Dickies

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In 1918, E.E. Dickie and C.M. Williamson founded a vehicle and harness business in Bryan, Texas. They began designing workwear under the name of the U.S. Overall Company, and they renamed the business the Williamson-Dickie Manufacturing Company in 1922. After serving the armed forces during World War II, the brand returned to manufacturing civilian clothes and distributing them across the country. In the 1950s, Williamson-Dickie took their brand international by expanding into European and Middle Eastern markets. Most of the brand's apparel was sold with labels that simply read "Dickies," and the name caught on to represent the whole company.

From its humble beginnings nearly a century ago, Dickies has grown into the top manufacturer of work apparel in the world. The brand also ventured into children's clothes when it began to make school uniforms for boys and girls of all ages. The flourishing company has recently made a number of acquisitions, including the Kodiak Holdings Group in 2008 and Walls Industries in 2013. Dickies clothes are sold in all 50 states--mostly through partnerships with discount stores, department stores, and hardware stores--in addition to having a presence on six continents across the globe.

Babies & Kids Merchandise

Products

Dickies' clothes for kids can essentially be broken down into two categories: jeans and uniform apparel. The denim collection for boys and girls includes jeans in a number of popular styles, and you can find skinny, straight, carpenter, and bootcut jeans for both genders. Flat-front pants are often required as a part of school uniform programs, and Dickies offers these in khaki, black, and blue. Flat-front shorts are often allowed in warmer weather, and the brand also has various skirts and skorts for girls. In tops, the brand specifically tailors its polos to complement the male and female figure in different ways. These shirts are both flattering and comfortable. Dickies also features button-down shirts for boys and young men.

Women's apparel puts an emphasis on workwear, and you'll find different categories to suit specific industries. Dickies offers several types of scrubs for women in the medical professions, for example, and it also has chef jackets, hats, and pants for kitchen staff. Apart from uniform apparel, the women's collection also includes casualwear options like cargo pants, jeans, overalls, shorts, and trousers. You can also choose among tops like thermals, button-downs, polos, and poplin shirts. The Dickies Performance line features activewear in addition to lightweight outerwear that can be worn during a workout.

Swap.com's Rating of Dickies

A commitment to quality has been a hallmark of Dickies for the better part of a century, and the brand has carved out a niche for itself as an important supplier of both workwear and school uniforms. Fashion is far less of a concern than utility when it comes to these categories, and so the brand is more interested in improving performance over the years as opposed to adhering to stylistic trends. Still, clothes for all ages fit well and are comfortable. Most options are relatively inexpensive, and their timeless designs make them great contenders for purchasing secondhand. We give Dickies 4.5 stars out of 5.