This article will be the first in a series here on UU that will introduce our fans to the basics of streetwear and streetwear history; since streetwear can be very hard to jump into for new people interested in fashion. There’s no better brand to start with when talking about the basics of streetwear than Carhartt Work in Progress (WIP). Unlike regular line Carhartt, Work In Progress has only existed for a little over 25 years, just 1/5th of Carhartt’s total existence. It was started in 1989 by Edwin Faeh, was deliberately made to focus on quality streetwear products tailored to European and Japanese markets and frequently collaborates with Japanese streetwear brands. Being an American brand, Carhartt was highly sought after in these markets due to its unique style and manufacturing. The high quality and durability of the clothes as well as the focus on style made the brand gain quick popularity in the skating community. It wasn’t long before the brand stocked the shelves of most European skate shops. It was proven quickly that the streetwear community loved Carhartt and it’s vision. Just years after the original release it was already collaborating with big brands like Vans and Stussy. Images like the one below (the only logo visible is a Carhartt logo) started to appear in pop-culture, permanently ingraining it into collective zeitgeist of the 90s.
photo credit: Le Haine, 1995
However, unlike Carhartt’s peers (Stussy, LRG, The Hundreds), Carhartt would maintain its cultural relevance well beyond the 90s and through the 2000s. There are many reasons Carhartt survived where it’s peers didn’t but by far one of the most important reasons is the culture Carhartt catered to. By the 2000s WIP’s consumer culture was far different from that of traditional Carhartt’s. Because of WIP’s popularity within the skate scene, artists of all natures attached themselves to the brand, choosing to wear it over others. The consumer base redefined the culture of the brand from an American, casual yet fashionable workwear brand to a youthful, rebellious bastion of street style. The minds behind WIP accepted the change with arms wide open. Instead of trying to keep the brand out of the hands of societal misfits, instead they gave clothes away to artists, rappers and other rebellious cultural icons. In 2011 when a Carhartt WIP London store was looted, instead of stopping the looting or cutting their losses, employees took a picture of the storefront being ransacked and printed the picture on shirts the next season. Carhartt WIP is and always will be an honest and fair brand with a long history of being high quality, stylish and above all else; rebellious.