Where to find Quality Workwear?
Owned Space Needs Manly Goods
I have so many suits, three piece, and separates, summer and winter, that I hardly remember where I got them all (mostly from off the rack, Charles Tyrwhitt, Bank, and Paul Frederick). Most still fit—and I still fit into my lined flannel shirt my dad (RIP) bought me from the Big R when I was 16, and I still have it and wear it. Since I started lifting, and also engaging in laborious tasks, the weight fell off. So, I could attend a black tie dinner, and business class attired event, no problem. The problem (for me) is, I rarely have occasion to do that anymore. Most of my woven ties sit idle.
When I started the garage channel on youtube, I was really invoking my past—a time when I had much workwear on hand. Whether I was out in pasture, or in a shop, I could grab whatever I had at hand—coveralls were the go to then—the old school kind. My dad once said to me, “I have no idea where you picked up mechanics.” He was not a mechanic, but the man could do everything else from electrician, to house construction, to welding, to farming, animal husbandry, etc. I picked up the auto shop skills on my own. Over the years, I wore out all those clothes, and by the time I entered college, all that was tossed for more “respectable” formal wear—the “sit behind a desk all day” attire. Death to cubicles.
I was confronted with my lack of workwear, when, a few years ago, tiring of all the cheap and crappy new cars on the market, I bought a 1980 Ford F350, manual shift, and manual locking hubs. Of course it is a 4x4—no man drives a 2x4 except for ranch chores.
I knew I wanted to restore something, and drive an old reliable truck that could literally, smash new plastic trucks to pieces.
I was immediately confronted with a problem. I had t-shirts and jeans, but Levis are NOT what they used to be (even though they are my favorite casual wear) and, I only had so many ratty t-shirts to sacrifice to the gearhead gods. Furthermore, wearing cotton clothing in heat is NOT what one should do. Why? It retains moisture and does not wick, leaving the body exhausted. So what to do? Levis used to be up to the task of workwear, but they really are now a fashion product, and cannot keep up with real work—their denim is woefully thin now. And Denim in heat is a definite no go.
Before I continue, I am not paid by any of the companies I list here. They do not know I am writing this.
This prompted me to go on a hunt, and it was a hunt that initially led to frustration. There are really only a few places I knew of to buy durable and affordable workwear. Affordable is the key here, because there are many places to buy some bitchin’ products, but they are not only durable, but seriously stylish and expansive. In other words, they look quite cool, but would I work in them? Hell no…they look too good for that and for that price? Hell no again. But they could double as real workwear because they are made so well.
When I watched Yellowstone, which was a fairly based series despite what interlackshuals on the right had to say about it, Kayce and Rip wore some of the most excellent WAXED rider/cruiser jackets, that were bitchin’. They are a blast from the past, when we celebrated manhood, and rural America still does.
Kayce’s Freenote Cloth waxed jacket:
Here it is. $450 and it is worth every bit of the price as made (USA by the way). From the canvas, waxing, stitching, lining, attention to small details, etc., it screams cool and is high quality. The lining is a blanket flannel and it looks and feels supreme. I liked it so much I got a knock off. Sadly, it does not compare to the Freenote version. But, of course, I would rather have a Freenote version.
Rip’s Filson:
Filson has a storied history. It has been around since the late 1890s, and Teddy Roosevelt corresponded with their historian—the company used to publish an historical journal. Nothing screams pacific northwest manly spirit than a Filson.
But back to Rip: here is the jacket….it’s very cool, and more affordable at $350. The jacket features 14oz canvas tin cloth, metal buttons, and waist/cuff adjustments. Side pockets are roomy, and interior pockets plentiful. Well made, stitched well, with rivets in the rights spots, round out the excellence.
But what is affordable to the regular guy who wears these day in and day out?
At first, a few years ago when I embarked on my restoration project, I saw very few options for clothing in the garage.
Tractor Supply—Ridgecut and Blue Mountain
I rather like TSC. You should visit the Leland store. It’s fabulous. It is like walking into a Yellowstone testosterone mecca, and that is beautiful. It was there, I met real people who did not have the same opinions of the Yellowstone as so-called academic conservatives. What they said, mattered to me because it was devoid of pretense and pretentiousness. Both men and women are, hardy and loved the criticisms of the left from the series.
TSC flirted with woke, but then got scared and backed off, if you believe Robby Starbuck, who shakes down companies and claims he’s accomplished something [sidebar: he usually doesn’t and lies about his accomplishments—just look at Harley Davidson which still has all its woke policies in place after he claimed HE got rid of it].
I am not going to dwell on the political in this post, but speak about quality. Why? Because there are not a lot of choices, which is not the same, say, for beverages like Bud. There are a plethora of similar replacements. Bud went woke? Hello champagne of beers!
Not so in workwear. This is why I do not care for this purpose about corporate policy. It’s the quality of the clothes and the price point that matter.
TSC began a rugged brand called Ridgecut. They are high quality workwear and offer shirts, pants, t-shirts, etc., for hot and cold days. I have 3 items, which were my first purchases years ago. They are still going strong. Their ripstop shirts are indestructible as are their canvas pants. Highly recommend. Catch the sales and step lively if you do—they will sell out.
Ridgecut Graphene long sleeve shirts are perfect for fall/winter, and thick. They are a cotton/Poly blend and are great for outdoors chores and shop work.
I do not own, but have looked at them closely, yet the Ridgecut canvas coats and vests are rather well done. The canvas is thick and lining poly quilt pattern with a fill for warmth. I am not a fan of certain pocket placements, of which I will say more later, but that is a personal preference not a criticism of the quality.
Blue Mountain is their more affordable line, and can be made quite cheaply (their short sleeve Ts are rather thin and really cheap), but now and then, the sales on Blue Mountain are too good to pass up—$9.99 flannel shirts is a sweet deal. Their flannel shirts are fabulous. They are 100% cotton, so this is a real flannel not fake. It runs a bit thin which means that severe cold will not cut it, but on cool days? Poifect. Size up tho, they run small. I have 3 of these, and they work well for light labor. On cold days, these are great go to shirt.
Both Ridgecut and Blue Mountain are highly affordable. Anyone starting out needing something for the farm or the garage cannot go wrong picking up what you need from TSC. As a caveat, I cannot speak to their footwear as it is the one thing I splurge on (see far below) and I get none of it from TSC.
Of course, TSC also sells the MacDaddy of them all—Carhartt.
Carhartt
TSC has sales on Carhartt that you cannot find anywhere else. Recently, they had 25% off ALL Carhartt. Find that at any other reseller, and you will be searching all day. Carhartt goes quick at TSC, so step lively.
Founded in 1899, this company (which is still privately held not public) started out as a furniture company, and then moved into workwear. Presently, it is an iconic brand, that has maybe lost a step, but has become both a workwear company, and one of fashion—more specifically, young men wear it because it celebrates masculinity.
I own a fair bit of Carhartt, and it is every bit reliable get in the dirt wear as it is an “FU, I do a real job for a living” bar hop/Outlaw Country style that never seems dated.
wrote about this that,Younger rightwing culture has rejected the flaccid, pale physique and even the white collar/cubicle lifestyle and has instead culturally embraced physical health and bodily strength aesthetic. Some of this is due to the changing job prospects for white American males in the corporate and academic job market post-Great Recession, and some of it is a necessary cultural backlash to Boomer/lazyboy diabetes/Costco-hot-dog-special culture.
Carhartt is really about men who reject the effeminate soi boi. As Scott wrote rightly, Carhartt represents the polar opposite to physical weakness. Want more on this see Scott’s links above or, here, here, and here.
But what about quality? There is a fair amount of criticism that Carhartt has declined slightly. I own one of their Duck Hooded Jackets. It is the epitome of high quality, warm, durable, sherpa lined, 12 oz canvas. It has a bi-swing back, large brass zipper, internal cuffs, storm flap with snaps, decent sized front pockets, and internal pockets. I got a steal on it from a huge sale at, where else, TSC. I love it. It is my go to work jacket when it gets cold as in near freezing and below.
The bi-swing is important on their jackets because it allows freedom of movement in the arms—very important (more on that below). I looked all over and compared like jackets—Ridgecut 12oz canvas, but fleece lined. I also did not care for the pockets from , Dri-duck, Tough Duck, Cornerstone, Duluth, Dickies, etc. Nothing compared to what I wanted for the function I wanted this jacket for. And for less than $100 for a Carhartt (on sale) I made out like a bandit.
I have their beanie, several wool boot socks, a few of their work t-shirts, etc., that I got all on massive sale. Everything I bought, is top quality and made well. Their workshirts are heavy to midweight, durable, and great for warmer weather. Honestly, I cannot say enough about this company in terms of quality—they are literally the standard to beat.
If you cannot afford Carhartt new, they are the only company I know that recycles their clothing with their Carhartt Reworked site. You can easily get near new stuff from them at up to 50% off. I did, and have two carpenter canvas pants. They look like new, are true to fit, and at half the cost. Book-em Dano.
The one drawback to Carhartt is their famed Detroit jacket. As I will note below, I went with another brand because Carhartt changed not only the quality, but the design. The older Detroit jacket was super popular, for one, because it had the bi-swing and blanket lining. Those jackets are going for resale, used, at $350 and up now. A new Detroit will set you back between $109-119 not on sale. The 2 new versions of the Detroit, do not have the bi-swing and people are heavily critical. One of those versions (the redesigned Detroit) include a spandex/duck mix, which, is a decided decline in quality because the stretch WILL FAIL eventually. The redesigned Detroit brings back the adjustable cuffs and waist line adjustments, but the bi swing is still missing. However, they are both nice jackets made for warmer weather use, and cut high so a carpenter, and the like, can wear a tool belt. I had to have something like this, and I found it at Cornerstone.
Cornerstone
I nearly pulled the trigger on the redesigned Detroit. But the lack of bi-swing and the inclusion of spandex made me hesitant.
Cornerstone is a relatively new company to workwear. They incorporated in 2005. They make workwear for construction, auto shops, medical, delivery, etc.
I found them somehow, through a third party review of their stuff, when I searched for, “alternative to carhartt detroit.” Their duck work jacket is their answer to Carhartt’s old Detroit. It has the bi swing, 12 oz canvas, and the classic corduroy collar, diamond pattern fleece lining (sadly no blanket lining), plus most all the amenities of the older jacket:
At half the cost of the Detroit, without the skimp on material, this was the best option. I will be wearing this for all my carpentry work no doubt. The jacket also has a zippered access pocket on the left side so that you can sew on any logo, patches, whatever, to brand your name/business into it. Quite cool!
Cornerstone is sold at a plethora of places like Amazon, Toughwork, etc. They do not sell direct like most all the other companies in this genre. So, you will have to shop around to find the best deal.
I needed one more jacket, however. It is remarkable that I had not 1 work jacket in my arsenal, when as a young guy, I had many. All I had was dress coats, London Fogs, and the necessary winter wool formal top coats. I wanted a chore jacket, and once again, Carhartt did not have what I wanted—large pockets, and light lining so I could layer.
I found what I was looking for at the excellent Dri*Duck company.
Dri*Duck
This company is from Kansas. They have many outdoor products and you can buy from them directly or through numerous other sporting good stores. All their quality looks good, and their prices are moderate. If you sign up for their direct site, you will get a % off your first order. I did. It was fabulous and free shipping on their chore coat was a plus. However, they have many products besides coats you should check out. Here is the coat I bought:
The fleece lining, corduroy collar, and the LARGE pockets were the selling point for me. The cell phone pocket is nice and large. The zipper, storm flap, and snaps over it all, was a selling point. The longer back flap was also nice. It is 12oz of boulder canvas, YKK zipper (VERY GOOD) and has storm cuffs. Once again, I beat the price and got it below $100. It also had the bi-swing which is a must for canvas:
Shipping was fairly quick direct. I have no complaints.
What about the rest? All my outerwear complete, I needed some shirts, and maybe something for the really hot humid days. Only one place seemed to have that wrapped up. Key.
Key
Key has been around since 1908. They are another brand from Kansas. They make a lot of workwear for farmers. They have an offshoot brand, kinda like TSC, called Polar King. So some stuff is Key proper, and other clothing is Polar.
They too sell a lot of duck canvas, jackets, overalls, and the many flannels. I just did not like their pocket configuration on the jackets, so passed, but I have no doubt as to the quality. They should command serious consideration from any buyer. The company sells direct and has great coupons and deals/sales.
The company sells jeans, and some fantastic shirts, especially light hot summer wicking Ts…for $5!!!!!! on sale. They also have great low priced, but great quality button down long and short sleeved work shirts. Their jeans are so moderately priced, you will think you are back in 1980, and no they are not cheaply made.
The one thing they had, which I snapped up, was a thick logger’s shirt. It is supreme:
Since I will be clearing trees and logging for wood, this was a must. The quality is rugged, and I cannot find anyone who comes close to Key Quality.
Free shipping on $75 and over.
Berne
I almost forgot to add one canvas outerwear product I wanted—a vest. Why? Because sometimes, a jacket, no matter the weight, will be too warm, but a simple T will be too cold. The Blue Mountain flannel or the Ridgecut Graphene really go well with a vest. So, a vest it is. Once again, I looked for canvas duck.
I really did not like any of the Carhartt duck vests, both for the price point, and other merely cosmetic preferences. I really wanted BIG front pockets again for a vest.
Berne is a Wisconsin company that began around 1893, as a sort of multi use stop shop department store. Oh those days! They sell direct, have excellent coupons and sales, but also can be found at Walmart, TSC, and amazon, etc. I bought both direct and from TSC, because, why else, another TSC fire sale was on!
I wanted a sherpa lined to the collar vest, with large pockets and a zip on the front. It retails for $60, but I got it for $40. It is 12oz sanded duck canvas. It is a sweet simple on the fly option. The breast side pocket is really nice. Internal pockets are plentiful.
Other than the normal outerwear, they have excellent wool socks, work shirts, and long sleeve shirts to choose from and they are quite nicely priced, especially on sale. Their canvas workshirts are rugged and well worth your consideration. Check out their Wool socks, but, I do like Carhartt Wool better because they are longer (over the calf). Still, Berne, is excellent option. I have not found any other place at their price point quite like it. Other than Carhartt, and Dri*Duck, Berne should be among the first places you shop and compare. Their quality is high for the price.
Best of the Rest
I would always make a stop at Dickies and Duluth Trading. Both are on the high price side, but both carry high quality products. Dickies does not really fit me well, and for the price, they are usually a no go. BUT I always check them out. They have everything most all the other companies I note here carry. Duluth has other things others do not, like their bare naked underwear. And Duluth is a MANLY company; they wear it on their sleeve—in your face:
I love their branding, and their stuff is really not bad quality. They are worth a shot.
Troll, Co.
Speaking of branding, I LOVE Troll Co. They make no apology for the trades:
They are the most out in front company, besides Carhartt, who also has a “support the trades” line. Troll, however, puts pedal to metal:
Every jacket (and some shirts) they make are branded with quality stitching that states one of their motos: Dirty hands, clean money—DHCM baby:
They can be spendy, but I love the branding and the idea behind their stuff. It is quality clothing, and you do pay for it, but not like Freecloth and Filson. Still, I cannot help but immediately fallen in love with their product, and I do not even own anything….yet.
Conclusion
I have only touched the surface on all this. If you are interested in such things, you will need to do the work to figure out what you like, and what works best for you. I am specific in my choices because I will be working more in mechanics, carpentry, and of course, homesteading chickens, and who knows what else. Therefore, you might have different needs than mine. But as far as available options, there are a few, but not a lot. What I have chosen to feature, is what I think are the best choices for the price.
As to footwear, I will not belabor you in this already long post: I have both cheap and quality products for such things, from knock off chinese stuff (like Timberland) to high quality stuff like Thorogoods, to Ropers, to CAT (for budget decency), to Muck. The latter 4 are far better by the way. [I would make sure you also checked out Red Wings, Origin, and definitely Georgia.]
An important caution: stay away from Carhartt boots—they are terrible:
Spend more here, and save yourself money. If you must, go Hisea if you are really pinched. In the end, always buy Goodyear Welt, because, the soles can be replaced.
The last thing I would say on boots is that you should keep a couple things on hand: a leather conditioner, and a waterproofing product (I do NOT recommend Mink oil for reasons I will not go into here). I would also keep on hand some form of cleaner (Chamberlains for sure), and definitely get Huberds for waterproofing:
But also keep on hand saddle soap, and Chamberlains shoe milk and Angelus lustre for applications you might want—like basic cleaning and shine.
Finally, as it pertained to canvas, I started out speaking of waxed jackets from Filson and Freenote Cloth. NONE of the ones I bought are waxed, though they are canvas.
There is a remedy: you can wax any canvas jacket or pant yourself. Why would you do that? Because a waxed cloth provides water protection. I have seen people wax their Carhartt jackets after they bought them, especially in the pacific northwest. It works. However, be on notice: once they are waxed they can NEVER EVER be washed again for obvious reasons. However, pending on where you live, waxing may be a wise option.
I have one of the best waxes on the planet for this, and it is made in the formerly sane, but now wackadoo, Portland Oregon. Otterwax:
The process of waxing is to rub the bar in circles, and cover the cloth, then take a heat gun (NOT A HAIR DRYER) and melt the wax in. Take something like a bondo spreader to remove the excess, and heat any area again to make sure it embeds into the cloth. Done!
You are now waterproofed.
Stay Tuned for Part 2. There are a plethora of places I found since Carl Murawski led me to other places for my consideration.
Hope this is helpful to you. I realize for many it may not be, and for that, I apologize. Expect more regular NC content coming as clowns beclown themselves.
I have decided you are not human. Humans need sleep. You apparently do not. ☝😜