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Carhartt Celebrates 50 Years of Its Best-Selling Work Jacket with Heritage-Inspired Reissue

Durable, dapper … denim.

Close-up of the inside pocket of a denim jacket with a white label that reads "ACTIVE JAC" in red, followed by text in blue about the jacket's history and anniversary edition. The label also features a blue Carhartt logo and an illustration of factory smokestacks. The jacket has red and black plaid lining. A hand is holding the jacket open.Carhartt

By Hayley Helms

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For fifty years, the Active Jac has been Carhartt’s best-selling jacket, which is saying something when you consider the workwear behemoth’s popularity and the depth of its catalog.

In honor of its 50th anniversary, Carhartt is pulling from its extensive archive, taking inspiration from key milestone moments to refresh the Active Jac.

This capable denim number, inspired by the first-ever Active Jac, is sure to inspire a new generation of workwear enthusiasts.

Blue denim hooded jacket with a front zipper, ribbed cuffs and waistband, and front handwarmer pockets. The jacket has a quilted red lining inside the hood and a small Carhartt logo patch on the front pocket. The background includes vintage-style illustrations and descriptions of the jacket's features.
Archival details and modern tech come together in the new Active Jac.
Carhartt

Blue jean baby

The Active Jac’s first iteration was clad in denim, so it’s only fitting that one of its 50th anniversary reissues features the same rugged fabric.

The inaugural 1975 Active Jac featured a 10-ounce all-cotton shell with red and black fleece lining, making it a cozy and hard-wearing addition to any job.

Man wearing a dark blue denim hooded jacket with a zipper, holding the zipper pull near his chest, looking slightly to the side.
The hood lining is made with 4-ounce, 100-percent cotton to keep you warm on tough days.
Carhartt
Denim jacket with orange stitching, featuring a front zipper and a small square leather patch with the Carhartt logo on the left pocket. The jacket has ribbed cuffs and waistband, and a hand is partially inserted into the right pocket.
Roomy front pockets are designed to be functional and warm.
Carhartt

The new 50th Anniversary Denim Active Jac includes nods to archival details like the 12.25-ounce, 100-percent cotton rigid denim and 4-ounce, 100-percent cotton quilted flannel lining in the body and hood, and pairs them with modern technology.

Key tech updates to the 2025 edition include 80-gram, 100-percent polyester insulation in the body, sleeve and hood, a 2-ounce, 100-percent nylon taffeta lining in the sleeves and proprietary Wind Fighter technology, a soft, wind-resistant fleece fabric.

Additional styles

As part of the Active Jac’s anniversary celebration, Carhartt is releasing two additional Active Jac reissues, including the new Red Duck Active Jac, based on the 1990 version of the jacket, and the Full Swing Washed Duck Active Jac, based on the 1979 version.

Red Carhartt hooded jacket with a front zipper, black drawstrings, and ribbed cuffs and hem. The jacket features a front kangaroo pocket with a small Carhartt logo patch on the right side. The interior lining appears to be quilted and black. The background includes vintage-style images and text related to Carhartt jackets.
As one of the Active Jac’s most popular colorways ever, the Red J140 Active Jac is clocking back in for 2025
Carhartt
Brown Carhartt hooded jacket with a front zipper, two chest pockets with flaps, and two side pockets. The jacket has a ribbed waistband and cuffs, and a small Carhartt logo patch on the left chest pocket. The background includes a black-and-white image of the jacket, a vintage advertisement, and a man wearing the jacket while leaning on a red race car.
Building upon the first Brown Duck Active Jac released in 1979, this new version has extra stretch across the back.
Carhartt

The new Full Swing Active Jac is the toughest of the set. It includes extra stitching that increases stretch across the shoulders and back to give a greater range of motion. It also includes versatile, work-oriented details like hook-and-loop chest pockets, reinforced lower front pockets, and storm cuffs.

Availability and pricing

The full Carhartt 50th Anniversary Active Jac Collection is available on Carhartt’s official website now, with the 50th Anniversary Denim Active Jac starting at $140.

About the Author:

Hayley Helms is an associate editor at Gear Patrol specializing in all things outdoors. Once upon a time, she wrote for Men’s Journal, Gearjunkie, and Shape. Whether it’s tuning us into the joys of hiking and camping, or rigorously testing head-to-toe outdoor apparel, she leaves no stone unturned (though she always Leaves No Trace).

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