This might be the most-asked question in vintage workwear: why does one Detroit jacket cost €80 and another €250, when they both say Carhartt?
The answer is that they're two different brands. They share a name and a history, but beyond that they're separate companies with their own designs, fits and prices.
Carhartt: American workwear (1889)
The original. Hamilton Carhartt started in Detroit making overalls for railroad workers, and the brand has made workwear meant to be destroyed by use, not by time, ever since. Duck canvas, triple stitching, rivets at the stress points.
Characteristics:
- Roomy, boxy fit — built to be worn over other workwear
- Heavy canvas and rugged materials
- Limited colour palette: brown, black, navy, hunter green
- Sold through hardware stores and workwear shops, not fashion retailers
Carhartt WIP: the European fashion line (1989)
WIP stands for Work In Progress. In 1989, a German company bought the European licence and began redesigning the same silhouettes — for the street rather than the job site. Slimmer fits, seasonal collections, collaborations and a much broader colour palette.
Characteristics:
- Cut slimmer and shorter than the American original
- Seasonal colours and prints
- Collaborations with streetwear and music labels
- Sold through fashion retailers and streetwear boutiques
How do you tell them apart?
Check the label. That's the fastest check:
- If it just says Carhartt — often with "Made in USA" or a US address — it's the American line.
- If it says Carhartt WIP, it's the European fashion line. The WIP logo is usually also on the outside, on the square patch.
Beyond that: if it feels like job-site-heavy canvas with a roomy cut, it's American. If it's cut slimmer in a colour you'd never see on a building site, it's WIP.
Which one should you get?
That depends on what you're looking for — not which one is "better".
Choose American Carhartt if you want maximum durability, like a roomy oversized fit, or want the authentic workwear look. It's also generally cheaper secondhand.
Choose Carhartt WIP if you want a fit closer to regular clothing, like seasonal colours, or are specifically after collab and collector pieces.
Why is WIP more expensive?
Simple: scarcity and demand. WIP is produced in smaller runs, with seasonal collections that don't come back, and has a collector audience. American Carhartt has been produced in enormous volumes for over a hundred years — there's just far more of it around.
That also means more WIP counterfeits circulate, precisely because the margins are higher. With us, every piece is verified through LegitApp plus my own check, and 30-day returns apply.
We keep them separate
Because they're genuinely two different things, we keep them apart. Browse Carhartt for the American original, or Carhartt WIP for the European fashion line. Every item states which of the two it is — so you never pay for the wrong one.
Looking for more in this direction? Also check out Dickies and Workwear.
Frequently asked questions
Is Carhartt WIP fake Carhartt?
No. Carhartt WIP is an official, licensed European line that's existed since 1989. It's a different brand, not a counterfeit.
Which one is better quality?
American Carhartt uses heavier materials and is built purely for durability. WIP is more fashion-driven with slimmer fits. Both are good quality — they're made for different things.
Does WIP run smaller than regular Carhartt?
Yes, usually. WIP is cut slimmer and shorter. Always go by our measured centimetres rather than the size label.
Why is WIP more expensive secondhand?
Smaller production runs, seasonal collections that don't return, and an active collector market.