An observation of the ubiquity of the Stars & Stripes in Dearborn and southeastern Michigan; Dearborn has the largest Arab-American population of any city in the United States, and the largest mosque in the country. It's heartening to know that these Michiganders display their pride in being part of the broader American experience.
Fun read, thank you. I'm a mostly-suburbanite who spends 5 or 6 weeks a yr in my Carhartt on a ranch. Their basic jacket is a multi-tool...barb wire will not ruin it, use a sleeve as a mitten for bbq or fires, throw down as a picnic blanket, carry a hurt dog (small dog), wrap cold water bottles as insulation, a safety damper on tow/snatch line, use on a dusty road to get under the atv or truck. It is lousy in biting cold wind (I don't have the insulated version), that is where a hoody under a Carhartt jacket is the perfect combo.
Great read! I was struck with the symbolism of the American flags around Dearborn and the critique of cosplaying hipsters in workwear. Both feel like larger symbols of the evolution of Carhartt. Once a proud American brand, serving the American worker, now offshoring the majority of its production while still proudly and unironically waving the American flag. Just as white collar workers dress up as “real workers” so too does Carhartt dress up as what people think it is but hasn’t been for a few decades. Their stuff is still durable, but it’s also increasingly made in China, Bangladesh, and other overseas markets, with only a few key products still manufactured in the US.
As far as white collar workers dressing up as real workers… if you aren’t a capital owner, the capital owners see you as a worker. Blue collar and white collar solidarity is important, we are all collectively exploited by the owning class
Some of us “bicoastal elites” earned our Carhartts the old-fashioned way. I put in seven years of construction work while taking community college classes at night and three years working as a building engineer at the university as an undergrad all prior to earning coastal elite status that automatically comes with a PhD. I will always see myself as a “regular Joe” who just happened to work their ass off to become a scientist. I still wear my Carhartt jacket.
This was a beautiful read. I've been wearing insulated Carhartt coveralls as a Canadian framing carpenter since the 90's. They have became a part of who I am. I've only ever purchased two of these coveralls in my entire life, both the exact same colour and design. The only reason I bought the second pair was because somebody accidentally threw the first pair out when I moved from my rented townhouse into our first purchased home, that I bought with my wife. The first pair was worn (and tattered even, in places) and it showed a couple decades of honest work; and the second pair hasn't been broken in as well, even after 15 years. And I love my new pair, but I miss my old coveralls. They might have lasted a lifetime.
I started my career as a Framer when I was a philosophy major in university, because I wanted to get over my fear of heights. I saw some guys walking around on a roof and realized that waiting to get over my fear of heights wasn't something that would ever work, but if I could do that job, I could conquer the fear. And it worked.
And as a philosophy major turned framer, I'm both surprised and jealous that there is a person out there whose entire job is to keep the archives for Carhartt. That is indeed a dream job.
I’ve always worn Carhartt jackets and overalls for their overall comfort and durability. They’ve also proven to be excellent protection from jobsite and woodland mishaps. My biggest problem has been keeping family members from borrowing my jackets and never returning them. I guess that speaks to the popularity of Carhartt in my family.
I took away so much from this! My partner's casual shirts are almost entirely Carhartt, partially because Action Bronson wore them on his foodie Vice TV show. We're in Minnesota, so Carhartt doesn't feel off limits, but my partner is also an avid outdoorsman - fishing, foraging, etc. (so it's legit???). I've even bought (from their store in the Mall of America!!) a very similar Carhartt shirt to one of his favorites, much to his chagrin. :)
But I think at least partially because of the Carhartt boom, he's moved on to Filson, a similar legacy workwear brand...but way more expensive. Like, do workers actually buy that stuff to work in? We're watching the Ryan Murphy Ed Gein Monster show on Netflix right now and my partner is commenting on how farmer psycho Ed Gein is wearing Filson in early 1950s Wisconsin. No idea what that will do to the brand!
Also, THEY MAKE BABY/TODDLER CLOTHES. Talk about people not working in their Carhartt (hopefully). I bought cargo pants for my very rural nephew. https://www.carhartt.com/c/youth-boy
I have several well loved Carhartt outdoor pieces, overalls (which don’t fit anymore due to having had a baby, but I’m still holding onto them for some weird reason), a super heavy duty insulated jacket, and my most well used and worn piece- a lightly insulated chore jacket. It’s been worn so much that it’s faded in the sun. All date back to the 90s in the Canadian prairies and I haven’t come close to wearing any of them out. They make solid gear and it stands up to barbed wire fences and other farm related activities as well as an environmental consulting job. I had to stop wearing some of them at work only because they weren’t fire rated which was required for some of them worksites I visited on the regular.
I now live in the inner city and still wear my sun faded chore jacket. I don’t care what people think about it and it’s apparent that this jacket has been worn a ton just by looking at it.
I do enjoy the fact that the more you wear their heavy duty fabric pieces, the softer they get.
Fun piece! And it's great to see another X100T still getting used out there in the wild. It took time for me to make friends with mine, and I've been tempted to upgrade....but I shall resist!
Enjoyed the piece—thanks. Always good to see something durable and reliable praised. I do struggle with the concept of ‘deserving’ to wear something that is functional. But I’ve always been a fan of function over form, and appreciate when both align. Telegraphing values and labeling based on the most arbitrary of measures while overlooking some of the most important attributes seems to be at the root of our recent problems.
An observation of the ubiquity of the Stars & Stripes in Dearborn and southeastern Michigan; Dearborn has the largest Arab-American population of any city in the United States, and the largest mosque in the country. It's heartening to know that these Michiganders display their pride in being part of the broader American experience.
Maybe.
Or maybe they're playing defense.
Fun read, thank you. I'm a mostly-suburbanite who spends 5 or 6 weeks a yr in my Carhartt on a ranch. Their basic jacket is a multi-tool...barb wire will not ruin it, use a sleeve as a mitten for bbq or fires, throw down as a picnic blanket, carry a hurt dog (small dog), wrap cold water bottles as insulation, a safety damper on tow/snatch line, use on a dusty road to get under the atv or truck. It is lousy in biting cold wind (I don't have the insulated version), that is where a hoody under a Carhartt jacket is the perfect combo.
Great read! I was struck with the symbolism of the American flags around Dearborn and the critique of cosplaying hipsters in workwear. Both feel like larger symbols of the evolution of Carhartt. Once a proud American brand, serving the American worker, now offshoring the majority of its production while still proudly and unironically waving the American flag. Just as white collar workers dress up as “real workers” so too does Carhartt dress up as what people think it is but hasn’t been for a few decades. Their stuff is still durable, but it’s also increasingly made in China, Bangladesh, and other overseas markets, with only a few key products still manufactured in the US.
As far as white collar workers dressing up as real workers… if you aren’t a capital owner, the capital owners see you as a worker. Blue collar and white collar solidarity is important, we are all collectively exploited by the owning class
Well said and excellent point!
Thanks! I thought your point about manufacturing moving overseas is pretty good.
Fascinating! My dog wears a Carhartt collar and harness and it is the only brand I trust and actually like the look of.
Some of us “bicoastal elites” earned our Carhartts the old-fashioned way. I put in seven years of construction work while taking community college classes at night and three years working as a building engineer at the university as an undergrad all prior to earning coastal elite status that automatically comes with a PhD. I will always see myself as a “regular Joe” who just happened to work their ass off to become a scientist. I still wear my Carhartt jacket.
Great sense of humour too 😹
Period!!
“..but even she’s still figuring out what it means to wear workwear in our modern wimpy society.” Love this line
I live in an area with a lot of ranchers and see many varieties of Carhartt worn all the time. I didn’t realize the history; thanks for the piece!
This was a beautiful read. I've been wearing insulated Carhartt coveralls as a Canadian framing carpenter since the 90's. They have became a part of who I am. I've only ever purchased two of these coveralls in my entire life, both the exact same colour and design. The only reason I bought the second pair was because somebody accidentally threw the first pair out when I moved from my rented townhouse into our first purchased home, that I bought with my wife. The first pair was worn (and tattered even, in places) and it showed a couple decades of honest work; and the second pair hasn't been broken in as well, even after 15 years. And I love my new pair, but I miss my old coveralls. They might have lasted a lifetime.
I started my career as a Framer when I was a philosophy major in university, because I wanted to get over my fear of heights. I saw some guys walking around on a roof and realized that waiting to get over my fear of heights wasn't something that would ever work, but if I could do that job, I could conquer the fear. And it worked.
And as a philosophy major turned framer, I'm both surprised and jealous that there is a person out there whose entire job is to keep the archives for Carhartt. That is indeed a dream job.
I’ve always worn Carhartt jackets and overalls for their overall comfort and durability. They’ve also proven to be excellent protection from jobsite and woodland mishaps. My biggest problem has been keeping family members from borrowing my jackets and never returning them. I guess that speaks to the popularity of Carhartt in my family.
I took away so much from this! My partner's casual shirts are almost entirely Carhartt, partially because Action Bronson wore them on his foodie Vice TV show. We're in Minnesota, so Carhartt doesn't feel off limits, but my partner is also an avid outdoorsman - fishing, foraging, etc. (so it's legit???). I've even bought (from their store in the Mall of America!!) a very similar Carhartt shirt to one of his favorites, much to his chagrin. :)
But I think at least partially because of the Carhartt boom, he's moved on to Filson, a similar legacy workwear brand...but way more expensive. Like, do workers actually buy that stuff to work in? We're watching the Ryan Murphy Ed Gein Monster show on Netflix right now and my partner is commenting on how farmer psycho Ed Gein is wearing Filson in early 1950s Wisconsin. No idea what that will do to the brand!
Also, THEY MAKE BABY/TODDLER CLOTHES. Talk about people not working in their Carhartt (hopefully). I bought cargo pants for my very rural nephew. https://www.carhartt.com/c/youth-boy
I have several well loved Carhartt outdoor pieces, overalls (which don’t fit anymore due to having had a baby, but I’m still holding onto them for some weird reason), a super heavy duty insulated jacket, and my most well used and worn piece- a lightly insulated chore jacket. It’s been worn so much that it’s faded in the sun. All date back to the 90s in the Canadian prairies and I haven’t come close to wearing any of them out. They make solid gear and it stands up to barbed wire fences and other farm related activities as well as an environmental consulting job. I had to stop wearing some of them at work only because they weren’t fire rated which was required for some of them worksites I visited on the regular.
I now live in the inner city and still wear my sun faded chore jacket. I don’t care what people think about it and it’s apparent that this jacket has been worn a ton just by looking at it.
I do enjoy the fact that the more you wear their heavy duty fabric pieces, the softer they get.
Thanks for the history lesson
Fun piece! And it's great to see another X100T still getting used out there in the wild. It took time for me to make friends with mine, and I've been tempted to upgrade....but I shall resist!
They make some great wines also.
https://www.carharttfamilywines.com
get OUT
Enjoyed the piece—thanks. Always good to see something durable and reliable praised. I do struggle with the concept of ‘deserving’ to wear something that is functional. But I’ve always been a fan of function over form, and appreciate when both align. Telegraphing values and labeling based on the most arbitrary of measures while overlooking some of the most important attributes seems to be at the root of our recent problems.
Typo found: “Junya Wantanabe” should be “Junya Watanabe”
I've been to that Coastal many times, to buy work wear (including Carhartt) for when I visit my cousins' farm near Veneda... Nice piece, thanks.