Disclaimer: after an excellent article on workwear in Japan , Milone comes back and tells us about workwear among our American friends.
History of American workwear
Workwear - as we know it today - is the product of different worlds, as numerous as there are professions: clothing has truly adapted to the needs of workers over time.
Initially, it was simply an adaptation of everyday clothing, often customized by the worker or tailor. This was done according to specific needs, with more or less means and imagination.
Major trends quickly emerged, by profession and, of course, by region : weather conditions are as important as the needs of the different sectors. Thus, a soldier working in a desert will not have the same outfit as a lumberjack in Maine.
The different influences of American workwear
I am only going to talk about some of the areas of work that we find today in our daily outfits. Concretely, we don't really care what bakers wore in the 19th century. Their clothing heritage is... ridiculous.
Be careful, we really like bakers! But we cannot say that their uniform influenced workwear...
The military workwear universe
The first thoughts on modern combat clothing took place during the Spanish-American War in 1898, with the appearance of the first camouflaged outfits, and especially the first khakis supplied by Levi's (with what would become much later, in 1986, the Dockers brand).
Before that, the war in terms of clothes was a bit like a carnival...
The cuts have obviously been modernized since then, but we note the wearing of chinos by this American soldier from the First World War.
As the years and conflicts progressed, the outfits became more and more technical : cottons and twills were replaced by ripstop (tear-resistant technical fabric often made from nylon) or Gore-Tex (waterproof but breathable), so as to adapt to the various situations and needs of the military.
Despite everything, certain pieces have become more or less common in our current outfits. This is the case of chinos, derived from ceremonial pants and, as I said above, the first “modern” combat pants.
Certain camo patterns are also diverted from their primary function: woodland , tiger or desert , for example, which we now find on tees, sneakers, jackets, etc.
This jacket, for example, uses the so-called “woodland” camo pattern.
Many jackets and coats - such as pea coats or "bomber" type aviator coats - were used by former soldiers returning to civilian life, which made their use more widespread. This was also the case during the Vietnam War through political protesters, and former veterans of Vietnam or Korea, who wore their M51 and M65 jackets.
Today, you can even find them worn in casual/preppy outfits. Moreover, the M65 - or "Jungle Shirt" - from Alpha Industries is the most diverted and reworked military jacket, and is an almost timeless classic depending on the version.
Model M-65 from Alpha Industries: it can be worn without problem, and poses no difficulty in assembly. You can explore this avenue if the military world is one of your inspirations!
In the coats and jackets department, we can also talk about trenchcoats. These are now tailoring pieces, whereas originally, we were on a military officer's coat.
To another extent, the “deck shirt/jacket”, heavy canvas overshirts used by sailors, have been adopted by quite a few bikers and workers. Its evolution also gave rise to the “rider jacket”.
Our feet sometimes have boots from this same universe, like combat boots, which can be Red Wings, jungle boots or paratrooper boots, depending on the era. Red Wing also equipped American sailors during the Second World War, with what would later become the "Moc Toe".
The famous "Moc Toe", Red Wing's flagship model, therefore finds its origins in the military field.
The most important democratization, however, remains that of the t-shirt . It was part of the regulatory uniform of sailors in the First World War, as an undergarment. It then became sports clothing, both civilian and military, eventually adopted by demobilized workers.
American sailors from the 1940s: the one on the right is wearing a T-shirt.
The truth about cowboy clothing
Get rid of the cowboy vision of the famous brand of cigarettes.
Contrary to the image that everyone has of the handsome guy, tall, clean-shaven and wearing a big belt buckle, the cowboy was generally short, because the horses (mustangs) rarely measured more than 1.50 m. We won't talk about his hygiene and his rough shaving...
This period cliché clearly shows us that the cowboy is far from the hunky image that is culturally associated with him.
He will adapt his outfit to his harsh working conditions. Originally, the Texan vaquero (mexican before 1848...) wore canvas or wool pants, with leather chaps (or wool chaps in winter) over them for protection. Many of the clothes of the first vaqueros were also made of leather, because they had to be made on site. The limited means at their disposal therefore limited their choice.
The outfit was quite primitive, in the sense that functionality took precedence over everything else. Cowboys being particularly poor, customization was quite common, and varied according to their origins (30 to 40% of cowboys were Mexican or black).
The photo is certainly blurry, but allows you to get an idea of the typical cowboy outfit.
The appearance of the first jeans did not excite the cowboys .
If the canvas (denim or whipcord) is strong enough to no longer wear heavy and hot chaps , or at least have lighter ones, the wide cut worn by miners and farmers was not suitable for their work .
At their request, around 1885, the jeans were adjusted and were sometimes reinforced with leather at the crotch (the “California pant”).
Unlike those we wear today, period jeans did not have belt loops (they appeared during the First World War, and at Levi's around 1921/22) and were worn very high, with a chinch-back at the back to adjust it to the waist.
Buttons for suspenders were offered, but cowboys did not use them during working hours, to avoid getting caught in the brush.
It's interesting to see to what extent Levi's was able to exploit the idea of the cowboy in jeans, when we know that their wearing was ultimately not that widespread.
The shirts are basic, in durable and simple materials (cotton, flannels, etc.). Initially, they are only buttoned up to the chest, slipping on like a sweater, with a wide cut to be free of any movement. It was not until the beginning of the 20th century that we saw a full buttoning system.
Depending on the climatic conditions, a leather or canvas coat was worn, long and loose so that it could be used for riding. A bandana or shawl, made of cotton and sometimes silk, protected the neck from sunburn and the mouth from dust. The hat was important because it helped prevent sunstroke, and also protected, in a rudimentary way, from the rain. A vest was sometimes worn to have extra pockets, but it was not systematic.
We find several elements of cowboy paraphernalia in this workwear look, notably the presence of very raw leather and the bandana.
But the most important piece, because it defined the cowboy as such, was the boot. In leather, sometimes reaching up to the knee, and with a heel of 4 to 6 cm. Depending on the periods, regions and desires, it was different. Embroidered, painted, inlaid with stones or silver... DIY customization was widespread, and made his cowherd boy proud. It's not because you're a livestock keeper that you don't have pride and can't show off!
Work clothes for miners and gold miners
We owe two major advances in clothing to the miners and gold miners of the 19th century: jeans and the t-shirt.
We will not return to the birth of jeans by Levi Strauss, everyone knows it . Moreover, it originally did not have much in common with the models we wear today.
For those who don't know what this means, a gold prospector is someone who looks for gold in rivers.
The first denim pants (circa 1850) were wide, with high cuts and worn with suspenders; or they were otherwise simple overalls. The success was quite considerable: until then, workers used any type of pants, which they wore out in a few days.
The arrival of denim models has greatly changed the way we design work clothing, as well as the marketing around this universe (Levi Strauss was an advertising genius).
The birth of the rivet in 1873 was another great advance, pockets no longer tore ! This more or less marks the beginning of the specialization of work clothing. Of course, jeans have been available in multiple versions according to the needs of workers.
As for our current t-shirt, its origins date back to the 1850s, during the first gold rush. At that time, men's underwear consisted mainly of the "union suit", a sort of baby fat for adults; until gold miners began to cut it up so they could work shirtless on hot days.
Example of union follows : the first reader to ask us where to buy it will be banned forever 😉
Shoes, for their part, had nothing special in the 19th century: they were made of leather, and everyone reinforced them as best they could. In 1905, Charles H. Beckman created the work shoe, and its name will probably ring a bell: Red Wing.
He offered shoes that were much more durable than anything you could find on the market, with exceptionally thick leather, resolable (a very usual thing at the time) and with a reinforced toe to protect the foot. The brand was popular with miners and workers, as well as farmers and the army.
In 1897, another brand achieved success thanks to the Klondike gold rush, by also offering boots, but also quality knitwear and durable coats: the Filson brand .
From its beginnings, Filson positioned itself as a workwear brand, emphasizing quality ("Better outdoor clothes" means "better clothing for the great outdoors").
Farmers' workwear
The first farmers made their own clothes, all different depending on their country of origin, and especially according to their means .
Quite a lot of leather was used, because the “raw material” was abundant (bison, etc.). Then the arrival of jeans and their derivatives (“duck canvas pant”, among others) radically changed their daily lives. Ok, it's less classy than the Amish outfit, but it's more durable, comfortable, and above all inexpensive.
As for shoes, it's a bit the same: they need resistant models, preferably high to protect themselves from brush and critters that could bite them.
Good thick jeans, high boots and a hat to protect yourself from the sun, everything is there!
Workwear in the Navy
As an ultra-specific profession, and taking into account the difficult working and weather conditions, we find some of the highest quality products in this branch .
They were often the first to receive new materials that improved their daily conditions.
The many European fishermen, particularly Bretons, imported the sailor sweater, or commonly called the sweater by the “fishermen”. This sweater has such a tight knit that it is said to be waterproof, and above all puncture-proof. It was quickly adopted by American fishermen who added a turtleneck; type of collar that was mainly found in sports clothing from the beginning of the 20th century.
We can clearly see the wearing of the sweater on the second sailor from the right, the mesh is tight and actually looks solid. We also note the presence of a turtleneck, a small innovation brought by our American friends.
Unlike European fishermen who wear caps, many American fishermen have adopted the bob made of wool or cotton, and sometimes waterproofed with tallow or tar.
The peacoat was the coat generally used. Popularized by European sailors, it was replaced in the mid-1960s by the famous Breton yellow raincoat.
This is very obvious, everyone is wearing a peacoat!
We can also make a small digression about the type of shoes that we commonly call “boats”. Its origin comes from the leather moccasins worn by the Indians, then adopted by trappers, allowing them to move silently in the forests (but also very easy to make).
Then, with the evolution of techniques and the appearance of gum, latex or rubber soles, it became “Maine Boots”, sometimes used by loggers. Very quickly, sailors got started, and finally boaters. In this range of shoes, we can cite Eastland Shoe, Quoddy, Yuketen, etc.
The most identified workwear: that of lumberjacks
Ah, the good big lumberjack, with his beard and his checked wool overshirt... Imagine that the reality is not so far from the cliché!
Indeed, loggers work mainly in the American Northeast and in Canada, with climatic conditions that are not super funky: cold, rain, snow, humidity.
The materials must therefore be warm, with lots of wool and thick canvas products. Some brands that were popular with these workers are still there, like Woolrich.
With such conditions, the use of suitable materials is essential.
Boots are generally oversized so they can be worn with one or even two thick pairs of wool socks. The latter are often relatively long, sometimes up to the knees, so that they can be worn over the pants. This keeps you warm, and protects against brambles at the same time.
In fact, their pants can be made of wool, large canvas type canvas or even velvet. Gloves and hats are also essential, both to protect yourself from the cold and as work protection. Brands like LL Bean , which still exists, specialized in a range of outwear-branded products ( for the record, Heschung started there!).
Very emblematic of LL Bean, the "Wildcat" boots were very widespread among fishermen, proof of the brand's desire to focus on work clothing.
The coat is a bit the same as that found on the workers who built the railways: large, thick canvas, lined with wool, and worn a little oversized so as not to have movement problems. The Carhartt brand, which was very popular with railway and construction workers at the end of the 19th century, was also popular with loggers.
The quality and design of the products allowing them to work in difficult conditions perfectly suited their needs.
Ok, it's been in the war... but look at the robustness of the construction and materials on this old Carhartt jacket. These are the factors that have allowed the brand to enjoy such a reputation.
The boots are waterproof, initially by “waxing” the leather with grease, then more or less specialized boots appeared: the famous “Yellow Boots” from Timberland , “Duck Boots”, or even rubber boots. We keep our feet dry!
Workwear in the mechanical and railway professions
The industrialization of the USA and the creation of railways are closely linked. It was in fact during the second half of the 19th century, with the explosion of the steel and metallurgy industry (mainly in the cities of Chicago and Denver), that the creation of railway lines could see the light of day.
Initially, there are no specific outfits, given that workers are often daily or seasonal workers. Over time, with companies becoming larger and more sophisticated and specialized, work clothing emerged. This phenomenon is also explained by the desire to have a more qualified workforce, and projects that can become extremely expensive.
To give you an idea of the arduousness of railway construction, it was often work carried out by prisoners during forced labor. The expression “coal” takes on its full meaning!
Rudimentary, not very comfortable and not always adapted to climatic or environmental conditions, they are often only a form of upgrade to civilian clothing. It is with the appearance of brands like Carhartt, Filson and others that the world of workwear explodes among workers.
Over the years, the outfit became more specialized: many day laborers mobilized, or engaged in conflicts, brought back their military outfits to work. The brands therefore offer pieces that include certain techniques and technologies from military clothing, these working with the army.
For the record, quite a few former soldiers demobilized after the Second World War created motorcycle clubs, such as the Hells Angels. I'm not going to give you the history of these guys, but they had a huge influence on young people with their look: denim, leather and military clothes.
James Dean, among others of course, is part of this generation influenced by post-war motorcycle clubs. It's quite surprising, we don't expect the rebel archetype to be influenced by former soldiers!
Even today, many American mechanics adopt this style of clothing; and quite a few brands, more or less credible, are riding this wave, like Deux Ex and Johnson Motors Wear (which must be one of the oldest “biker wear” brands because it was created in 1938)...
“White-collar” workwear (yes)
The suit/tie is a work outfit like any other. How many of you work in this outfit, and no longer wear it in your free time?
It is undoubtedly the one which most differentiates social classes. Indeed, depending on the materials used, the cuts or the finishes, it allows you to quickly categorize a person.
In the USA, “historic” cities like Boston, New York or Pittsburgh quickly had renowned tailors, often from Europe and using Italian, English fabrics, etc.
American sartorial silhouette par excellence, the appearance of this type of look was only made possible with the emigration of European tailors.
With the explosion of industrial practices and ready-to-wear, the costume, which was mainly reserved for an elite, became easily accessible.
The cuts are more minimalist, simple, and the materials benefit from advances in the field of chemistry with new synthetic materials.
Not to mention that the costume of the American middle class worker of the 20s and 30s influenced the whole world.
