When it comes to quality outdoor and western wear, there’s nothing quite like Carhartt®. The brand is known for its heavy-duty work apparel that offers unmatched protection without sacrificing comfort and functionality.  Its clothing line mostly features durable threads; reinforced rivets; and materials resistant to fire, water, and abrasion. These features make it the preferred choice of farmers, ranchers, workers, and outdoorsmen. Here’s how they began and evolved over the years.

Getting Started

In 1889, Hamilton Carhartt produced work clothes like overalls for manual laborers with his two sewing machines and five employees. He made quality apparel—the bib overall—for diligent railroad workers, which paved the way for his continued success. Under the slogan “Honest value for an honest dollar,” the company designed bibs that withstood the toughest of conditions on the tracks.

Within 20 years of its establishment, the company expanded operations from its small Detroit loft to South Carolina, Georgia, Atlanta, Dallas, San Francisco, and New York. It put up international offices in Canada and the United Kingdom, including a facility in Paris. Apart from work apparel, the brand found itself making uniforms for the U.S. military during WWI.

Recovering From the Depression

It was a thriving time for Carhartt; however, it didn’t last long. When the markets collapsed during the Great Depression, the company nearly closed shop. They chose to downsize so that they could help the workers instead. During WWII, they produced coveralls for soldiers and work personnel, jungle suits for the Marines, and work apparel for women entering factories as laborers.

Building Today’s Reputation

Carhartt eventually invested in a modern production facility, allowing the company to expand operations in the 1970s. When their clothes survived the rugged conditions of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline, the brand cemented itself as the maker of the most durable work apparel on the market. This piqued the interest of consumers outside Carhartt’s target market of blue-collar workers and outdoor lifestyle, leading to its rising popularity in the global market.

Through the years, Carhartt collaborated with fashion designers and created a spinoff, the Carhartt Work in Progress (WIP), for its streetwear and subculture line. Despite the deviations, Carhartt is a brand that serves up tough work apparel, western wear, and hunting clothes.

Today, Carhartt continues to offer high-quality western wear and work apparel. Find the right clothes for your needs when you head to Liberty Western in Lebanon, OH. For over two decades, they’ve offered work boots, pants, outerwear, and cowboy hats for those who work with horses for a living. They also carry saddles, tack, and horse feed. Call (513) 933-0900 or check out their website for available inventory.