From railroads and farms to the modern workplace. Sturdy denim, heavy canvas, bib overalls, chore coats, and work pants with more pockets than you actually need. American Workwear has a distinctive look. Behind this iconic look lies a history spanning more than a hundred years.
From railroad workers in Detroit and farmers on the Great Plains to mechanics, construction workers, and ranchers: American workwear was developed around one simple question: How do we make clothing that can handle the job?
From a land of pioneers to an industrial powerhouse
To understand the history of American workwear, we have to go back to the second half of the 19th century. The United States was changing rapidly. Railroad lines were being built, cities were growing, and factories were springing up everywhere. At the same time, millions of Americans were working on farms, ranches, in mines, and on construction sites.
The work was hard: literally. Clothing was exposed to oil, grease, mud, wood, metal, dust, and every conceivable weather condition. Workwear therefore had to be, above all, practical and extremely durable.
Why denim?
When you think of American workwear, there’s a good chance that denim is one of the first things that comes to mind. That’s no coincidence. Denim is strong, relatively affordable, and suitable for heavy daily use. As a result, it became popular among workers early on. But denim was just one part of the workwear revolution.
Duck canvas also became an important material. Duck is a tightly woven, sturdy cotton fabric that’s highly resistant to wear and tear. While denim is often recognizable by its blue color, duck canvas is all about its robust construction.
The fabric is part of your toolkit.
You don’t just wear pants to cover yourself. You wear pants because you need to be able to work in them. In reality, pants are part of your toolkit.
The overall: perhaps the ultimate symbol of American workwear
Few items of clothing are as closely associated with American labor as the bib overalls. Bib overalls offer a number of advantages. They stay in place without the need for a belt. The bib also provides extra storage space. And because the pants and the top form a single piece, you’re better protected against dirt. That makes them ideal for farmers, mechanics, construction workers, and railroad workers, among others.
One of the brands that made the bib overalls famous was Carhartt. When Hamilton Carhartt started his company in Detroit in 1889, he spoke directly with railroad workers to understand what they needed. Based on that feedback, he developed his famous bib overalls. Carhartt started with just two sewing machines and a small workshop, but has since become the global icon of American workwear.
Carhartt: workwear for the railroads
Carhartt was founded in 1889, in the midst of a period when the construction of American railroads played a huge role in the country’s growth. From the very beginning, the brand focused on workwear. The famous bib overalls were its most important product. Hamilton Carhartt’s guiding principle was clear: to provide quality clothing at a fair price: “Honest value for an honest dollar.”
The brand grew rapidly. By 1910, Carhartt had factories and sewing workshops spread across several American cities and was even expanding internationally.
Other iconic garments also emerged during this period. Take the Chore Coat, for example - this jacket is, at its core, over 100(!) years old!
Many of the typical characteristics of modern workwear are already evident here:
- sturdy materials
- large pockets
- practical fits
- reinforced construction
- clothing designed with the job in mind
KEY Apparel: workwear from the Great Plains
Carhartt wasn’t the only brand that grew out of the needs of workers. In 1908, C.A. Lakin and Harry McKey founded the Lakin-McKey Manufacturing Company in Fort Scott, Kansas. Their first product was a bib overalls made of heavy-duty denim with triple-needle stitching.
The local environment played an important role in this.
The Great Plains were home to farmers and ranchers who worked long days outdoors. Their clothing had to be not only durable but also comfortable enough to wear for hours on end.
Based on that need, KEY built a product line that continued to grow. And the philosophy is essentially still the same: work hard, wear clothes that can handle the job. Today, KEY still makes bib overalls, denim, duck canvas, and other classic workwear.
Dickies: from Texas to the World
Then there’s a third major name in American workwear: Dickies. The brand originated in Texas and started out in 1922 making bib overalls.
The environment there was different from Detroit’s.
Texas meant ranches, agriculture, oil, and industry. Here, too, the need was the same: clothing that could withstand the rigors of daily work. Dickies subsequently grew from a small manufacturer of overalls into an international workwear brand.
During World War II, the company was enlisted to produce military uniforms. After the war, Dickies returned to the consumer market and continued to expand. Today, Dickies is sold worldwide, but the brand still makes bib overalls and other classic workwear.
Triple stitching, rivets and other details
When you look at vintage American workwear, you’ll notice many details that seem almost decorative today, but were originally purely functional. Take triple-needle stitching, for example. Multiple rows of stitching provide extra strength in areas where clothing is subjected to heavy wear and tear. KEY, for instance, still uses this construction in its classic bib overalls.
Workwear during the wars
The history of American workwear is also linked to World War I and World War II. During World War I, for example, Carhartt made several of its production facilities available for the manufacture of uniforms for the U.S. Army. During World War II, the company produced, among other things, coveralls for military personnel and support staff, jungle clothing for marines, and workwear for women who began working in American factories. Dickies was also enlisted for military production during World War II. The war thus not only created an enormous demand for durable clothing but also contributed to the further development of industrial production.
From the jobsite to daily life
And then something interesting happens. Workwear remains workwear, but more and more people are starting to wear these clothes outside of work as well.
- A Carhartt jacket is practical on a construction site. But it works just as well on a walk through the city.
- Dickies work pants are made for heavy-duty work. But they also turn out to be great pants for the weekend.
- Bib overalls were designed for farmers and mechanics. But they’ve also been adopted by musicians, artists, skaters, and other subcultures.
From railroadworker to streetwear
In the second half of the twentieth century, workwear became an increasingly integral part of pop culture. Music, skate culture, streetwear, and subcultures adopted elements from American workwear.
Why?
Because the clothing is authentic. A workwear jacket doesn’t try to be cool.
It’s made for someone who actually has to get things done.
That gives brands like Carhartt, Dickies, and other American brands an authenticity that’s hard to replicate. You can design a workwear look, but you can’t just copy true American history.
From Necessity to Icon
That may be the biggest development in the history of American workwear.
What was once purely functional has now also become part of our cultural heritage.
- The bib overalls.
- The chore coat.
- The duck jacket.
- The denim work pants.
- The work shirt.
- The trucker cap.
Each and every one of these garments was once worn primarily because they were practical. Today, people also wear them because they appreciate the look. But the finest pieces still retain their original character. And a little wear and tear only makes them better. A well-worn workwear jacket tells a story. About your work ethic, where you’ve been, and what you’ve done with it.
The jacket is part of your own story, your identity.
Why American workwear is still relevant
More than a hundred years later, circumstances have changed. We work differently. Machines have taken over much of the work. Technology is everywhere. But the basic need hasn’t gone away.
- People still work outdoors.
- On construction sites.
- In workshops.
- On farms.
- In warehouses.
- In the garden.
- On the road.
- And sometimes just at home.
That’s why the original idea behind American Workwear remains relevant: make clothing that can handle (work) life. These days, that doesn’t always mean working on the railroad tracks for twelve hours a day. It can also simply mean that you want a jacket that will last for years. Or a pair of pants you wear every week.
RoughToughWorkWear: American Workwear with a story
At RoughToughWorkWear, we love that story. Not just because American workwear looks good, but mainly because many of these garments have a rich history.
- Carhartt has been around since 1889.
- KEY Apparel has been making workwear since 1908.
- Dickies has been making workwear since 1922.
These aren’t brands that decided yesterday that workwear was a cool trend. They’ve grown by making clothes for people who roll up their sleeves and get to work.
And maybe that’s exactly why American workwear still works so well today.