Real Carhartt vs the Sarojini copy.
Four checks. Thirty seconds. No phone.
There are more Carhartt jackets in Delhi than Carhartt ever shipped here. Know which one you’re holding.
SHOT: MACRO ON WOVEN LABEL, THUMB IN FRAME
Feel the label
Flip the collar. Real labels are woven: the lettering has texture. Printed labels feel flat, like a sticker pretending to be cloth.
SHOT: SIDE SEAM, THREE STITCH LINES VISIBLE
Count the stitches
Pinch the side seam. Real ones run three parallel lines, dense and dead straight. Copies manage two, or three that wander.
SHOT: CARE LABEL CLOSE-UP, RN NUMBER CIRCLED
Check the number
The inside care label carries an RN number. It’s public. Search the FTC RN database and it resolves to a company. Wrong company, wrong jacket.
SHOT: ZIP PULL IN HAND
Weigh the hardware
Real zips and snaps are stamped and move with weight. A zip that belongs on a pencil case is telling you something. Vintage bonus: look for the union tag.
- 01Label woven, not printed.
- 02Three stitch lines, straight.
- 03RN number resolves.
- 04Hardware stamped and heavy.
Questions people ask.
Are the Carhartt jackets at Sarojini Nagar real?
Some are genuine export surplus and many are copies, often on the same rack at the same price. Price tells you nothing. Run the four checks: label, stitching, RN number and hardware.
What is the RN number on a clothing label?
RN stands for Registered Identification Number. The US Federal Trade Commission issues it to companies that make or sell textiles in the US, and its RN database is public. Search the number: it should lead to the brand, not to an unrelated company.
Is a printed neck label always a fake?
Not always, since some recent garments use printed or tagless labels. On Carhartt workwear like a chore coat or a Detroit jacket, though, expect a woven label. A flat printed one is a strong warning sign.
Sarojini Nagar, Delhi
Weekday morning. Pick up three “Carhartt” jackets and run the checks. One fails in ten seconds. That’s the lesson working.
You now read workwear. Go find some.
Everything in Workwear on SZN2 was checked by the seller who found it. One of each. Nothing comes back.
FLD 102Real Levi's, and the pair that only says it.
FIELDCRAFT · 6 MIN · ENDS AT: ANY DENIM RACKShop the lesson.
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One lesson a week. Then first look at the drop.
Members read it first, and get a 72-hour head start on everything that lands. One of each. It goes.
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