Aaron Levine Wore This Jacket to Death. Now It's Even Better.

The menswear designer, who helped revitalize brands like Abercrombie & Fitch and Club Monaco and just announced his own new label, explains why he reaches for his Carhartt again and again—and again.

As Told To Jonathan EvansPublished: Nov 12, 2024

brown work jacket hanging on a metal rail

Eli Schmidt

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I bought this Carhartt jacket vintage on eBay for $39. It already had some great whiskering at the elbows and this nice all-over fade, but when I got it, I put the pedal down. I just absolutely wore it to death. Now the cuffs are torn, the collar is torn, it’s coming apart at the seams—and it’s better as a result.

Workwear is a pillar of how I dress. Whenever I get too dressed up, I feel like I’m wearing a costume, even if some occasions call for it. I still need to figure out a way to dress in a manner that’s reflective of my personality. It might sound superficial, but it’s what I’m into, so I have to listen to that internal compass. And this specific jacket, in this color, I can wear it in any sort of situation and feel good in it. Whether the situation is dressy or casual, it’s like a second skin. I’ve been to fancy dinners in it, and even though it’s thrashed at this point, it never feels out of place.

If it becomes unwearable, I’ll repair it. But as of right now, I think it’s got ten more years before it gets to that point. It’s just made well. And I’m comfortable in it. Not just as in “Oh, it feels good on my body,” but like “This garment reflects who I am.” It has a lot of highs and lows to it. It’s kind of, a little bit, in disarray. Which is kind of like me. When I put it on, it feels like me.

Levine's eponymous collection is set to launch on November 22, 2024.

This story appears in the October/November 2024 issue of Esquire magazine.
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