Carhartt is an independent company.

American workwear brand founded in Detroit, Michigan in 1889 by Hamilton Carhartt with two sewing machines and five workers, built on the founding ethos of "Honest value for an honest dollar." Carhartt initially focused on durable clothing for railroad workers, developing its signature heavy-duty canvas jackets and bibs designed to withstand extreme manual labour conditions, with triple-stitched seams, reinforcing rivets at stress points, and weather-resistant materials. Over 135 years the brand expanded into construction, farming, hunting, and outdoor workwear, becoming synonymous with functional durability across blue-collar America. Carhartt remains entirely privately held and family-owned, headquartered in Dearborn, Michigan, and generates estimated annual revenues exceeding $1 billion. The brand gained significant cultural crossover appeal in streetwear and fashion from the 1990s onward — particularly through the independent Carhartt WIP (Work In Progress) licence, which operates as a separate streetwear-focused entity in Europe. Carhartt operates its own retail stores in the US and maintains core distribution through farm, hardware, and workwear retailers. The company's flagship Detroit store occupies the historic Cass Motor Sales building.