Same name, same roots, two different brands. Carhartt is the American workwear company, built for job sites since 1889. Carhartt WIP (Work In Progress) is its European offshoot: it takes those original workwear pieces and recuts them for everyday wear, with slimmer fits, new fabrics and colours, and a culture built around skate, music and street style.

If you've ever wondered why the Carhartt jacket in a menswear shop looks and fits differently from the one on a building site, this is why.

A short history

Hamilton Carhartt founded the company in Detroit in 1889, making hard-wearing work clothes for manual labourers, starting with railroad workers. Heavy cotton duck canvas, triple stitching and a full cut became the signature, and they still define the American line today.

A century later, in 1989, Swiss designer Edwin Faeh began importing Carhartt into Europe through his agency, All American Concept. In 1994 he set up Work In Progress as Carhartt's exclusive European distributor. Two years after that, WIP secured the licence to make Carhartt products outside the US, and released its first collection of its own the following year.

The UK has been part of the story from early on: Carhartt WIP's first store opened on Neal Street in London. From there, the brand grew alongside skateboarding, BMX, hip hop and electronic music, with its own skate team, a record label and a radio station.

Carhartt vs Carhartt WIP at a glance

Neither is better. They're made for different jobs. If you want a jacket for the allotment, go original. If you want one that fits well with jeans and trainers on a Saturday, go WIP.

Fit and sizing

Carhartt WIP generally sizes closer to UK high street sizing than the American line, which runs big. If you wear a medium elsewhere, a medium in WIP is the usual starting point.

That said, fits vary by piece. Many of the current tees are cut loose, with a dropped shoulder, so size down if you prefer them closer. The Detroit Jacket is short and boxy by design and is meant to sit at the waist. Trousers come in a range of cuts, from straight to relaxed, so check the fit noted on each product page.

Not sure? Come and try it on in Yarm, or message us and we'll measure the piece for you.

The Carhartt WIP pieces to know

Detroit Jacket (£184). The clearest example of what WIP does: an original Carhartt workwear jacket, recut shorter and cleaner. Ours is in Hamilton Brown, the brand's signature tan.

Active Jacket (£184). The hooded workwear jacket, built for colder months.

Klondike Pant and Aaron Pant (£99.95). Denim built on workwear foundations, in washes that already look lived in.

Pocket T-Shirt (£32). The everyday tee with the chest pocket and logo patch. The one most people start with.

Essential Bag (£45). One of our best sellers, and the easiest way into the brand.

Browse the full range at Carhartt WIP at Triads.

Where to buy Carhartt WIP in the North East

Triads is an independent Carhartt WIP stockist in Yarm, serving Teesside, Stockton, Middlesbrough, Darlington and the wider North East. You'll find us at 32 Yarm High Street, open 10am to 5pm, Monday to Saturday, with the current season's jackets, trousers, tees and accessories in store.

Online at triadsclothing.co.uk, UK delivery is free on orders over £100, with next day delivery on orders placed before 3pm. We ship worldwide with DHL, and click and collect in Yarm is free.