Kimmel Brings Out the Beauty of the Carhartt Beast

Racked is no longer publishing. Thank you to everyone who read our work over the years. The archives will remain available here; for new stories, head over to Vox.com, where our staff is covering consumer culture for The Goods by Vox. You can also see what we’re up to by signing up here.

Grid View

Expand

It's time to meet the softer, sensitive side of Carhartt, thanks to Adam Kimmel. The line launched quietly at Barneys, a fitting fete for the mellow, somewhat nondescript collection of shirts, outerwear, jeans and work pants inspired by the outdoorsy performance brand. Overall, the looks are perfect for the urban man's man who shies away from high fashion for something a little more casual and comfortable?or, in the words of the targeted consumer here, "normal."

Kimmel created a higher end, tailored version of the masculine flannel shirt, crewneck, buttondown, jacket, and blazer without going overboard. Although the worker pants might be a little too skinny for someone who prefers comfort over fashion, and the prices are a little steep ($125 for a beanie, $100 for a sweatshirt and $75 for a t-shirt?), overall the pieces would make great gifts for the kind of man who can't relate to the fashion spreads in GQ. Barney's is clearly reaching out to include the kind of shoppers who would probably never think about shopping there (Carhartt is usually sold at sporting goods and hardware stores)—will they actually make a connection? Personally, we're hoping this helps to get bros everywhere out of ironic "vintage" t-shirts and into something a little classier without having to switch to Dockers.
· Barneys [Official Site]
· Carhartt [Official Site]