Carhartt Work In Progress (Carhartt WIP) forms a division of the American brand Carhartt, one of the first companies to pioneer workwear in the USA. Founded in Europe in 1989, 100 years after Hamilton Carhartt established his business in Detroit, Carhartt WIP has been carefully adapting and modifying Carhartt's core product characteristics for a different audience of consumers who value refined design and quality while still remaining true to Carhartt's brand origins.
Since the beginning, Carhartt WIP have built a strong, organic relationship with unknown, inspiring, provocative and upcoming figures in music and sport, becoming an iconic and well respected brand in underground scenes, from hip-hop to skate, from graffiti to cycling, as well as working with labels such as A.P.C., Neighborhood, Patta, Vans, Junya Watanabe and many more.
You will find these exclusive collaboration projects - as well as the largest selection of Carhartt WIP clothing and accessories - in the official Carhartt Work in Progress Online Shop.
1855 - Hamilton Carhartt is born in Macedon Locks, New York.
1889 - With only four sewing machines and five employees, Hamilton Carhartt begins to manufacture overalls in duck and denim, under trade union conditions.
1910 - The Carhartt Company expands to include two cotton mills in Georgia and South Carolina, as well as factories in Detroit, Dallas and San Francisco.
1911 - The Carhartt Automobile Corporation produces around 300 “Pleasure Cars” a year under the motto “The last word in motor construction.”
1914 - During WWI, Carhartt produces workman uniforms for the military. With a reported total of 17 factories, the Carhartt clothing company reaches the height of its economic success in the first two decades of the 20th century.
1923 - The iconic Carhartt CO1 Chore Coat is advertised for the first time and becomes a key part of the Carhartt collection.
1932 - Carhartt opens a new factory in Irvine, Kentucky and launch the “Back to the Land” campaign to offer workers better conditions away from the slums, sweatshops and the general distress of large industrial towns, now filled with thousands of unemployed due to the Great Depression.
1937 - Hamilton Carhartt dies in a car crash in Grosse Pointe, Michigan at age 82, leaving the company to his sons Hamilton, J, and Wylie.
1941 - As the USA enters WWII, the entire US economy experiences a boost as factories back the war effort. Soldiers both home and abroad need sturdy, durable apparel.
1966 - The spring collection includes a line of classic sports apparel, casual jackets, jeans, and shirts, all made of canvas, with product names such as “Huggers pants” and “Surfers”.
1989 - Carhartt celebrates its centennial anniversary.
1989 - Under the title "All American Concept" Edwin Faeh starts to introduce distinctly American products to the European market.
1992 - The ultimate rise of Carhartt's street credibility and street fame is brought about by a group of trendsetters whose names will be forever connected with the early days of hip hop.
1994 - Work in Progress (WIP) is established by Edwin Faeh to become the exclusive distributor of Carhartt in Europe.
1995 - "La Haine" (The Hatred) by Mathieu Kassovitz becomes one of the first movies to feature the Carhartt brand due to it's rising popularity in underground street culture.
1996 - WIP acquires the license to manufacture Carhartt products outside of the USA, subsequently making the 1997 collection the first European "original".
1997 - The first store exclusively featuring Carhartt WIP products in Europe opens in Neal Street, London.
1997 - Foundation of the Carhartt WIP Skate and BMX Teams.
1999 - Evan Hecox kicks off a series of illustrated ad campaigns. His designs of almost ingenious simplicity set the standard for future Carhartt WIP Campaigns.
2000 - Carhartt WIP presents the first collection for women.
2000 - Combination Records is established by Edwin Faeh, Oliver Drewes, and Philipp Maiburg for Carhartt WIP as an open platform for new electronic music.
2003 - The first of nineteen issues of Rugged Magazine is published. Celebrating "the collections of curiosities of all people with a mission...or whatever else we come across."
2007 - "Dirt Ollies: A Skateboard Trip to Mongolia" by Alexander Basile, Pontus Alv and Bertrand Trichet is released. Published by Bildschöne Bücher & Carhartt WIP.
2010 - Collaborations include: A.P.C., Adam Kimmel, Burton, Master-mind, Fragment Design, Sophnet, Uniform Experiment, Vans, Vestax, AIAIAI, 5Boro, London Undercover and many more.
2010 - The Carhartt WIP Heritage line is introduced, comprised of products inspired by the legacy of the Carhartt brand.
2011 - Carhartt WIP introduces the "brown duck" embroidery as a nod to its long-standing tradition.
2011 - Carhartt WIP opens a store in New York City, thus coming full circle with its American origins.
2014 - Carhartt WIP celebrates its 25th anniversary.
2016 - The book “The Carhartt WIP Archives,” the first extensive look into the Carhartt WIP universe, is released.
2019 - The Carhartt WIP evolution continues.
When Carhartt was founded in 1889, Hamilton Carhartt spoke about the role of a responsible business, doing "the just and honest thing, gainful if possible." These core principles underpinned Carhartt's approach to business from the very beginning.
Swiss national Edwin Faeh started to import a small range of Carhartt workwear in 1989 through his agency “All American Concept,” alongside a collection of other brands.
In 1994, a distribution network for Carhartt was established in Europe (Work In Progress Textilhandels GmbH), introducing a selection of classic products from the original workwear collection.
Building on the roots from the American company, Carhartt WIP products are today manufactured and sold globally. Production is centered around a company-owned factory in Tunisia with the support of suppliers around the world.
We are very aware of the environmental and human rights challenges presented by global sourcing and we have taken a number of important steps to help ensure that our principles are upheld throughout the global network of factories supporting our business. Key steps include:
Adopting a Code of Conduct that establishes expectations for all of our suppliers and licensee relationships. This code provides key baseline expectations for environmental protection, responsible working conditions and fundamental human rights. It is based on the Core Conventions of the International Labour Organisation and the UN's Universal Declaration of Human Rights.Prior to working with Carhartt WIP, suppliers agree to align their operations with this code and are encouraged to extend the code upstream to their suppliers. Carhartt WIP requires all business partners to periodically renew their commitment to this code.Environmental and labor conditions at Carhartt WIP-sourced facilities are audited and certified by Worldwide Responsible Accredited Production (WRAP) or SA8000® Standard; and compliant with the new European REACH Regulation.
As a premium brand, Carhartt WIP is committed to conducting business in a fair and ethical manner. Consistent with this commitment, we have established this Code of Conduct as a minimum set of standards for both our internal operations as well as our business partners. This Code is based on internationally accepted labor standards, including the International Labor Organization’s Core Conventions and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. While this Code establishes minimum standards, we aspire to partner with companies that share our corporate values and are committed to continuous process improvements as it relates to social and environmental practices.
As used herein, the term vendor is defined broadly to cover the range of Carhartt WIP's supply chain partners, including cut and sew suppliers providing finished garments, direct and “nominated” suppliers of fabrics, trims and other raw materials, license partners, transportation and logistics providers and other supply chain partners.
Employment Relationship - Carhartt WIP vendors and their authorized subcontractors will adopt and adhere to rules and conditions of employment that respect workers and, at a minimum, safeguard their rights under national and international labor and social security laws and regulations.
Compliance with Laws and Workplace Regulations - Carhartt WIP vendors and their authorized subcontractors will comply with laws and regulations in all locations where they conduct business including those relating to labor, social insurances/security, worker health and safety, and the environment. It is further expected that vendors and their authorized subcontractors will cooperate fully with Carhartt in its compliance with laws applicable to Carhartt in countries where Carhartt does business.
Prohibition of Forced Labor - Carhartt WIP vendors and their authorized subcontractors will not use involuntary, prison or trafficked labor or labor otherwise obtained by force, fraud or coercion -- indentured, bonded or otherwise.
Prohibition of Child Labor - Carhartt WIP vendors and their authorized subcontractors will not hire any employees under the age of 15, or under the age interfering with compulsory schooling, or under the minimum age established by law, whichever is greater.
Prohibition of Harassment or Abuse - Carhartt WIP vendors and their authorized subcontractors will endeavor to establish workplaces where every employee is treated with respect and dignity. No employee shall be subjected to any physical, sexual, psychological or verbal harassment, abuse or corporal punishment.
Compensation and Benefits - Carhartt WIP vendors and their authorized subcontractors will pay at least the minimum total compensation required by local law, including all mandated wages, allowances and benefits.
Hours of Work - Carhartt WIP vendors and their authorized subcontractors will conform to hours worked each day, and days worked each week that do not exceed the legal limitations of the countries in which they operate. Vendors will provide at least one day (24 hours) off in every seven-day period, except as required to meet urgent business needs. Vendors are encouraged to control total weekly hours to 60 or less for all employees and to make all overtime voluntary.
Prohibition of Discrimination - Carhartt WIP vendors and their authorized subcontractors will employ, pay, promote, and terminate workers on the basis of their ability to do the job, rather than on the basis of personal characteristics or beliefs. No person shall be subject to any discrimination in employment, including hiring, compensation, advancement, discipline, termination or retirement, on the basis of gender, race, religion, age, disability, sexual orientation, nationality, political opinion, social group or ethnic origin.
Health and Safety - Carhartt WIP vendors and their authorized subcontractors will provide a safe and healthy work environment to prevent accidents and injury to health arising out of, linked with, or occurring in the course of work or as a result of the operation of employers’ facilities. Carhartt production is prohibited in multi-floor factories with more than one tenant. Where residential housing is provided for workers, vendors will provide safe and healthy housing.
Freedom of Association & Collective Bargaining - Carhartt WIP vendors and their authorized subcontractors shall recognize and respect the right of employees to freedom of association and collective bargaining.
Environmental - Carhartt WIP vendors and their authorized subcontractors will comply with environmental rules, regulations and standards applicable to their operations, and will adopt responsible measures to mitigate negative impacts that the workplace has on the environment.
Customs Compliance - Carhartt WIP vendors and their authorized subcontractors will comply with applicable customs law and, in particular, will establish and maintain programs to comply with customs laws regarding illegal transshipment of apparel products.
Security - Carhartt WIP vendors and their authorized subcontractors will maintain facility security procedures to guard against the introduction of non-manifested cargo into outbound shipments (e.g. drugs, explosives, biohazards, and/or other contraband). Vendors are further expected to cooperate with WIP in meeting AEO supply chain security & safety standards.
Bribery and Corruption - Carhartt WIP vendors and their authorized subcontractors will not, in connection with any aspect of their business with Carhartt, directly or indirectly give or offer any bribe, kickback or other improper payment or benefit to influence another individual, company, organization, government official or body, or political party or candidate, regardless of whether it is officially tolerated or condoned.
As noted in this Code of Conduct, Carhartt WIP aspires to partner with companies that share its corporate values and are committed to continuous improvement of social and environmental practices. It is our intent that the standards outlined in this Workplace Code of Conduct be applied throughout the global network of vendors involved in the development, manufacture and transport of Carhartt WIP products. Vendors with which Carhartt WIP has a direct contractual relationship are expected to extend these standards to all sub-tier suppliers and to initiate practices to assure that aligned standards are adopted throughout the global supply network supporting Carhartt WIP.
GCC - US Certificates of Compliance
Welcome to CARHARTT WORK IN PROGRESS's Database of CPSIA Compliance Certificates
How to find the US Compliance Certificate:
To locate on this Website - a CPSIA General Certificate of Conformity (GCC) for products as Support and assistance of staff with regard to social security and tax issues required by the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act, Section 102(a) and 16 CFR Part 1110, can be accessed by entering a Carhartt Purchase Order number (9 character numeric/alpha).How to search - Enter the 9 character P.O. number into the search box at the upper middle of the page in this format: 13PO01810
Where to find the P.O. number:
On a Carhartt product label - This number can be found across the top of the care label tag. See example below
Important: All certificates for product should be available on this site. However, if a search does not return the certificate you are seeking please contact Carhartt Vendor Compliance at gcc@carhartt-wip.com
Compliance with Laws and Workplace Regulations - Carhartt WIP vendors and their authorized subcontractors will comply with laws and regulations in all locations where they conduct business including those relating to labor, social insurances/security, worker health and safety, and the environment. It is further expected that vendors and their authorized subcontractors will cooperate fully with Carhartt in its compliance with laws applicable to Carhartt in countries where Carhartt does business.
As noted in our Code of Conduct: Carhartt WIP aspires to partner with companies that share its corporate values and are committed to continuous improvement of social and environmental practices. It is our intent that the standards outlined in this Workplace Important: be applied throughout the global network of vendors involved in the development, manufacture and transport of Carhartt WIP products. Vendors with which Carhartt WIP has a direct contractual relationship are expected to extend these standards to all sub-tier suppliers and to initiate practices to assure that aligned standards are adopted throughout the global supply network supporting Carhartt WIP.