Carhartt pays homage to their past iconic models with this new capsule wardrobe, and it’s fantastic.
Carhartt Icons Re-Engineered
Legendary workwear brand Carhartt has released their capsule wardrobe named Icons Re-Engineered, consisting of three core models: The Detroit Jacket, K87 Tee Shirt, and K288 Sweatshirt with both men’s and women’s variants. While Carhartt has always been in touch with their history, this new capsule collection re-imagines some iconic pieces in new ways.
The Detroit Jacket
I have to start with this one, as it’s one of my favorite jackets of all time. The Detroit jacket recently got a (controversial) re-design which introduced a drop tail, new cut, and other details. Some felt that this eliminated many of the features which gave the original Detroit Jacket its charm, myself included. The new Detroit Jacket brings back many of the original design elements in a modernized fit.
Learn more about the Detroit Jacket: Read my deep-dive into the The History and Legacy of the Carhartt Detroit Jacket.
Also, for the first time there is a women’s Detroit Jacket! This is a welcome addition as more and more women discover the brand and enter the workforce. Interestingly, they’ve chosen to go with a vertical chest pocket over the original. What biological factors contributed to this choice are anyone’s guess.
As close to the original as you're gonna get brand new!
The K87 Pocket Tee
If you’re like me, K87 tees have been the work tee of choice for decades. They’re simple, tough, inexpensive, and now come in a ton of colors. Often Carhartt run a Two-for-$25 deal where I like to stock up for the year. The Icons Re-Engineered K87 is unique in that it’s 5oz and garment dyed – including the tag. This makes for a very cool look which is much different than your typical K87. The women’s version is the 103067 tee shirt.
K288 Hooded Sweatshirt
This is the hidden gem of the bunch. I have one of these in the Greige color, and it’s the best Carhartt hoodie I’ve ever worn. Made from 8.8oz 100% cotton French terry and garment dyed, this hoodie feels like it should cost far more. It’s a lighter weight than you may be used to from Carhartt, but that makes it very easy to wear all year. This has become my favorite hoodie and I’ll definitely grab another one before this capsule goes away for good.
The women’s version is largely the same, though using 10-ounce, 75% cotton, 25% TENCEL™ Lyocell. The model number is 102791.
The Bottom Line
I personally think this capsule is a brilliant move on Carhartt’s part. They clearly recognized that many of their classic products are being sold second hand at crazy prices. Getting a well-worn Carhartt Detroit Jacket will cost you north of $200 for a desirable model- more than double what the originals cost! I can only hope that Carhartt Re-Engineers some of their other iconic pieces: the Active Jac, B01 pants, and an unlined chore coat would be at the top of my wish list!
People forking out $200+ for a well-worn Carhartt Detroit Jacket just shows how crazy it gets when posers want to wear the “latest” trendy garments. Since Carhartt streamlined their production into cheaper materials and cost-cutting designs, the used prices will unfortunately stay high and probably increase even more. If Carhartt were smart, then they would re-introduce the original Detroit and Chore jackets in original designs with premium materials. They could go WIP and do smaller yearly batches in more colors and make a killing. Their current line sadly is less functional, more cheaply made and less iconic from a fashion perspective. Too bad that Carhartt fails to recognize what an excellent opportunity they have had in the market for some years now. The WIP OG line is one of the best options right now whenever there is a sale.