Carhartt Logo

Carhartt is an American producer of male and female clothes, established in 1889 and located in Dearborn, Michigan. The company is recognized for its clothing, made of refractory and heat materials. These include pants, jackets, shirts, and others. Carhartt’s other product line includes streetwear, distributed under the Carhartt Work In Progress name and often compared with premium brands such as Stussy or Supreme for its quality and style.

Meaning and history

The company is a family business founded in Detroit, in 1889, during the industrial revolution in the USA. It was named after its founder, Hamilton Carhartt, and managed by his descenders throughout the years to come. The idea to produce service clothing came to Hamilton after continuous market analysis and several conversations with railway workers.

By the 1910s, Carhatt & Company has opened its sewing and cutting facilities and trade locations in California, New York, and Georgia. It has also managed to broaden its operations internationally, establishing centers in Paris and Ontario. When both World Wars raged on, Carhartt provided the army with its facilities and produced clothes for the soldiers.

Hamilton’s son, Wylie, took over the business in 1937. During his management, the company opened sewing facilities and its shops in the countryside area of the US, following the so-called ‘Back to the Land’ plan. Most of these. Wylie is also responsible for the brand’s first outdoor recreation products, such as the hunting lines that came up in the early 30s.

Throughout the decades to come, Carhartt continued to open new locations and expand their product line with heavy-duty clothes, made of … materials. In the 1970s, there were many orders for cold-resistant wear, published by the energy companies constructing pipes in Alaska. Carhartt has taken those orders, which not only helped its growth but also gave experience in manufacturing warm clothes for workers.

Carhartt became more popular beyond the workers’ audience in the 80s and 90s. More consumers learned about the brand as pop musicians and social influencers began to wear Carhartt. It led to the formation of the new product line – Work In Progress, which concentrated on streetwear of refined design and style. The label is marketed primarily in Europe and Asia.

Under Mark Valade’s (he is Hamilton’s grand-grandson) leadership in the 2000s, the company secured its positions in Europe and grew into an international electronic commerce business. They’ve also established numerous retail stores across the world and created completely female product lines and labels of flame-resistant clothes. Now, Carhartt employs 5,300 workers in Europe, the US, and Mexico and hold numerous sewing and cutting facilities.

What is Carhartt?
Carhartt is an American firm producing apparel, headquartered in Dearborn, Michigan. The company is best known for high-quality clothing, primarily marketed among professional workers and travelers. In production, Carhartt uses materials, resistant to fire, cold, and water, due to which their clothes are widely recognized. They also produce streetwear through their label named Work In Progress, which is often compared with premium brands such as Supreme.

1920s – 1940s

The original logotype appeared after World War I, following the brand’s expansion across the US and Europe. It featured a red heart with the ‘union made’ inscription with both words written in a circular position at the top and the list of products at the bottom. The central part was occupied by a train wagon. On its side, there was an oval with angled tips, that showed the ‘Carhartt’s’ word in all capitals.

1940s – 1970s

Later, they slightly renewed the logotype by moving the ‘union made’ lettering to the bottom and putting the ‘master cloth’ inscription in its former place. The van’s design endured several changes as well. The roof, doors, windows, and wheels shapes have become way more minimalistic. Finally, the oval was incorporated inside the van, not drawn over it. This shape contained the word ‘overalls’. As for the name caption, it changed its style from a block capitalized to a handwritten one.

1970s – today

The brand’s modern logotype depicts a simple yet catching wordmark located next to an emblem. This emblem symbolizes Carhatt’s growth, featured in the shape of a wave circling to the right, thereby reminding the schematic letter ‘c’.

Font

The modern logotype depicts a wordmark in a lowercase sans-serif typeface with somewhat futuristic and angular letterforms. For example, the two symbols ‘a’ look like spirals going to the center. All other letters remind squares of their blocky style.

Color

The modern logotype uses a simple yellow-and-black color palette, whereas the nameplate is black while the emblem is bright yellow. Previously, the brand’s color scheme was richer. In its first edition, the logotype showed a red heart with a blue and white wagon on it. The inscriptions on the heart were white, while the wagon showed a blue nameplate. The version of the 1940s showed the brighter blue and white wagon with the red words over it.