Remember Americana? When old-school brands like Alden, Pendleton, and Red Wing felt brand new, when Cone Mills selvedge denim was practically de rigueur? We have that late-aughts trend (and the #menswear blog movement it spawned from) to thank for getting a new generation of guys interested in style.
In the years after Americana, the heritage movement hung in there on the backs of dozens of high fashion collaborations: Junya Watanabe x Carhartt, Alyx x Dickies, Vetements x Champion, to name a few. At the same time as these designer remixes gave workwear brands a stylish stamp of approval, the fashion-obsessed have yearned for consistent, well-made pieces like never before, especially at post-sale in-between-season moments like right now.
That’s why these days the most stylish men in the world are mixing heritage brands like Carhartt with pieces straight from the runways. All over Milan and Paris at the recent menswear shows, it seemed like nobody left their hotel before throwing on something distinctly non-fashion. And unlike Americana, this trend—call it New Heritage—is global, and has no dominant, definable aesthetic. Like the guys of fashion week, these 10 New Heritage essentials will jump start your style, too.
RM Williams Comfort Craftsman
RM Williams might be the only chelsea boots worn by rockstars, Australian ranchers, and this guy outside the Balenciaga show in Paris. Founded in the Australian Outback in 1932, RM Williams opened its only American-based store last year in New York, and since then their chisel-toe chelseas have become a fashion insider favorite. The sleek, whole-cut leather construction is undeniably beautiful, but it’s really all about the comfort sole, which makes pounding the pavement all day in these no big deal at all.
Blundstone 500
Australia’s other legendary boot export, Blundstone, has been around since it was founded in 1870 on Tasmania. Their boots are a bit stouter and crunchier than RM Williams, but their decidedly un-dressy vibe has made them a go-to choice for everyone who has embraced the wide-and-cropped pant trend (so, pretty much everyone). Though you’ll find them at any Brooklyn brunch spot, they’re still the only shoe you want to be wearing when a sudden snowstorm rolls through.
Carhartt Vest
Carhartt’s responsible for two of the best designer-workwear collaborations in the past 5 years: Carhartt x Adam Kimmel, and their couple-season collection with APC. But assuming you can’t go back in time and get your hands on either line, you might as well get the most classic Carhartt piece there is—the vest. The one on Poggy the Man, above, is from Carhartt’s fashion-forward Work In Progress (WIP) line, but the original version is great too. It’s one of the most rugged layering pieces money can buy, and for that matter is much, much cheaper than whatever you’ll pay for second-hand Adam Kimmel stuff on Grailed.
Vetra Chore Coat
The chore coat has been around for over a century; more recently, it’s been held in popular esteem as the piece of clothing inseparable from the late, great fashion photographer Bill Cunningham. Vetra is one of the original French chore coat brands, having made them since the 1920s in the northern part of the country (where their factory remains to this day). They were popular among New York mechanics in the ’70s and ’80s, and though they’re more difficult to find stateside now, several US-based boutiques have started stocking their classic styles again.
Patagonia Ultralight Down Jacket
Patagonia has spent the last few decades making corporate responsibility look cool, and in the process has made their classic products look even cooler. And through fall, winter and spring it’s all about their versatile down jackets. Lest you associate down layering with finance dudes, Patagonia’s ultralight jacket is more out- than in-doorsy, and gets even warmer when you throw a shearling vest over it.
Dickies Work Pants
Yes, it’s hard to imagine yourself in Dickies work pants based on their somewhat lo-fi e-commerce site. But in this era of diverse hemlines they’re the perfect pant, and can be chopped, rolled, and shrunk in any number of skateboarder-approved ways. (Or simply left as-is for the ultimate normcorporate look.)
Champion Reverse Weave Sweatshirt
The Champion sweatshirt is the most classic classic piece of clothing in the world. (There’s a reason why Champion was one of the first brands ripped off by Vetements back when Demna Gvasalia’s parodic fashion collective emerged a few years ago.) Seriously, everyone needs a sweatshirt, and there’s simply nothing better. Get it plain, get it with the big logo script—just get one.
Levi’s Sherpa Trucker Jacket
Nobody does vintage-cool quite like the original blue jeans brand. And while you could spend days sifting through thrift stores for the perfect faded-out Levi’s Sherpa trucker, save yourself the time and pick one up brand new—Levi’s did a damn good job fading this one out for you.
Wm. J. Mills & Co. Tote Bag
Now that we’re all looking for an LL Bean alternative, it’s time to get to know Wm. J. Mills & Co. tote bags. The family company has made sails on the North Fork of Long Island since 1880, and their totes have been beach fixtures there for decades. Made to order out of the same sturdy canvas they use in marine products, these totes are everything you need a weekend bag to be. No monograms here, just a classic label.
Converse ’70s All Star and One Star
Sometimes ubiquity is a good thing. The above shoes are on the feet of just about every stylish dude these days, but that just means that Converse got these two throwback styles right. The ’70s Chuck has heavier canvas and a chunkier rubber sole than the modern version, and might just be the perfect shoe for today’s cropped pants. Not to be outdone, the One Star, Converse’s retro skate shoe, is even more versatile—if you’ve copped a pair of Dickies by now, here’s your next step.
In the years after Americana, the heritage movement hung in there on the backs of dozens of high fashion collaborations: Junya Watanabe x Carhartt, Alyx x Dickies, Vetements x Champion, to name a few. At the same time as these designer remixes gave workwear brands a stylish stamp of approval, the fashion-obsessed have yearned for consistent, well-made pieces like never before, especially at post-sale in-between-season moments like right now.
RM Williams Comfort Craftsman
RM Williams might be the only chelsea boots worn by rockstars, Australian ranchers, and this guy outside the Balenciaga show in Paris. Founded in the Australian Outback in 1932, RM Williams opened its only American-based store last year in New York, and since then their chisel-toe chelseas have become a fashion insider favorite. The sleek, whole-cut leather construction is undeniably beautiful, but it’s really all about the comfort sole, which makes pounding the pavement all day in these no big deal at all.
Blundstone 500
Carhartt Vest
Carhartt’s responsible for two of the best designer-workwear collaborations in the past 5 years: Carhartt x Adam Kimmel, and their couple-season collection with APC. But assuming you can’t go back in time and get your hands on either line, you might as well get the most classic Carhartt piece there is—the vest. The one on Poggy the Man, above, is from Carhartt’s fashion-forward Work In Progress (WIP) line, but the original version is great too. It’s one of the most rugged layering pieces money can buy, and for that matter is much, much cheaper than whatever you’ll pay for second-hand Adam Kimmel stuff on Grailed.
Vetra Chore Coat
The chore coat has been around for over a century; more recently, it’s been held in popular esteem as the piece of clothing inseparable from the late, great fashion photographer Bill Cunningham. Vetra is one of the original French chore coat brands, having made them since the 1920s in the northern part of the country (where their factory remains to this day). They were popular among New York mechanics in the ’70s and ’80s, and though they’re more difficult to find stateside now, several US-based boutiques have started stocking their classic styles again.
Patagonia Ultralight Down Jacket
Patagonia has spent the last few decades making corporate responsibility look cool, and in the process has made their classic products look even cooler. And through fall, winter and spring it’s all about their versatile down jackets. Lest you associate down layering with finance dudes, Patagonia’s ultralight jacket is more out- than in-doorsy, and gets even warmer when you throw a shearling vest over it.
Dickies Work Pants
Yes, it’s hard to imagine yourself in Dickies work pants based on their somewhat lo-fi e-commerce site. But in this era of diverse hemlines they’re the perfect pant, and can be chopped, rolled, and shrunk in any number of skateboarder-approved ways. (Or simply left as-is for the ultimate normcorporate look.)
Champion Reverse Weave Sweatshirt
The Champion sweatshirt is the most classic classic piece of clothing in the world. (There’s a reason why Champion was one of the first brands ripped off by Vetements back when Demna Gvasalia’s parodic fashion collective emerged a few years ago.) Seriously, everyone needs a sweatshirt, and there’s simply nothing better. Get it plain, get it with the big logo script—just get one.
Levi’s Sherpa Trucker Jacket
Nobody does vintage-cool quite like the original blue jeans brand. And while you could spend days sifting through thrift stores for the perfect faded-out Levi’s Sherpa trucker, save yourself the time and pick one up brand new—Levi’s did a damn good job fading this one out for you.
Wm. J. Mills & Co. Tote Bag
Now that we’re all looking for an LL Bean alternative, it’s time to get to know Wm. J. Mills & Co. tote bags. The family company has made sails on the North Fork of Long Island since 1880, and their totes have been beach fixtures there for decades. Made to order out of the same sturdy canvas they use in marine products, these totes are everything you need a weekend bag to be. No monograms here, just a classic label.
Converse ’70s All Star and One Star
Sometimes ubiquity is a good thing. The above shoes are on the feet of just about every stylish dude these days, but that just means that Converse got these two throwback styles right. The ’70s Chuck has heavier canvas and a chunkier rubber sole than the modern version, and might just be the perfect shoe for today’s cropped pants. Not to be outdone, the One Star, Converse’s retro skate shoe, is even more versatile—if you’ve copped a pair of Dickies by now, here’s your next step.
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