Carhartt, an established global brand with a loyal customer base, is focusing on women’s work apparel as part of its long-term business strategy. Widely known for its rugged men’s work apparel, the company is proactively addressing an underserved and growing market: skilled tradeswomen.
TENCEL™ Fibers Create Durability And Comfort
The Carhartt Spring collection breaks new ground by offering women’s products made from TENCEL™ fibers that are durable while providing the soft comfort that women look for in apparel.”Our brand is known for its durability and the innovation starts with the fibers used to make the fabrics,” said Susan Hennike, chief brand officer at Carhartt. The design team then develops the silhouettes and colors for the line, explained Hennike. “The new line designed by women and made by women allows for comfort and versatility.”
The company plans to focus on women’s workwear as one of its strategic goals and will continue to make investments in this category. “We own the bottoms category in men’s and we should own it in women’s too,” said Hennike. As more women enter the trade workforce, including agricultural, construction, and electrical, the need for durable, safe, and reliable work clothes that are also comfortable and versatile can be served by Carhartt.
Women Working In Trade Occupations Continues To Grow
In 2021, the number of women working in trades occupations reached the highest level ever, at more than 314,000. During the last five years, the number of tradeswomen increased by almost one-third. The portion of Women working in transportation and warehousing industries as a share of total workers increased 2.8% from 2016 to 2022; manufacturing is up 1.6% and construction is up 1.5%. The number of female apprentices has more than doubled from 2014 to 2022 and women now make up nearly 14% of active apprentices compared to 9.4% in 2014, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.
Innovation Driven By Real Workers
While Carhartt has been making women’s apparel since 1917 with its famed women’s coveralls, the recently developed clothing line has been designed to meet the more varied needs of today’s tradeswomen. Driven by its consumer insights and a volunteer-based community of around 5,000 real people (called the Carhartt Crew), the design team has developed a new line based on feedback from women working in the field. “Our secret sauce is listening very intensely to our customers and the feedback they provide to us,” said Jo James, director of women’s design at Carhartt. “We want to empower women and make them feel great about themselves.”
“With more women entering the trade fields and having the same jobs with the same demands as male counterparts, we needed to provide women with a clothing option that meets their work and personal lifestyle,” said Samantha Denton, vice-president of women’s at Carhartt. “The design process starts on the job site and by learning from workers in the field.” This is similar to how founder Hamilton Carhartt made a more durable pair of bibs by working directly with the railroad engineers in need of better gear to do a tougher job back in 1889.
After understanding the feedback from women in the work environment, the company’s goal was to produce products that were durable yet lighter weight, with a softer feel, and with breathable fabric. The women’s line is made with TENCEL™ fibers and French terry cotton which provides softness without sacrificing durability. “This collection is truly inspired by women, designed by women, and built for women who know the definition of hard work,” said Denton. The Carhartt Women’s Spring 2024 collection with TENCEL™ is now available on Carhartt.com and at select retailers nationwide.
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