Dickies: 100 Years of History

This year, the American brand Dickies celebrates its 100th anniversary. Initially founded to meet the needs of Texan cowboys, it quickly established itself as an icon of workwear but also streetwear.

Table of Contents: 

• The Identity of Dickies
  • Dickies: An Evolution from Local to International 
  • Dickies: 100 Years of Innovation

Today, Dickies is considered a leader in workwear worldwide, notably thanks to its iconic overalls which through their quality have won over workers, craftsmen and farmers throughout the United States. This robust and very practical model remains today one of the greatest successes of the company.

The Dickies workwear brand clothing owes its success to its practicality, but also to its diversity: work pants, t-shirts, jeans, sweatshirts, shorts, backpacks, etc. Indeed, it offers specific clothing for a very large number of trades. Such as work clothing for construction workers, technical clothing (waterproof, breathable, lightweight, insulating, etc.) for farmers or even pants with multiple functional pockets so that craftsmen can store their tools.

Among them is the Everyday Pants, highly appreciated by plumbers. Indeed, it has pockets where you can insert knee pads, to ensure increased comfort, but also to limit pain.

Beyond their practical aspect, these clothes also offer a wide palette of vintage colors and a large choice of sizes offered for each model that allows them to adapt to all body types.

Founded in 1922 in Texas by two cousins, CN Williamson and EE "Colonel" Dickie, it began to make itself known by selling its famous bib overalls to workers on the ranches in the Fort Worth region, in the southwest of the country. This company did not encounter real slowdowns and even benefited from great success during World War II by manufacturing millions of uniforms for soldiers.

It was from the 1950s that Dickies expanded to Europe and the Middle East where it very quickly achieved great success.

At the dawn of the 90s, the manufacturer found new targets, notably thanks to certain American rappers who used its clothing, but also thanks to the rise of skateboarding. Indeed, like Carhartt, Dickies was adopted by skaters for its robust clothing that doesn't tear in case of falls like the Work Pants 874 created in 1967. These straight pants made of thick canvas very difficult to wrinkle became, like the bib overalls, one of the firm's emblems and has been declined in different cuts to suit as many customers as possible.

Today, Dickies, now 100 years old, is also present in Asia, Africa, South America and Oceania. To mark its century of existence, the company has released a special collection. This features caps, jeans, beanies and t-shirts that recall the key dates relating to the brand. There's even the denim overalls, a very symbolic piece, as it was the first to be manufactured and sold after Dickies was founded.

A video was also created to honor all the workers who have trusted the American firm throughout all these years.

The enthusiasm is such that Dickies now offers clothing dedicated to skateboarding, more flexible, but still as resistant. When you create clothing for those who work in factories, forests, in mines and workshops, you realize that their durability and solidity are an asset. That's why Dickies has integrated these values into the DNA of all its clothing. When skaters began adopting the brand during the 80s-90s, they were certain to buy skate pants that would resist any scrape on concrete, steel and wood: this is how the love story between Dickies and skaters began.

Today, it has a team of skaters who travel around the world to represent the brand through videos. This team includes among its ranks some of the best skaters on the planet whose reputation is well established like Ronnie Sandoval or Jamie Foy. 

This connection with the skateboarding world has allowed the brand to find a place in fashion, as this type of clothing strongly influences trends without being solely intended for the practice of this sport. Dickies continues to establish itself in the fashion world by collaborating with well-established brands like Supreme or Obey without putting workwear, which made its reputation, in the background.

Today, Dickies offers three different product ranges. The "casual" range which contains clothing intended for everyone. The workwear range for professionals and finally a skatewear range that mainly targets skaters and which is balanced between the two previous ranges, that is to say both robust and comfortable.

On vetsecurite.com, we offer a wide range of workwear products and PPE intended for professionals in many sectors of activity. Find at the best price our work clothing, safety shoes as well as an eco-responsible range.