From construction sites to culture: the origins of workwear
Before they were fashion, Carhartt and Dickies were simply workwear.
In the United States of the 20th century, they were worn by workers, mechanics, carpenters: people who needed durable fabrics, solid stitching and absolute practicality .
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Carhartt , founded in 1889 in Detroit, produced heavy canvas overalls and jackets for railroad workers.
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Dickies , founded in 1922 in Texas, dressed construction and factory workers in trousers as tough as steel.
Their purpose was not aesthetic: it was functional .
Deep pockets, raw fabrics, neutral colors like beige, brown and navy.
They were garments made to withstand time, work and fatigue .
And that's exactly why the street adopted them.
When hip hop meets workwear
In the 90s, hip hop fashion was booming.
Rappers dressed oversized, practical, and durable — the opposite of the sleek, “clean” fashion seen in magazines.
Thus, workwear becomes a natural part of street culture: Carhartt jackets and Dickies trousers appear in music videos, concerts, and city blocks.
Why?
Because they represented authenticity, toughness and street .
An American worker and a boy from the Bronx shared the same need: real clothes that would last.
The look wasn't constructed, it was real .
Rappers like Nas, Tupac, Cypress Hill, Mobb Deep, and Ice Cube wore Carhartt jackets in their videos as a symbol of belonging.
Beige Dickies had become a mark of respect among the kids of Los Angeles.
Music and fashion merge, and workwear stops being just “work” — it becomes streetwear .
Carhartt: the symbol of urban resistance
The Carhartt Detroit jacket is perhaps one of the most iconic garments in hip hop culture.
Tough, short at the waist, with a heavy zip and velvet collar, it has become an urban uniform .
Its boxy silhouette and neutral colors (brown, black, navy blue) fit perfectly with the baggy look and XXL sweatshirts of 90s rappers.
Over time, Carhartt has built a dual identity:
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Carhartt Workwear USA : the original line, designed for those who work.
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Carhartt WIP (Work In Progress) : the European version, created in the 90s for the streetwear and skate crowd, with more modern cuts but the same spirit.
Today, Carhartt is everywhere: worn by skaters, rappers, artists and vintage enthusiasts.
It has become a universal language , speaking of authenticity, resistance and belonging to real culture.
Dickies: West Coast Style
If Carhartt represents the East, Dickies is the West Coast .
From Los Angeles to Compton, Dickies 874 trousers become an icon.
Halfway between workwear and gangsta style, their stiff, straight cut makes them perfect for pairing with oversized white T-shirts, checked shirts, and bandanas.
Chicano style — urban Latino culture — played a key role in this diffusion.
LA’s Latin crews and artists like Cypress Hill, Ice-T, Snoop Dogg, and Dr. Dre made Dickies synonymous with street, respect, and identity.
In the 2000s, the brand definitively entered the streetwear world, while maintaining its work soul: no fashion, just substance.
Today, Dickies trousers are a timeless classic, chosen by those seeking a clean, authentic and durable style , often paired with vintage garments or oversized jackets.
Workwear + Streetwear = identity
The reason why workwear has been so successful in hip hop is simple:
represented truth .
As fashion became more and more constructed, rappers continued to wear clothes designed for work, not for the catwalk.
It was a way of saying:
“I come from the streets. I don't need luxury to prove it.”
And today, that message still holds true.
In an age of fast fashion and digital logos, workwear remains tangible, solid, real .
Wearing a Carhartt or a pair of Dickies means connecting to a cultural heritage that has spanned decades.
The return of workwear in contemporary fashion
In 2025, workwear has returned to dominate global streetwear.
Luxury brands such as Balenciaga, Prada and Louis Vuitton reinterpret work jackets and cargo trousers.
But those who know true culture know that the original remains unbeatable .
Carhartt and Dickies have stood the test of time, and are more alive than ever today:
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in modern Y2K looks , paired with baggy jeans and retro sneakers
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in the vintage collections , highly sought after on Depop and Vinted
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in the new generations of rappers and skaters , who bring them back into fashion
From A$AP Rocky to Tyler, The Creator , from Kendrick Lamar to Joey Bada$$ , workwear is once again synonymous with real coolness , not a passing fad.
Carhartt and Dickies on Leitalianmonke
At Leitalianmonke , we select original vintage and authentic pieces, not modern reproductions.
Every Carhartt jacket, every Dickies pant tells a true story : of the street, of music, of work, of identity.
You can find them alongside baggy jeans, hip hop sweatshirts and rapper jackets, to recreate the true old school look .
👉 Discover the vintage workwear collection on Leitalianmonke :
resistance, culture and style in a single garment.
