Why Is Carhartt So Popular? (Top 10 Reasons)

 

Carhartt is an outerwear company that focuses on providing the perfect product for the working class.

These high-quality products come with a steep price, but many of their consumers believe that what you get is well worth the price.

Like many previous fashion trends, Carhartt is coming back into fashion in a massive way.

After multiple celebrities have been spotted proudly sporting the brand, Carhartt has found a new wave of fans.

 

Why Is Carhartt So Popular? (Top 10 Reasons)

 

Carhartt has been able to become so popular thanks to more than a century of giving customers the long-lasting products that they need to stay warm and get their jobs done well.

Although their clothing may be a bit more expensive than other brands, Carhartt has been most proud of being worn by the everyday, hardworking American.

This Detroit-based company has become popular across the world, especially in countries like Japan.

These days, fashion-focused consumers are boldly wearing the brand as a form of streetwear.

The timeless designs that Carhartt creates have allowed them to fit a variety of lifestyles and appeal to even more consumers over the decades.

Parents are impressed by the long-lasting quality that allows them to pass their Carhartt products on to their children.

From rappers to cold-climate hunters, Carhartt has created a line of products that are neutral enough to appeal to every type of consumer.

They also ensure that they have sizes large enough to fit a wide variety of body types.

 

1. Durable Products

 

Carhartt is best known as one of the most durable clothing companies on the market, which is all thanks to its Rugged Flex stretch technology.

Although the outer material may feel rough or rugged to the touch, it can bend with ease and makes its products more comfortable to wear.

Rugged Flex is made with a material that is combined with spandex in areas where the material will need more flexibility.

Carhartt wanted to make clothing that was comfortable to work in and to ensure that consumers could move, kneel, squat, bend, or reach for things with ease.

Carhartt knew that some jobs are dirty, and workers still need to be presentable, so they made the material incredibly easy to clean or dry.

The company also makes water-resistant products to keep outdoor workers dry during rainy workdays.

If you’ve had a Carhartt product for a long time, you will be able to send it to the company to repair things such as broken zippers, missing buttons, and torn straps.

Carhartt looks to ensure that your products are used for a long time and do not end up in landfills.

Although Carhartt can repair some problems that may occur in older products, they are unable to repair things like rainwear, flame-resistant clothing, gloves, footwear, bags, belts, wallets, tool belts, pet gear, socks, underwear, scrubs, base-layers, suspenders, and protective eyewear.

They are also unable to reweave worn fabric or fix back pocket blowouts.

 

2. Large Range Of Sizes

CarharttMenLoose Fit Midweight Logo Sleeve Graphic SweatshirtBlackXX-Large 

 

Carhartt understands the difficulty that larger people may have when trying to find clothing that actually fits, so they have a large variety of sizes for both their Men’s and Women’s collections.

Although those who are smaller or more slender may find the coats to have a bulkier fit than other clothing, they’re perfect people who enjoy having a little extra room in their clothing.

For women, Carhartt carries sizes extra-small (XS) to triple-extra-large (3X).

An extra-small best fits those are normally a size 0 to size 2, while a triple-extra-large best fits someone who wears a size 24 to size 26.

For men, Carhartt carries sizes small to sextuple-extra-large (6XL).

A small has a chest size of 34 inches to 36 inches with a waist size of 28 inches to 30 inches and a hip size of 34 inches to 36 inches.

Meanwhile, a 6XL has a chest size of 66 inches to 68 inches, a waist size of 60 inches to 62 inches, and a hip size of 66 inches to 68 inches.

Those who want their coat to go below their hips will want a larger size.

When purchasing the brand’s clothing, Carhartt recommends that you choose the size that best fits the largest part of your body.

Those looking for a slimmer fit or those who are in-between sizes will want to size down.

 

3. Quality That’s Worth The Price

 

Those who want to get their own Carhartt jacket or pair of pants will find themselves spending around and over $100.

Although these clothes are meant to be for the working class, their high level of quality comes with a premium price tag.

Carhartt promises to make a product that meets the consumer’s expectations and does everything in its power to make things right when problems occur.

You may be spending more on a Carhartt coat, but the lifespan of that product is going to be much higher than a work coat you picked up for $50.

When purchasing clothing, you should consider how many times you’re going to wear a product.

A Carhartt coat may initially cost you $140, but you’ll be able to wear that same coat for the next 15 years at least.

Those who live in colder climates often find that things such as ice melt will ruin your winter coat over the years.

Having something as warm, durable, and long-lasting as a Carhartt coat ensures that you don’t have to buy a new winter coat every other snowy season.

It makes more sense to spend $140 on a single coat that you’ll wear for a decade than the hundreds of dollars you’ll spend replacing cheap winter coats.

When you live in a place like Carhartt’s home state of Michigan, a good winter coat is an investment into your health and wellbeing.

 

4. Neutral Designs That Work For Everyday Activities

CarharttMenLoose Fit Heavyweight Short-Sleeve Pocket T-ShirtBlackLarge 

 

Carhartt coats aren’t trying to create designs that reflect the current fashion trends, but rather timeless pieces of clothing that look just as good whether you’re the first person wearing them or someone who inherited an old Carhartt product.

When you look at some of Carhartt’s most popular pieces like the Loose Fit Washed Duck Sherpa Lined Jacket or the Crawford Bomber, you’ll notice the single-toned fabrics they use with a slight amount of detailing done with a double-stitch outline.

Their waxed canvas gives the clothing a sturdier, less wrinkled look while also providing an easier clean and some water resistance.

The simple design makes these coats perfect for pairing with more vibrant or patterned clothing.

When looking through Carhartt products, you will rarely find productions that aren’t neutral or earth tones.

There are plenty of shades of brown, beige, gray, and black.

These shades are much easier to pair with vibrant colors or even just black or white.

They allow the consumer to look presentable without having to put too much thought into their entire outfit.

Organizations such as Habitat for Humanity have adopted Carhartt coats as part of the staff uniform for in-store employees and delivery drivers.

These coats are perfect for those who work hard in the coldest climates.

 

5. Been Around For More Than A Century

 

Hamilton Carhartt founded Hamilton Carhartt & Company in 1889, during a time when rail workers were in high demand.

While the country was expanding their cross-country transportation, “Ham” Carhartt was beginning to make overalls in a small Detroit loft.

When the company started, it only had two sewing machines and a half-horsepower electric motor.

Although his first products were market flops, Carhartt was unwilling to give up and decided to focus on market research.

He would go around to the local railroads to ask what workers needed from their clothing.

Armed with a good idea of what his consumers wanted, Hamilton Carhartt was able to return to the market with a highly-desirable product.

The Carhartt founder was dedicated to the idea that his products should have “honest value for an honest dollar” and soon became a hit across the country.

For generations, children have watched their working parents come home from work in their old, worn Carhartt jackets.

After 11 years of business, Carhartt had begun setting up production operations around the country that included mills in Georgia and South Carolina.

They also had sewing factories that were located in major cities such as Detroit, Atlanta, Dallas, and San Francisco.

Over the course of a century, Carhartt has become a multinational company with facilities in Canada, England, Mexico, Amsterdam, and France.

The company was family-run until 2013 when Linda Hubbard became the president of the company.

When it comes to the style of its clothing, not much has changed since Carhartt’s early years of business.

However, they have been able to upgrade the stretch technology that they use over the 133 years of the company’s existence.

 

6. Tasteful Branding

 

Part of what gives Carhartt products that signature look is the simplicity of the design, which is something that also plays into why people love to show off the company’s logo while wearing their products out.

Carhartt’s simple yellow logo is almost always located somewhere that is easy for onlookers to see.

The consumers can show off the fact that they can afford the brand and Carhartt can make walking billboard ads out of their consumers.

This isn’t a tactic that is limited to just this company as this trend can be seen all over the fashion world, like Supreme, Louis Vuitton, or Gucci.

Whenever you wear a brand’s design or name, you’re acting as a free advertisement.

Fashion industry branding has become the most successful way for major companies to dominate a market space.

This is when the fashion pieces begin to center themselves on whatever brand they belong to, such as the iconic white tee-shirt with a red bar that says “Supreme” on it.

Before Carhartt made its way into high-end street fashion, it dominated the workwear market space.

For more than a century, Carhartt had maintained the same branding and never felt the need to match the fashion of the time.

After years of branding themselves as the everyday man’s perfect line of products, they began to appeal to the anti-fashion movement that we’ve been seeing among celebrities.

The anti-fashion movement involves turning away from brands like Gucci or Supreme and purchasing clothing that isn’t meant to be fashionable instead.

 

7. Appeals To Multiple Styles

 

When looking at celebrities or even the characters in movies, you will see the Carhartt all over tabloids and movie screens.

A variety of stars have taken to wearing their favorite Carhartt jackets, from the latest and greatest to the ones passed down to them from other family members.

Matthew McConaughey was spotted wearing one in the science-fiction movie Interstellar.

In the 2014 film, McConaughey plays space explorer Cooper, who grew up on a ranch in the country.

The brand has also been popularized by rap culture, which is always willing to support another Detroit brand.

Kanye West is accredited for bringing them back into style recently, along with other stars like Jamie Foxx and Rihanna.

The brand seems especially popular with the men of Hollywood, who include Zayn Malik, Jonah Hill, Ben Affleck, Ryan Gosling, David Schwimmer, Jake Gyllenhaal, and Johnny Depp.

They’ve been spotted spending their free time wearing these outfits or appearing at press events wearing the brand.

When Jason Momoa released the short film Canvas of My Life, he showed off how Carhartt fit so well into his outdoorsy and free-spirited lifestyle.

Throughout the entire movie, you can see Momoa’s well-worn Carhartt wardrobe and how it allows him to have the freedom to throw axes or hike with his family.

Aside from Interstellar, Carhartt jackets have also been spotted in the Fast & Furious series on actors such as Ludacris and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.

Even Paul Rudd wore a Carhartt coat in the Christmas movie All is Bright.

 

8. Boosted By The Work Wear Trend Of The 1990s

Carhartt Men's Loose Fit Heavyweight Long-Sleeve Pocket T-Shirt, Port, REG-M 

 

The anti-fashion movement isn’t the only fashion movement to incorporate Carhartt into the everyday wardrobe.

During the 1990s, the brand was given its first taste of pop culture fame and made a name for itself within the world of rap music.

At the time, rappers like Tupac and Eazy-E were going for a hyper-masculine look to match the lyrics of their songs and the image they were creating for themselves.

The working man’s appeal of Carhartt fell into that hyper-masculine identity.

The rigid nature of the coat fabrics gave the rapper a fuller and more imposing frame, while the iconic yellow logo ensured that people knew that they had plenty of money to spend.

The massive pockets were perfect for graffiti artists because they were able to carry small cans of paint without looking questionable.

To this day, you can still spot rappers wearing this iconic brand, such as A$AP Rocky, Danny Brown, and Action Bronson.

Carhartt is especially popular among the modern hip-hop and rap scene of Detroit, where you can spot the yellow logo on people’s hats, pants, tee-shirts, and even belts.

Carhartt has a level of grit that has attracted everyone from modern cowboys to those looking to be the next rap legend.

The products only become more desirable with age.

 

9. They Have Products Made With Sustainable Materials

 

For those who are worried about their effect on the environment when purchasing clothing, Carhartt has an entire line of sustainable clothing that matches the aesthetic of its other clothing.

However, Carhartt products are able to last the consumer so long that they’ll limit the amount of clothing you end up having to recycle.

In 2019, Carhartt decided to make the switch to organic cotton for its products.

They believed that it was a necessary step to take to keep up their idea of “an honest product for an honest dollar.”

Organic cotton is much better for the environment than conventional cotton because it isn’t grown with harsh chemicals, which means that the environment near the farms isn’t taking in harmful contaminants.

It also produces 46% less CO₂e than normal cotton.

The chemicals used in growing conventional cotton are also known to cause asthma, cancer, poisonings, birth defects, and miscarriages among their workers.

With about 100 million households and 300 million people working in the cotton sector around the world, that’s putting a lot of people’s lives at risk.

Carhartt isn’t just changing its products to be more environmentally friendly, even the company’s head offices are entirely powered by green energy from the solar panels on the roofs.

The company has also begun making its packaging from 77% recycled materials and choosing water transport over air transport.

 

10. They Give Back To The Community

 

Like many other Detroit-based companies, Carhartt is all about giving back to the community and helping during troubled times.

For years, Carhartt has worked alongside One Warm Coat, a charity that gives warm clothing to the needy.

In addition to clothing that was donated by consumers and employees, Carhartt also donated some new products.

When Hurricane Harvey hit, Carhartt and One Warm Coat took their mission to Texas and Louisiana.

As a working man’s brand, Carhartt feels that they need to be able to keep those working hard to get their lives in order just as warm as paying customers.

The company has also worked with organizations such as Convoy of Hope, SkillsUSA, Future Farmers of America, National Park Foundation, Grow Detroit’s Young Talent, Team Rubicon, and plenty more.

On Labor Day for the past two years, Carhartt has donated $700,000 towards educating and training the youngest generation in the workforce.

The working man’s brand hopes to close the skilled trades gap by inspiring people to work in these fields.

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