Work wear

[bykfixer]

Sure wish I could figure out the multi-quote thing.

@pnwoutdoors Carhartt said they chose to add the droop due to many complaints that the buyer wiuld buy Tall or a larger size to cover their belt but then the sleeves were too long.
Many construction workers like carpenters say the droop interferes with their tool belt. Too bad Carhartt won't do a both classic and a modern version.

@PaladinNO I agree on thinsulate with gloves being a waste. One year I bought some 2 chamber gloves where one is for dexterity and the other combines that section to another section totaling 300!!!! grams of thinsulate but my fingers still get cold wearing those cotton balls over my hands. Warmest gloves I've ever had was a mechanix glove with a rubber glove over that.

One day I was testing concrete in rainy 30 degree weather. You stick your hands in water a lot to clean the tools with that duty. I always wore rubber gloves for that regardless of weather. The mechanix gloves underneath my oversized rubber gloves kept my hands warm all day. Slide off the rubber gloves easily for dexterity.

I wore the Detroit today in 30 degree (F) air to clip the tops from dozens of flowering plants to winterize them. That and a new pair of boots. No restrictions noted, stayed plenty warm with moderate activity and when I returned indoors I couldn't peel that thing off fast enough. It was quite the pleasure to work in. The idea with the new boots was to reduce or remove an ankle bite issue. It worked. No more ankle bite.

 

[TIFisher]

Vintage Carhartt is the best Carhartt. 25 years later, and this is still the warmest, most comfortable winter weather coat I have. Have gone through well over three dozen Carhartt coats, jackets, shirts, and trousers spanning the last 35 years. Some good, some not so good. I wouldn't waste my money on anything they put out today, but that's just my opinion. They've lost me since discontinuing the old double front duck canvas pants and moving to all this "relaxed fit" stuff. I'm long and skinny, and RF cuts hang on me like a wet blanket.
Glad you are enjoying your new jacket. Wishing you many good years of use.

 

[Monocrom]

Carhartt #A18 Watch Cap (beanie) -- Picked up one of these, recently. Just warm enough, and the long cuffed design comes down nicely over the neck and ears when it gets frigid. "Only" acrylic, but it's a fairly dense weave. Nice little unit, during winter, without being too much hat.

Purchased one awhile back. Very happy with the watch-cap. Though a co-worker wasn't happy with the new Carhartt coat he bought very recently. Said he was glad he kept his old one as the new couldn't compare to it. Then he started ranting about having to get his Timberland boots re-soled again because the new ones were barely better than Wal-mart's in-store offering.

 

[bykfixer]

Carhartt faces two issues.
- First is a fashion market that demands comfort and style that changes frequently. They have that to reckon with and don't seem to mind taking their money.
- Second is stiff competition from giant companies who sell Asian made like Cabellas, Bass Pro Shop, (both have their RedHead brand), WalMart with Walls and ****ies, D!cks Sporting Goods who will sell anybody's brand as long as it's cheap to buy, the ever expanding Tractor Supply with their Ridge Cut line and now Boot Barn makes a line called Hawx that give the Carhartt a run for its money. Key is also competing with Carhartt for hi-viz work wear now.

Heavy is the crown.

Not only those issues but these days a bunch of American made company's are stepping up their game like Dri-Duck, Northland and Ozark Mountain. Couple that with more and more regulation that chokes industries and Carhartt faces an ever steeping uphill battle in today's work wear market(s).

There are still some US made Carhartt like the UJ140 duck jacket B01 jeans and Woodside stocking caps. Their collegiate Watch stocking caps are too.

 

[gurdygurds]

Vintage Carhartt is the best Carhartt. 25 years later, and this is still the warmest, most comfortable winter weather coat I have. Have gone through well over three dozen Carhartt coats, jackets, shirts, and trousers spanning the last 35 years. Some good, some not so good. I wouldn't waste my money on anything they put out today, but that's just my opinion. They've lost me since discontinuing the old double front duck canvas pants and moving to all this "relaxed fit" stuff. I'm long and skinny, and RF cuts hang on me like a wet blanket.
Glad you are enjoying your new jacket. Wishing you many good years of use.

That's the kind of jacket I'm on the hunt for. Something that will last me years and that I won't want to get rid of even when it's at the point where my wife is embarrassed by it. Does the old stuff have the same sizing as the new stuff? I'm all about buying used on Ebay, but my only reservation is not knowing what size would be best for me.

 

[pnwoutdoors]

That's the kind of jacket I'm on the hunt for. Something that will last me years and that I won't want to get rid of even when it's at the point where my wife is embarrassed by it. Does the old stuff have the same sizing as the new stuff? I'm all about buying used on Ebay, but my only reservation is not knowing what size would be best for me.

Carhartt's size guide might help, based on body measurements:

Size Guide

Giving previously worn and imperfect Carhartt a second chance to do the job it was born to do.

reworked.carhartt.com

Probably about as good of a guide as you're likely to get, if attempting to purchase sight-unseen.

A handful of years ago, I acquired a pre-owned Carhartt J14 "Santa Fe" jacket. It's since been discontinued. Can find them here and there, lightly used and pre-owned, including on eBay. Prices have been rising, though I occasionally see some examples come along for sub-$100.

It's got much of the "old Carhartt" quality built into it. There are plain, quilted and insulated versions, various colors. They stand up well compared to 30+ years ago Carhartt jackets, at least IMO.

In my case, a 3XLT sizing allowed for extra layers underneath and was more-or-less accurate in terms of measurements (using that link to the size guide, above). This particular jacket's 3XLT sizing has a bit larger chest area, not a proportionally larger shoulder width and arm length, so it fits rather well (more under-layers without needing to be "gorilla" sized other than the chest).

Can't say whether other ~20yr old models and older will similarly match that current size guide. But the discontinued J14 Santa Fe does.

Good quality jacket, that one.

Carhartt J14 "Santa Fe" Jacket for sale | eBay

Get the best deals for Carhartt J14 "Santa Fe" Jacket at eBay.com. We have a great online selection at the lowest prices with Fast & Free shipping on many items!

www.ebay.com

 

[bykfixer]

Carhartt has "relaxed fit" next to the logo inside the jacket in numerous models these days. Larger shoulder area and belly area for the well fed workers.
If you're a thin person you'd need to buy a size smaller than normal if it says relaxed fit.

 

[Schokokeks]

This thread kind of depressed me. I didn't realize I won't be able to replace my old Carhartt jacket that was made in the USA. It's still fine, but it's seen better days, and I figure I was going to need to get a new one within the next decade...

Did I miss something? Has Carhartt become a fashion brand? I am really confused. It looks like everything is way more expensive, and just cheap import trash with a "work aesthetic."

 

[knucklegary]

Visit rummage stores for vintage clothing. You'll be surprised what treasures people donate.

 

[Schokokeks]

Visit rummage stores for vintage clothing. You'll be surprised what treasures people donate.

The only downside I run into is that I'm a goofy, big size. I'm usually right between L and XL sizes, but I 100% need the tall sizes (men tend to have their height disproportionately in their torso, while women have their height more in their legs). My current Carhartt is a L tall, and it's still a bit short, haha. I tend to swim in an XL, though, and STILL need it to be a tall.

When I was younger, I'd gotten all my work clothes from Goodwill/Salvation Army, but I've been slowly replacing it with new clothes of the appropriate tall sizes, haha. In all the years of shopping second hand, I think I found maybe one item that was my actual, goofy size. When I find my size in stock, it's either extra expensive, or a fire sale price, as they have been sitting on it forever. Shoes/boots are similar for me, too; what fits is either extra expensive and usually out of stock, or on ultra clearance.


For more normal sized people, that's 100% the way to go.

 

[bykfixer]

Did I miss something? Has Carhartt become a fashion brand?

They did not become a fashion brand for the sake of fashion. Fashion discovered Carhartt like it did Levis jeans in the 1970's.

 

[Schokokeks]

They did not become a fashion brand for the sake of fashion. Fashion discovered Carhartt like it did Levis jeans in the 1970's.

I'm not sure how it started, but I only asked because when I went to their site to see if they still had a made in USA jacket, it seemed like a fashion site more than a workwear site.

And the high prices for stuff entirely made overseas seems to fit with that, too.

Then, I came across this, which is apparently their explicitly fashion brand...since 1994.

Carhartt WIP Official Store

The official Carhartt WIP shop brings you a comprehensive collection of durable and comfortable men's and women's clothing.

us.carhartt-wip.com

So, I think they saw the easy money of selling overpriced imports to hipsters, and have just focused on that.

It reminds me of New Balance. The only US made shoes they make, now are hideous fashion shoes. No more plain black walkers...those are now the same price, but made overseas to a much lower quality standard.