Aside from being some of the oldest brands that are still very much active in the fashion industry, companies that design work clothing have stepped up the game more than we could ever imagine. With quite a few being founded as far back as the late nineteenth century, work clothing brands have evolved and expanded their business activity so much that they are raking in hundreds of millions each year in revenue. They all started by designing useful pieces of clothing and footwear for hardworking American men on the field, and now they have become trendsetters for street or casual wear this day. These brands are instantly recognizable, owing to their timeless logos, unforgettable brand names or signature pieces and are constantly upgrading the work wear and fashion industry. Discover 5 fashion brands that went from work clothing to world conquering and find out how they succeeded in creating an authentic legacy.

1. Lee

We have all had multiple pair of Lee jeans throughout our child, teenage and adult years and we have loved them for just as many reasons. The “Lee Mercantile Company” was founded no less than 126 years ago (!), by Henry David Lee in the small town of Salina, Kansas. Since 1889, Lee has been producing some of the most popular, classic and classy pairs of jeans in the entire world. If you are wondering how much profit the company makes, just imagine that Lee spends over $40 million every year just on advertising. Enough said.

2. Carhartt

You know Carhartt, that ultra cool brand with its awesome “Work in Progress” (WIP) streetwear line appreciated both in urban culture and high-end fashion. Of course you do. What you probably didn’t know is that Carhartt is a family-owned business that was founded in 1889. Carhartt has long passed its status as a work clothing brand and has succeeded in collaborating with some of the biggest names in the game, such as A Bathing Ape. The $324 million annual revenue proves it.

3. Timberland

Even though it was founded a bit more recently than other brands on this list (1973), it enjoys a mind-blowing annual revenue of $1.5 billion. Timberland was established 42 years ago in Abington, Massachusetts, and is most famous for its Original Yellow Boot that dates back to the beginning years of the company. Nowadays, it has become a fashion icon embraced by countries around the world, during all seasons and in all conditions.

4. Dickies

When we hear Dickies, we think of their awesome work pants that look so good and are so useful at the same time. The Dickies brand was founded in 1918 by C.N. Williamson and E.E. “Colonel” Dickie in Texas and is now recognized all across the globe. Their red, blue, yellow and white horseshoe logo is easy to spot and definitely easy to remember, while Dickies remains one of the leading work wear brands in the world.

5. Caterpillar

With Caterpillar, their activity is a whole other story. The fashion brand is just a teeny tiny part of the Caterpillar, Inc. corporation, which makes – wait for it – $55.6 billion in revenue a year. Aside from making some seriously stylish pieces of street wear, Caterpillar (also known as CAT) is “the world’s leading manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, diesel and natural gas engines, industrial gas turbines and diesel-electric locomotives”. And we were totally in love just with their classic work boots. Wow, just wow.

Photo credits: Size.co.uk.