Business

After Tokyo, Paris, London, Rome, Milan, This Dearborn Clothier Will Open in Midtown

January 28, 2015, 9:40 AM by  Alan Stamm

See what Shinola started.


Shoppers in Milan, the fashion capital of Italy, can visit this store for USA-style garments.

A much older, better-known Metro Detroit consumer goods manufacturer also is opening a Midtown store. Carhartt, which crossed over from work wear to street fashion, is coming to Cass Avenue before summer, columnist Tom Walsh reports in the Free Press 

To hammer the impact, the headline calls the destination "trendy Midtown."   

Carhartt will announce plans today to lease a three-story building at 5800 Cass Ave. in Detroit's Midtown area, just south of the I-94 freeway.

Like four-year-old Shinola, 126-year-old Carhartt is a global brand -- with even more sites abroad that it owns or licenses. Each locally based business has a London store, as well as supplying merchandise for resale by other retailers. Carhartt also set up shops in Milan, Rome (two), Paris (three), London (three) Sydney and Tokyo.

The Dearborn clothing manufacturer's top executive talks to Walsh about belatedly adding its first Michigan site:

"We have long had a desire and need to open a store in our company's birthplace and what many of us at Carhartt consider our own hometown," said CEO and Chairman Mark Valade, the fourth-generation head of the family owned company founded by Hamilton Carhartt in 1889. . . .

Carhartt . . . has long sold the vast majority of its products through wholesale outlets, but began establishing Carhartt-owned retail stores about five years ago — and now has 16 such locations nationwide.    

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"For workdays or weekends" a Carhartt slogan says.

Domestic sites include Chicago, Cincinnati and Indianapolis.

The rugged overalls, jackets, vests, footwear and other items originally were popular with ranchers, farmers, factory workers and construction crews. Selections now include women's wear and also are pitched at those lifting groceries as well as lumber. "For workdays or weekends" is the brand's marketing slogan. As Walsh notes:

Part of Carhartt's growth has come from a rebound in construction and manufacturing activity, but a big factor has also been adoption by urban hipsters.


The Dearborn company sells overalls, jackets, vests, boots and more at this corner store is in Sydney, Australia.


Read more:  Detroit Free Press


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