What kinds of Carhartt shorts are there?
Three main types on the vintage market: duck canvas carpenter shorts with the hammer loop and ruler pocket, denim carpenter shorts in the same layout, and cut-offs made from double knee or carpenter pants. Carhartt made shorts in both firm and washed duck, and inseams ranged from around 9 to 13 inches.
How do Carhartt shorts fit?
Roomy through the thigh with a straight leg and a wide opening, sitting at the natural waist. The longer inseams on original shorts fall to or below the knee; many buyers prefer them re-hemmed shorter, which is one of our most common reworks.
Duck or denim shorts?
Duck shorts are heavier, stiffer and fade with the warm high-contrast look of Carhartt jackets. Denim shorts are softer and fade like jeans. Duck reads as workwear; denim is more everyday. Both are strong summer sellers.
What should I check?
The hem — original hems on shorts are often frayed or uneven from years of wear — the pocket corners, the hammer loop and the crotch seam. Faded knees on cut-offs show where the pant's wear was. Minor marks are normal on work shorts.
How do you rework shorts?
Re-hemming to a shorter or more even length, converting damaged pants into cut-offs, and raw-hem finishes on duck for a deliberate frayed edge. Pocket panels from a second garment in a different fade are popular on carpenter shorts.
When do shorts sell?
From late spring through summer in Europe and North America, and year-round in the Gulf, Singapore, Australia and Pakistan. For wholesale bundles we recommend weighting shorts into spring shipments and jackets into autumn.
We grade 97 pieces by these rules
Everything written here comes from grading and reworking Carhartt every day. Browse what's in now, or message us and we'll send photos and measurements of anything.