How A $16 Hat Made Carhartt A Billion-Dollar Brand
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- Опубликовано: 9 фев 2025
- Carhartt has been the unofficial uniform of America’s blue-collar workforce since 1889. The Detroit brand cut its teeth outfitting railroad workers with bib overalls before expanding its offerings for laborers from farmers to carpenters and construction workers. Once the hip-hop community adopted the workwear style, Carhartt became a pop culture icon.
Today, it's almost impossible to walk around any major city from New York to Los Angles, from Tokyo to London, without seeing Carhartt jackets, Carhartt beanies, and Carhartt pants. The beanie is actually called the Carhartt watch cap and it's by far its most popular product with Carhartt selling about 4 million of them a year. A wide range of celebrities from Jamie Foxx and Kanye West o Rihanna, Bella Hadid and Drake all wear Carhartt gear.
The company says it has never sought out that kind of attention. In fact, fast fashion and the fleeting exposure that comes with it are anathema to its mantra: outworking the mall since 1889.
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How A $16 Hat Made Carhartt A Billion-Dollar Brand
My dad’s a carpenter and I’m an electrician. I’ve never known Carhatt was a urban fashion thing, we’ve always just wore it because it’s tough and reliable.
Same. All the guys back in Illinois wore CArhartt. I still ..1990 present day & beyond. Even tho I’m getting out of welding going into truck driving. I still will wear CArhartt I hate how it’s on Instagram like yuppies wearing it? I think as time goes on CArhartt will be more like Abercrombie? I better be dead 💀 if this happens..
I used to run a scrap metal demo business in the country. On weekdays I wore regular Carhartt at work. On weekends when I went to shows and bars in the city id wear WIP. Both are comfortable and function well and still look good.
i remember reading it took off as a street fashion brand in the UK
@@AwkwardYet In the UK I only know it as a high street brand. After reading comments on here, that’s crazy and ignorant of me!
because there's 2: Carhartt (USA) workwear and Carhartt WIP (Germany) "streewear"
They make quality clothes, that's why they're successful, I have some things from 10 years ago still holding up perfect. Can't say that about other work brands like dickies.
That's it, quality, good stitching, good cotton, comfortable, warm, durable and pragmatic. It's a simple formula. Too bad more manufacturers can't do it.
Try *LLBean. They literally stand behind their items for life*
This. Been buying carhartt for best part of 20 years
@@KaneneProductions uhh.. should someone tell him?
My dad bought a jacket and outgrew it, gave it to my mom, she wore it for years and broke it in a little far, I took it and now i wear it. Its a 20 year old jacket and it looks it, but it still works.
Cosplaying the working class
blue collar stolen valor
Lol exactly...
Facts
Looks like the Crunchyroll branding. Wut
@@dontstopn0w that made me chuckle
I just like being able to get all my clothes at a hardware store.
Ron Swanson?
@@OatPancake 😂😂😂😂😂
Mccoy's is for you
I like how most legacy brands went really big once the "Hip Pop" community started adopting them.
I’m a lifelong Montana resident. I’ve always owned carhartt gear for the cold, also for hunting, fishing, etc. I love it and it’s kinda sad that some people think of it only as an urban, rugged style piece
they arent successful because of some stupid hat. They are successful for their line of quality work clothes.
There’s product then there’s marketing. They go hand in hand
roasts a carhartt piece then states that carhartt has "quality work clothes" lmfao.
@@evanzau3905 the hat is a generic stocking cap and not what made them a successful brand
Look at the label, and please tell me where the item is now made ?
@@mercedbread9045 Carhartt gained widespread popularity precisely because they didn't market to anyone but the working class. That they have now begun to embrace a broader audience is a mistake.
That is the best way to run any business. Provide a quality product for a fair price and people will buy it.
Except teens and early 20 some things who will refuse to wear what is widely available to the general public.
On the farm, we wear them for their toughness and warmth like when we have to feed hogs when its negative 20. Never would have imagined the brand to be a fashion statement. Oh well
Same here in Montana. My in laws come from LA and buy a bunch and take it to California and act like it’s a fashion thing. We wear them for hunting, working outside and to get dirty because they are tough, durable and warm.
Carhartt was great for us East coast guys. Tough, durable and affordable.
I've got half the Carhartt catalog up her in Alaska. I don't actually own any other brand. It's tough
@@jake10373 You are their target market, and a lifetime buyer. As trends come and go, you're the one keeping the lights on
@@iunderstanphotography2780 good point, you're totally right!
They're popular because of the quality.
@Harshit Kapoor i have the highest respect for you sir, keep your head up
Basically, hipster transplants “discovering” what the working class and hood been wearing for years. Same thing with Champion.
call me a hippie again get slapped up
@@Luke-kp1px That’s impossible, nobody knows you
levis > carhartt
@@Luke-kp1px hippie and hipster aint the same bruh lol
@@Luke-kp1px someone's butthurt
I’ve grown up in the southern US, where seeing someone wear carhartt, to me, always signified that person had a strong work ethic, or valued being associated with people who valued strong work ethic. I like their clothes. I have a blue collar job, and just bought myself some carhartt caps because I felt proud of my work and what I’ve built in my business. I don’t know much about how it’s progressed within greater society or fashion, but I hope they keep doing what they’ve been doing.
1 year later.....only socialists wear Carhartt.
There WIP part of their business is massive in Europe and in the UK it’s seen as trendy and that you hail spend money on clothes that last, have style and last 10 times longer than most other clothes.
It's so weird to see carhartt clothing as something fashionable. To me they're just durable work clothes and would probably keep men warm in freezing Illinois winters
Similar to timberland and crocs I suppose. Both had somewhat humble products that became fashionable and popular amongst a very different market segment.
Illinois aint even cold.
Hi I'm from europe - I grew up in the 90s thinking carhartt would be a skate-brand, cause I only got to see it in skatemags, parks etc... one day I watched The Horse Whisperer with my family and Robert Redford wore a carhartt-jacket and I was blown away - what a cool guy repin a skatebrand I thought hahaha
check out Carhartt WIP, their fashion-forward line
@@darkness4382 bro..... have to been to Northern Illinois and Chicago
Carhartt makes solid clothes. Period.
I like how most legacy brands went really big once the "Hip Pop" community started adopting them.
*Yup, Timbs and Carhartt the best examples. Sadly too many black people keep buying and wearing stuff from companies that don't even want black people wearing their stuff rather than going and supporting their own. I'm not black but i got a carhartt watch hat cuz i saw A$AP Rocky wear it lol, hiphop has so much influence, sadly too many of them all about making someone else richer (Gucci, LV, dior, etc) instead of their people*
@@lavarball1543 *have you tweeted this to these Black people or entertainers like A$Ap?* Maybe they'll listen to you.
@@lavarball1543 we had stuff like fubu, Sean john, karl kani, but the quality doesn't compare to stuff like carhartt. Maybe it's about the prestige of carhartt being around so long too its iconic. Ultimately I guess we should just support black businesses better idk.
@@fate7623 Its not about the quality, most of those brands where trendy for the times but once ppl felt it was uncool, they went on to the next thing.
@@lavarball1543 does it matter their color of skin? They can wear what they want
Carhartt was founded by Hamilton Carhartt in 1889 in Dearborn, Michigan, to make work clothing for manual laborers. The company started with two sewing machines and five workers.
So who is telling the truth?
this is exactly what wikipedia says
Ok
Honestly I was die hard carhartt fan. I started wearing wearing it as a work gear. And I was super excited when you saw my favorite artists start wearing the brand. I own a pocket tee from 92 that still holds up. I purchased 4 pocket tee in the last couple of months and the pockets are coming apart? Im not even using them for work, just fashion and they are falling apart!?! Im disappointed on so many levels.
What I love about carhartt’s clothing style is that it can be used for work wear or even street wear and it looks good in both fields in my honest opinion
Carhartt in 2022: Blue Collar Hipsters
I have a few carhartt items...a flannel, a hoodie, and a winter hat (not that one). While they were a bit on the pricey side, you get what you pay for. They're durable, comfortable, and functional. I hope they keep expanding their women's wear.
Carhartt is straight quality. Especially in the Canadian winters they work well
I can honestly say that their insulated overalls have been the same price for 25yrs. $120
They are great quality items.
I have 2 pairs
I absolutely love this brand. I decided to invest in one of their jackets as I live in Scotland and my god it gets cold and wet here during the winter. The jacket was one of the best purchases. Expensive but so worth it. If their stuff was a bit cheaper I'd honestly only own carhartt wip clothes.
which one cos its dang here cold to in my country i hate the crop jacket
i loved the carhartt wip decker
@@therandomsound4222 the carhartt nimbus jacket man! I pretty much live in it when it's winter here and my god it's incredible. They sell two versions, a summer version and a winter version. Obviously you'll want the winter one
@@therandomsound4222 that is a bit too long for me but it's my girlfriends type of vibe!
@@OmarOmarOmar thanks🙏 😊 ill check them out now cos im really confused what to get
I had no idea that Carhartt made workwear before I saw their clothing catalog in early 2000s. Before that I had only seen the brand in skateboarding and streetwear stores here in Finland. I think I bought my first Carhartt clothes in late 90s as a teenager/young adult and loved the brand ever since.
because there's 2: Carhartt (USA) workwear and Carhartt WIP (Germany) "streewear"
I love how teenage girls wear the toque/beanie of theirs.. as a 13 year old, I do wear carhartt but that’s because based off my Dad wearing this line of clothing and knowing how durable and I guess warm it keeps you on crispy mornings mainly up here in Canada.
Do note my Dad works in all elements outside
I started to only wear carhartt. My sweatshirts, jacket, hats, and more. I love the price for durability. Also whenever there is a couple feet of snow and I have to tend to the chickens it keeps me warm.
*Your brand is not what you sell*
It's what other people say about you 🙌🙌🙌
Click bait title. They are success due to the quality of the clothes they produce.
Hip Hop has made so many brands into Billion Dollar brands, everybody eats off hip hop except the innovators themselves. One day maybe they’ll learn to own it and embrace that they create culture smh
Who do you mean when you say “they”?
@@Kdogg1030 Black people.
Kanye is doing this
@@trvcxi we wuz?
@@ArturoGarzaID but that's not what happened with Champion? Before they were just a Walmart brand...
Use to wear levi jeans for everyday clothes and keep carhartt for work but the past 5 years carhartt been part of my wardrobe for work and play.
Lost respect for Carhartt when I learned they will not put in the effort to ship out of the lower 48! A whole lot of Working Americans in Hawaii, Alsaska, Guam and PR!
Carhartt WIP, the second streetwear brand, has been created in Europe. In Europe, Carhartt is definitely a streetwear brand. I'm sure that really few people in Europe know the American origins of the brand in working wear.
And funny, the streetwear brand Carhartt WIP is opening more and more shops in the USA taking over the roots of Carhartt.
Carhartt has been a staple in workwear but its regain its spot back in "streetwear" like it once did in the 90s. Especially in NY where fall/winter you just gotta have a carhartt piece to go with your outfit. I would steal my pops carhartt gear every chance I got cause he works for nyc transit lol.
Blue collar working man here, wear a lot of carhartt, it’s good stuff for sure!!
I remember going to the US from Europe for a vacation in about 2001. Ended up at some college kids party. I was dressed head toe in Carhartt (except for my trainers). They were laughing saying I was dressed for work. Not in Europe I wasn't. Everyone was dressing in Carhartt decades ago.
I just convinced my wife to return both hers and the baby’s carrhart beanie as we boycott
I was really into streetwear brands 3 or 4 years ago, until I landed a job and became journeyman welder, when I started the job, I bought a Carhartt hoodie and a Duck Bib, that's when I realized that Carhartt has way better quality than these "Quality streetwear" brands that cost almost double.
That’s was a # 1 brand in Chicago in the 90s am early to mid 2000s. You still cannot go wrong with a carhartt
Carhartt has been very popular as street wear in europe since I was a kid. Was surprised it didn’t have the same appeal when first visiting the US
What country in Europe?....Eastern?
Carhartt with Wearing Timberland Boot...The perfect Fall/Winter Season Gear!
Caterpillars!
I grew up in the country and have worn carhartt for years because it's warm, waterproof, affordable, and lasts a long time. So I'll be steering clear of WIP.
Everyone wants to wear Carhartt but don’t wanna do Carhartt things
It's funny that they made the WIP line to be more 'fashionable' and yet their original Carhartt line looks and fits way better. Also it's cheaper and is made from much higher quality materials.
Good workclothes that are (amazingly) sill made and appreciated in the US. One of a kind.
They represent their brand well, trends come n go but brand reliability is longevity
Mike Adams: they should be renamed to Miocardheart
I have a Carhartt winter jacket, I think it's the best jacket I have ever bought. It's well made and warm .
They're gonna be a million dollar brand if they survive at all. This finish carpenter says bye-bye Carhartt, hello Dickies, Duluth...
Don't forget. The whole crew of This Old House rocks Carhartt. Actually, everyone in Boston that hangs out in front of a dunkin donuts too.
"We don't chase that"
Meanwhile have a line (Carhartt WIP) that caters to that 🤔
carhartt wip is like a sister brand and made by different designers and in other factories and essentially operates on their own
' "Carhartt fan" has never worked outside a day in his life. '
there's a connection that a customer can make with the product of a founder-owned business/company that makes them more likely to last long and be successful.
Aside from WIP, people who wear it for fashion also thrift Carhartt. There’s just something cool about workwear and military clothing. And fast fashion brands also look at what’s trending among people, so they are also producing clothing inspired by them as well. Sometimes people want the real thing either for quality or name.
I personally love cargo pants, camo, earth tones, and neutrals. I don’t like cheap feeling and looking pants and jeans that aren’t going to last or hold shape. NYC has always loved skullies (beanies/skull caps), Carhartt makes nice thick warm ones that serve great for our winter weather and they come in so many nice colors.
I literally was thinking about buying carhartt today and now i see this video
This company fired hard working American employees who refused to partake in a medical experiment. Lifetime customer to lifetime Boycott. Spread the word.
I am a blue collar mechanic but live in the burbs. I drive nice BMW cars and dress white collar on my days off. During the work week I wear nothing but Carhartt. It’s been a status symbol of Blue collar workers for years. All of my friends are white collar. I went camping last summer and almost everyone wore Carhartt. I laughed at them. I told them to go put back on their slacks and polos. It’s funny there are two tiers of Carhartt for blue collar folks. One pair you wear at work and doing labor work. The other pair is for going out in town and looking nice. I have people ask why I am wearing my good Carhartt to work lol. I wear my seven jeans and a nice button down on the weekends. I am just an odd ball. In the 80s and 90s usually people from the country or certain trades would wear them. They were actually expensive for a lot of people. In the early 00s is when a lot of blue collar workers and common people started to wear their clothes.
so you only wear Levi's at work, they started out as pants for Miners.
I used to see Carhartt in the Army/Navy stores. It was tough, durable, just the kind of clothes you needed in the 90s, in college, catching the bus in the snow, wind and rain. Utilitarian clothing at its best. You knew if I kept construction workers warm on the job, you could trust it. Your favorite rapper wearing it was just icing on the cake.
I love that Carhartt stayed true to the original vision and functionality of their clothes, while NOT disrespecting the black community who gave them more visibility outside of the work clothes genre.
Being originally from Detroit Carharrt is the standard. Both grandfathers wore Carharrt and great grandfathers. On the West Coast in LA the standard is Dickies. Carharrt and Dickies has been street attire ever since I can remember back into the 70's. I probably have over 25 different items from carharrt as I'm typing this. The main reason is that I support "made in america" brands . It's as simple as that for me.
I still remember my first carhartt jacket that my dad got me. Lasted my entire childhood basically.
i love carhartt because its quality and because of my dad
Bleep ur dad n****
Im a big fan of Carhartt from Philippines 🇵🇭
I always thought it was the crunchy roll logo lmao
Once it became a fashion statement I stopped wearing Carhartt
way to trivialize over a century of quality. Carhartt has been ubiquitous in working America forever.
They should stick to making clothes, their boots are P'sOS.
Lala.om poo llL
Olal.wlsalwllw
LE
Lslsal0w0 mo moo W a ml one ml o mo paa ml o, mk ok9lom mk, Mk I, we oz#9,9)a
Double H
For boots Double H, carhart for a jacket and work shirts ,
Levi’s for jeans
Absolutly Correct , Their Boots Are 2 Worthless Turds ! Watch The Video Of The Guy That Cuts Them Open !
@@joewayne9951 triple H
I have never related to Carhartt myself because to me it was a construction site low-income wroker type of outfit
And they just destroyed their company by pandering to people who don't even buy their product.
Just hope they continue to offer quality over marketing to hip-hop promotion
Wearing workwear but you don’t do work, seems about right.
Expensive workwear as well😂
Me starting the video: “What is carhartt? An ugly beanie?”
Me 5 min later: “I want to be a hipster too”
@Camaro 1968 I came into the video thinking only white people usually wore this stuff, not to sound racist or ignorant. But I had no idea it was connected to hip hop culture in any way. Interesting..
Cosplaying a hardworking man is easy
My grandfather wore nothing but Carhartt when he mined coal for a living and came home and worked on his farm.
The non-working class people that wear Carhartt are people that don't do any real work but want to get the respect of someone who does.
Whelp, this was a great advertisement
I'm going to go search them up now 🤣✌
It’s all about branding
Branding is only good, if its a good product. Why is Apple and Mercedes some of the most popular brands? They make a good product.
“Your brand is not what you sell.” - John Iwata
Not very true in this case. The motif was they always made high quality and durable products, and consumers evolved with it.
Carhartt makes quality and tasteful clothes that’s why they are successful
I never fancied Carhartt but once I wore a bib that let me warm, I was sold.
I'm a huge fan of Carhartt!
I love it so much that I bought a Carhartt baby suit for my niece as a christmas gift.
Ads are getting subtler
Comfortable, durable clothing is the type of fashion I like.
I live in Portland and we’re constantly laughing at the yuppies that looks like they came off the construction site... but didn’t work.
When I see carhartt gear is pristine I want to roll that person through the dirt.
@@donm2067 funny thing is they’ll get rid of the jacket when it’s a little worn, I pick them up at Goodwill and resell them.
There's 2: Carhartt (USA) workwear and Carhartt WIP (Germany)
@@andre15391 yeah, I know. Carhartt WIP is kinda ridiculous.
I bought one today and learnt it was a trend about 30 minutes after
And that’s how the quality goes down It’s not like it used to be. All their clothing. The quality has slipped.
But it didn’t just recently slip it slipped like 15 years ago and has remained the same. I used to wear their coveralls hunting when I was a kid those were of impressive quality.
Me: lives in london
Also me: never even heard or seen this brand XD
Probably cause I shop at primark
Well I live in London too and I've known about Carharrt from the 1980's. NWA used to wear Carhartt
@@tonytuffers I listened to nwa but I've never looked up a picture of them sorry
Is Primark like H&M? We don't have Primark in the west coast of the USA. So what are good English/UK working class brands?
@@alexresendiz9201 yeah, Primark is like H&M...cannot answer your other question tho, sorry.
#boycottcarhartt. No mandates
also how the decline of their pant quality is very relevant.
YES! and offering a work legging? Like is that material really gonna save my knees harvesting?
@@phishlipsable get sugar cain Jean's or wilson tin.
@@phishlipsable I get on real well with the leggings. There great for me because because loose fabric is a big entrapment risk in my line of work and most normal work trousers sit too loose and get caught. I was delighted when I first saw them, I wear them all the time. I'm a stagebuilder, rope tech and sometimes general labourer. My biggest complaint with them is that they don't have pockets for knee pads. They definately have there place!
@@LamentfulMiss13 well you may have convinced me otherwise! It would be unfair for me to speak across the board, and I am glad there is someone to challenge what I said. Bulky pant legs even at the “skinny” width could be harmful. Glad you’ve found a uniform that serves you. Thank you for your insights!
Yea i bought a set last week and a week in my iphone left a phone print and the pants are ripping at the corner of where the phone usually lays in the pocket. Pretty disappointed for $50 and a name such as theirs. I’ll probably have holes in the knees soon
I work on a cargo ship and all you see is carhartt shirts, hats, gloves, bibs, jackets, boots, etc. the fashion people are making it hard to get for the people that use it for work
I had to watch this for a Intro to business class.
they chase it with product placement in every movie.
Some of the most durable and reliable clothes i ever owned are charhartt, i love this brand.
Carhartt is for working people, not a fashion statement
cosme J.a well it is
@@Adetokunbo03 you’re probably one of those people
I like how the company forces dangerous treatments on its employees. That’s really great.
Seeing Carhartt as "fashion" has been really weird especially since all i ever wear my pieces for is when I'm out doing ecological field work because i need stuff that is durable.
Same thing when Tevas had their "high fashion" moment.
The trick to finding really good stuff is to find stores that buy out high end, top notch stores and sell the garb reduced by 50 - 90 percent. Yes, they're hard to find but the hint is that they're only open 3 days a week. If you find one of these stores, you've hit pay dirt!! Should you ever see a store named BARNEYS, open 3 days a week, you just found a gold mine.
When I first saw these, I thought it was a crunchyroll merch or something like that lol
I’m here in Miami thinking this was a startup 🤣
Carhartt are way too overpriced in Australia to be considered "Working Class Clothing"
Too be fair you’re halfway cross the world
Australia must be a third world country. Stay in your lanes, poor people.
They make good quality, lasting scrubs, never thought about the brand until I needed it for work.
Really like your videos!
This BRAND Need to be supplied Down here in SOUTH AFRICA.
Carhartt is trending big time in sweden. Sweden is a trendsetter so It will be trendy in other countrys in a year
All the clothes I wear, to avoid being ‘trendy’, they end up getting ‘fashionable’. As soon as college girls on Instagram find a brand, I stop wearing it. Reebok classics, gone, carhartt, gone. It’s annoying.
if you like them, who cares? seems like such a superficial reason to stop wearing clothes you like
@@robert4155 Because quite frankly I don’t want to have to pay double for clothes that have suddenly become ‘trendy’.