Carhartt’s Transition from Work to Fashion
By William Reed
Carhartt, in recent years, has quickly woven its way into Middlebury everyday fashion. It’s everywhere; the etched yellow logo lives on popular overalls, pants, and t-shirts and has been the star of casual outfits worn all year round by students and faculty alike.
With its recent popularity in casual fashion trends, Carhartt has gone through a drastic branding transition from working-class, practical clothing to a contemporary, chic look.
Carhartt was founded in 1889 to make work clothing for manual laborers. The company's primary growth revolved around railroad workers' need for strong and long-lasting work clothes (1). Made of durable material, Carhartt is notable for its resistance to water and flame, perfect for physically challenging and dangerous working conditions. Carhartt became extremely popular amongst America’s workers, beginning when the company was founded up until today. But, the glamorization of its look has been adopted by many in popular culture, ultimately leading to teenage and young adult usurpation of the clothing brand in day to day casual fashion.
Why have brands that used to be solely worn for labor become fashionable and common in more recent years? Brands like Carhartt and Dickies have been reinvented in their form: from blue collar bodies working in construction and farming, their uniform has migrated onto young, fashionable ones. Consumers around the country, as seen throughout Middlebury, flock to Carhartt’s overalls and oversized canvas winter coats.
I myself own a pair of grey Carhartt pants that I wear multiple times a week. I also own a pair of black Dickies pants that I wear on fancier occasions, which can be immediately seen to juxtapose the style and usage the pants were origiganlly branded for. Personally, I like to wear brands like Carhartt because I think the neutrality of their clothing allows for a rugged, relaxed look, which I can incorporate into my outfits on most days.
Junior feb Vaughan Supple repeatedly rocks an old blueish green Carhartt jacket he uncovered in the basement of his Massachusetts home. He notes that, “I love how Carhartt balances style with quality — much of the gear I own is inherited from my dad, whose job as a contractor required durable threads that could double as casual wear too.”
Most students at Middlebury who wear Carhartt clothing during the school year are not participating in every day manual labor around campus. It’s interesting to see the repetition of brands that generally are intended for the working class in fashion at a wealthy institution such as Middlebury. What does the manifestation of working class clothing in ultramodern fashion mean? In addition to just looking good, it reminds us of the transitions many forms of clothing make throughout their years of existence.
https://www.carhartt.com/carhartt-history