“I believe that when a man wears an article that I manufacture, his self-respect is increased because he knows that it is made by an honest manufacturer, who is honest with his employees”
- Hamilton Carhartt
Hamilton Carhartt grew up in Southern Michigan, though he was born in New York. When he was 34 years old, he founded Carhartt—with just 5 workers and 4 sewing machines. The six of them made railroad clothing made from duck and denim, and Carhartt’s business grew rapidly for the next 20 years. But the great depression hit Carhartt hard, and they had to scale back operations dramatically. Afterwards, however, Carhartt moved operations to Irvine, Kentucky, and grew his business to include 17 mills on two continents. Hamilton passed away in 1937, but his company is still family owned and committed to providing “Best-in-Class apparel for the active worker.”
Some of Carhartt’s work clothes are still made in the USA—in fact, they put out a bi-fold pamphlet that details all their “Union-Made in the USA” products (though their catalog for globally-sourced clothing is nearer 200 pages).
The “Union Made” pamphlet has some jeans, overalls, and two zip-up flannel-lined hoodies, but the standout is the UC03 Duck Traditional coat.
I first learned about the UC03 at Dave’s New York, a workwear supply store in New York City. The founder’s grandson said to me “we grew up wearing these coats—they’re warm man, we used to throw ‘em on over our t-shirts and play in the snow all day.” I was hooked, and lucky enough to get a UC03 for Christmas.
It’s got rib-knit storm cuffs to keep cold air from rushing into the sleeves, a drawstring-cinched waist, and triple-stitched main seams. That zipper is a whopper—sized for a hockey bag but made of steel—and the brass-plating provides a nice slash down the middle of the coat’s rich black woven shell.
The luxurious looking quilted interior is initially what drew me to this coat—I had been wearing an ill-fitting imported peacoat before it—and I liked that the UC03 comes in suit sizes: my UC03 isn’t a “Large”, it’s a 40 Long, and it fits dang well because of it. Or does now, at least. When it first arrived it felt unnaturally square and puffy, but over the past three months it has worn in so it fits comfortably.
Back to the interior. The hidden storm cuffs do a fine job keeping warm air in the sleeves, and the polyester-stuffed quilt keeps you warm—very warm—even in zero-degree weather. The nylon interior lining is a bit of a letdown—it looks wonderful, but feels like it could tear easily—though in my three-and-a-half months of ownership it has yet to show signs of wear.
It should be noted that the coat isn’t waterproof—the exterior is made of cotton and gets damp when it rains. It hasn’t been a major problem and it dries quickly, but it’s still a better choice for snow than rain.
However—there is no better choice than a classic Carhartt Duck jacket when you want to look and feel like a genuine worker. As soon as you put it on you’re on-site, smoking on breaks, manning a jackhammer under floodlights on a subzero-night, and punching out at 7AM. Indeed, Carhartt’s American-made “U” series is union-made in the USA, and they know how to put out inexpensive, long-lasting gear.
For $90, you can’t beat Carhartt’s jacket. Nobody questions the style—you can be on the way to your daughter’s birthday party. You can be taking the day off as an important figure. You can rely on it to keep you warm and it will hold up to tough conditions. And should you burn a hole or shoot a nail through it, there’s a pile more jackets waiting for you in any size—from 38 to 50L—you may desire.
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