Celebrate 100 Years of Dickies With Our Dickies Workwear Style Guide
What exactly goes into a century of making some of the best workwear on the planet? Plenty, as it turns out, including an appreciation for craftsmanship, a keen eye for detail, an ability to weather trends and adapt to the modern landscape and a steadfast toughness. Taken altogether, as Dickies has done since its founding in 1922, it’s enough to want to dive into a Dickies workwear style guide to find out what makes this brand tick.
A century of rugged workwear is undoubtedly worth celebrating. Incorporating workwear into your wardrobe with like-minded companies similar to Dickies has never been easier or more on-trend. Still, there’s more beneath the surface than simply stepping into a chambray workshirt or hard-wearing canvas pants.
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Read More: Dickies’ 100-Year Collection Celebrates the Brand’s Workwear Legacy
A Brief History of Dickies Workwear
The Dickies story begins under the umbrella of the United States Overall Company of Texas, which was initially incorporated by cousins E.E. “Colonel” Dickie and C.N. Williamson and a quintet of other board members in 1918. By 1922, the “Colonel,” plus Williamson and Williamson’s son, received a stock transfer from U.S. Overall investors, which led to the March 1922 launch of the Williamson-Dickie Manufacturing Co.
It’s fitting that the company’s first product is just as in vogue today: Dickies helped pave the way for modern workwear as we know it by making some of the best men’s overalls, and it proved a helpful bedrock for the Texas company. That bedrock runs deep, as Dickies is still headquartered on West Vickery Boulevard in Fort Worth — where the rapidly growing company opened a facility in 1924.
Dickies kept hiring during the Great Depression. Of course, it makes perfect sense that a company with roots in hard-wearing gear would eventually play a role in World War II — the company was commissioned to make millions upon millions of heavy-duty twill uniforms for American servicemembers.
Workwear Through the Ages
The company’s involvement in war efforts famously extended to the 1944 introduction of the standard-issue, tough-as-nails Eisenhower Jacket, a nod to Supreme Allied Commander and future U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower.
But Dickies found success away from the battlefield and outside the States, too, with the introduction of the brand to the oil fields of the Middle East as a trusted workwear solution in the decades after WWII.
And although the company was perhaps best known for durable work gear, the company’s famed slacks (and advertising campaigns with luminaries like music star Pat Boone) helped Dickies transition into modern, everyday life. Witness the use of new technology like polyester fabric in the ever-popular 874 Work Pants as but one example (more on these in a moment).
The Texas company had cultural staying power in plenty of different places, including an eye-catching appearance as a brand of choice in NWA’s classic 1988 music video for “Express Yourself” — the link between Dickies and 1990s hip-hop would carry through the next decade, too.
The rise of workwear and the brand’s continued popularity caught the eye of VF Corporation, a major global fashion player and the parent company of trend-setting brands like The North Face, Supreme, Timberland and Vans. In 2017, VF Corp. bought Dickies, broadening the brand’s reach even further.
Today, Dickies is trusted by just about anyone who values rugged style, classic looks and hard-wearing performance, as evidenced by the brand’s popularity among trendy Gen Z kids to New Orleans skaters to modern-day ranchers in the American West.
In fact, those links are on clear display in the impressive Dickies Made to Last documentary, which debuted at events in both Fort Worth and a London nightclub earlier this summer.
What it all comes down to is classic style that stands the test of time. Our Dickies workwear style guide will show you the ropes as you look to add a touch of iconic, hard-working style and performance to your daily wardrobe. These are the best pieces to buy from the revered brand right now.
1. Dickies 874 Work Pants
BEST WORK PANTS
The introduction of Dickies’ 874 Work Pants was a watershed moment for the company, and they’re a pair of workwear pants that still carry plenty of water, so to speak, today. Fashioned from a blend of twill, polyester and cotton, they feature a super-crisp crease down the middle of each leg — the kind that helps the pants hold their shape — plus a sturdy waistband, durable fabric and color options to suit every style.
Read More: The 10 Best Pairs of Work Pants
Dickies 874 Work Pants
Price: Starting at $29.99
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2. Dickies Unlined Eisenhower Jacket
BEST WORKWEAR JACKET
The original and best is hard to top when it comes to any Dickies workwear style guide, especially if it’s a silhouette with as much history and heritage as the Eisenhower Jacket. Today’s model is just as trusted as when the style first launched, and it’s made from the that tough twill-polyester-cotton blend for good measure. No matter the color you choose, this jacket is made to last.
Dickies Eisenhower Jacket
Price: Starting at $59.99
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3. Dickies Long-Sleeve Work Shirt
BEST WORK SHIRT
Whether you prefer to get the job done in a heavyweight T-shirt or something more sturdy, Dickies has you covered, best evidenced by the wear-anywhere dependability of its work shirts. The difference is all in the details, including non-break buttons, stain release fabric, an easy-to-layer fit and useful front-button chest pockets. Throw this on over a Dickies T-shirt for whatever comes up on your to-do list.
Dickies Long-Sleeve Work Shirt
Price: Starting at $29.99
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4. Dickies Short-Sleeve Coveralls
BEST WORKWEAR COVERALLS
The great thing about diving into a Dickies workwear style guide is that, well, with a brand like Dickies, it’s easy to be prepared for each and every situation that might come your way. Headed to the garage? Need to get some taxing yard work done and want to protect yourself from brush, dirt and grime? No matter the case, the classic Dickies coverall, made from a breathable poplin fabric, has you covered from head to toe.
Dickies Short-Sleeve Coveralls
Price: Starting at $44.99
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5. Dickies Short-Sleeve Heavyweight T-Shirt
BEST WORKWEAR T-SHIRT
Real ones know: Even your T-shirt should be able to take a beating, whether you’re putting in hours at the skatepark or tackling an intense day on the job site. That’s where Dickies’ heavyweight tee comes into play, fashioned from durable cotton jersey with a relaxed fit that allows you to layer up and move with ease. Wear this tee on or off-duty, in whichever color you prefer.
Dickies Heavyweight T-Shirt
Price: Starting at $16.99
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6. Dickies Regular-Fit Denim Jeans
BEST BLUE JEANS
Of course a workwear-oriented brand like Dickies would come up with a pair of equally hard-working blue jeans — after all, jeans were the original workwear garment. These jeans are available in three distinct, surprisingly stylish yet dependable washes, and they’re crafted from 100% heavyweight cotton twill for long-lasting quality.
Dickies Regular-Fit Blue Jeans
Price: Starting at $29.99
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7. Dickies Water-Repellent Logo Hoodie
BEST WORKWEAR SWEATSHIRT
Want to really show off your love for long-lasting workwear? Consider one of the most eye-catching pieces in our Dickies workwear style guide, this functional and bold logo hoodie. It’s water-repellent and made with ribbed cuffs for a secure fit, and should prove to be the kind of hoodie you can wear during frigid early morning projects or through long nights around the bonfire come fall and winter.
Dickies Water-Repellent Logo Hoodie
Price: Starting at $49.99
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8. Dickies 1922 Long-Sleeve Work Shirt
BEST VINTAGE-STYLE PICK
If archival-inspired, vintage-minded gear is your cup of tea, then the Dickies 1922 line — a callback to many of the brand’s original styles and materials — is your new favorite place to shop for workwear. This chambray workshirt is a particular favorite, made with military/industrial-style buttons and sewn in the USA.
Dickies 1922 Chambray Work Shirt
9. Dickies 100-Year Cap
BEST BALLCAP
There are days aplenty when you need to shield your noggin from the elements, including long days in the wind, heat and rain. What better way to do just that than with a nod to one of your favorite workwear brands? This anniversary-centric cap takes the classic Dickies logo and modernizes it in a visually striking way, all the better to top off your Dickies Eisenhower Jacket.
Dickies 100-Year Ballcap
10. Dickies Industrial Leather Belt
BEST WORKWEAR ACCESSORY
No guy wants to get caught without a belt, particularly when out in the field or tackling that next skating trick (and the list goes on from there). Dickies rounds out your workwear pants of choice with a durable, hard-wearing leather belt with a handsome, burnished industrial finish and tough hardware. Just when you thought you’d seen it all, this long-running brand comes through once again.
Read More: The Best Men’s Belts, Ranked From Least to Most Expensive
Dickies Industrial Leather Belt
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