Carhartt Double Knee Light Blue Denim Jeans #2

These are vintage Carhartt Double Knee jeans in a heavily faded light blue wash, built on the brand's reinforced double-front knee panels. They're for someone who wants a workwear jean that wore down through actual use rather than a new pair sold with a factory distress finish.

Cut in cotton denim with a relaxed, wide straight leg, the pair carries the details that made the Double Knee a jobsite standard: a second layer of denim laid across each knee, a hammer loop at the right hip, a narrow utility pocket down the right leg, contrast gold stitching and a brass-finish waist button. The indigo has worn down unevenly into pale blue with brown-toned discoloration spread across the thighs and knees, and the hems show abrasion along the edges. They sit easily with a tee, a hoodie, boots or sneakers.

What separates this pair from a new Double Knee is that the fade pattern came from wear, so it belongs to this pair alone — and denim instead of the brand's usual duck canvas makes it read softer and more everyday. Buy them if you want a beaten-in double knee you can wear outside of work.

Available here in size 36.