America's working class in thick canvas jackets and bib overalls.
By World War II, Carhartt became a household name due to its combination of durability and affordability we absolutely focus first and foremost on it's got to function it's got to work in conditions that are typically harder than most traditionally people have thought about card as the the brand for construction workers farmers trades people but as we've developed the brand and built a bigger audience more and more people are really becoming aware of it for the first time and they're becoming more attracted to what we have to offer.
In 2019, Carhartt generated over 1 billion in revenue and is still owned by the valade family The Carhartt watch cap has been its most popular product since 1987 followed by the jacket called the hooded, active jacket and the workwear pocket. Team Carhartt didn't mean to become a streetwear staple you know as we were adopted and have been adopted by the mainstream.
We don't chase that and it's amazing by staying consistent and committed and authentic how many people continue to come back cultural folklore goes that. In the 1980s, Carhartt became popular with drug dealers who wanted inconspicuous yet warm cold weather gear, Carhartt expert and author Gary Warnette summed it up saying quote the grit of criminal life necessitated affordable outerwear and Carhart's work jacket offered a certain anonymity as.
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| Hamilton Carhartt |
Carhartt became a symbol of street culture hip-hop artists began wearing it in music videos and on stage the idea of outworking other people is very much of i think of the hip-hop sensibility that's the reason why i feel as though Carhart and hip-hop can be so connected is because that's the same thing that they could be wearing if they weren't famous same as Run DMC and their shell tops and their tracksuits they didn't get famous and then just start wearing those clothings or tango hats that was what they used to wear when they were on the block and they brought it to mainstream.
In 1992 hip-hop label Tommy Boy Records sent 800 Tommy Boy embroidered Carhartt Detroit Duck jackets to tastemakers as a marketing play that was definitely an inflection point in the brand gaining mainstream notoriety and quite honestly you know visibility and and had a lasting impact on its connection to culture those tommy boy jackets are selling for up to 3.700.
On the resale market a 1992, New York Times article said that the Carhartt jacket became a fashion accessory for rappers club kids preppy hang oners and the otherwise chronically cool blue collar workers gave Carhartt its authenticity but the hip-hop community they made Carhartt cool there's been no pretension of trying to say we understand the hip-hop consumer and we're we are going to make products for them they're they're just because they make a great product people want to buy it the world of high fashion was taking notice.
In 1989, two Swiss designers Edwin and Salome struck a licensing deal with carhartt to create a tailored line of clothing called work in progress featuring slimmer fits and a streetwear aesthetic. WIP was created 30 years ago during the time when hip-hop and rappers were really starting to adopting products. Skaters were adopting our product it's a sort of a symbiotic relationship, you know the more, stay solid and authentic as Carhartt. The easier and better it is for Car WIP to expand to be sure work in progress and Carhartt are two separate entities.
Well work in progress is clothing uses Carhartt's basic design and branding it's more expensive than traditional Carhartt gear and made from different materials they knew their core consumer was the Carhartt consumer but then they also recognized that this hybrid existed where streetwear and hype culture can then mix with the aesthetic that Carhartt brings to the table it's taking the core Carhartt product and just giving it a little twist it's not explicitly street wear like giant logos and look at me kind of thing.
The color sensibility the material sensibility ties back to the core product the logo obviously again brings them authenticity when it comes to Carhartt Work In Progress (WIP) it's a lot more sleek, it continues that box fitting but it has a lot lighter material which is very interesting when it comes to the price range being higher.
When you're buying things that are a little bit thinner but that's a part of fashion that's how it goes sometimes they'll take the fabric in up. The construction of the fabric so that it's a finer weave or a softer hand they'll change the linings insulation in order to warrant that value at that higher price we'll work in progress has collaborated with streetwear giants like Supreme and Stussy. People are willing to pay top dollar for WIP because of what Carhartt represents is enjoy.
How Carhartt symbolizes hardwork and a work ethic that also links with people and that's why inspires, Carhartt has been extremely careful to differentiate the core brand from WIP whether it's Carhartt or Carhart WIP still require the same standards to be done. Around fabric strength, around durability, around zippers and snaps it's about taking that standard. And then understanding what they're trying to address in the market.
While Work In Progress satisfies the Hypebeast's desire to stay on top of the latest trends. Carhartt's legacy makes it appealing to a widening array of consumers even with the shrinking working class in an increasingly service-based economy the foundation of the brand is is about that hard working grit it's about the commonalities and the bonds that that are forged by you know how the the honest hard day's work.
