Carhartt Brand Overview by Ed Dickfingers
Carhartt have been providing hard wearing well-made work wear since the end of the 1880’s (no shit!) and are now entering their 126th year, starting as a brand providing overalls and jackets for railway workers before becoming one of the most recognisable street wear brands around.
Tommy Boy Records (home of some of the greatest Hip Hop acts ever) has used Carhartt jackets as a promotional tool. In the 1990s, Carhartt jackets achieved popularity with crack dealers. “They needed to keep warm and they needed to carry a lot of stuff,” said Steven J. Rapiel, the New York City salesman for Carhartt. “Then the kids saw these guys on the street, and it became the hip thing to wear.”
During the 9/11 World Trade Centre rescue operations, the Carhartt company donated thousands of bib overalls to the rescue crew to be used on scene.
Produced to the highest standards, Carhartt have made a name for themselves, not only for making heavyweight, well engineered denim, outerwear and properly crafted tees and shirts but also for collaborating and supporting artists and musicians, even working with our very own resident doodler Jon Horner for the Carhartt WIP x CRV WKD collaboration.