From an ordinary worker to the "overcoming-the-odds champion" of street fashion brands
Carhartt was founded in 1889 in Michigan. Its founder, Hamilton Carhartt, initially produced handmade clothing: durable jackets, work pants, and suspenders. The brand was known for its durability and longevity, targeting railway workers, construction workers, and farm workers.
Over the course of a century, Carhartt became a staple for the American working class. It relied on word-of-mouth promotion and rarely did advertising. In the 1980s and 1990s, as street culture emerged, skateboarders and hip-hop youth discovered that Carhartt workwear was durable, loose-fitting, and stylish. They began to wear it voluntarily, transforming it from a work uniform into a street fashion brand.
Curiosity: Carhartt has a famous tradition - lifetime warranty: as long as it's not intentionally damaged by the user, it can be repaired or replaced for free. This has remained unchanged for a century and is known as "the Rolls-Royce of workwear." In 1994, a subsidiary brand, Carhartt WIP (Work In Progress), was launched, specializing in fashion-modified products and entering the global trend market. It became a faith brand for skateboarders, streetwear enthusiasts, and workers who love workwear. Today, the main line still consists of hardcore workwear ($80–150), while WIP focuses on fashion (starting at $100–200), balancing the needs of workers and trendsetters, and is a living fossil of American workwear culture.