You know Carhartt. The classic Detroit clothier was founded in 1889 when Hamilton Carhartt established Hamilton Carhartt & Company with plans to manufacture bib overalls for railroad workers. “Honest value for an honest dollar” was the company’s original slogan.
Products in the Guide
History of Cahartt WIP
By 1910, the operation expanded into several states (South Carolina, Georgia, Texas, and California) and three different countries (France, Canada, and the UK). Through WWI and WWII Carhartt produced uniforms and other essentials for US servicemen, but the stock market collapse in between (in 1929) nearly put the company out of business. Simultaneously, some of its most popular products were hitting their stride: the Chore Coat, first advertised in 1917, was increasingly commonplace.
Fast forward to 1974, orders placed for workers building the Alaskan Pipeline were a lifeline. A year later, Carhartt was doing private label work for big box stores like Sears and J.C. Penney. The Active Jac, Carhartt’s top-selling product today, although the beanie is gaining fast, launched soon thereafter. Through the ’80s, Carhartt became an attractive option for all types of blue collar workers. Then, as workwear slowly seeped into fashion circles, celebrities, musicians and other entertainers, even models, started wearing Carhartt, too.
By 1989, the brand had crossed the pond. Arriving in Europe via Swiss designer Edwin Faeh, Carhartt became an instant success at his store, All American Concept. In 1994, he acquired the exclusive rights to sell Carhartt in Europe under a new label, Work In Progress (WIP). Two years later, he purchased the rights to producing Carhartt products outside of the US, thus cementing his status as the official European offshoot of the U.S.-born company: Carhartt Work In Progress (WIP). But what is the difference between Carhartt and Carhartt WIP? Is one just made in Europe?
