From red carpets to early-morning press runs, the Heartstopper star makes a case for America’s most enduring workwear brand.

If you’re paying attention to Kit Connor, you’ll notice a pattern—and it’s stitched in heavyweight cotton canvas. Whether it’s film premieres, press appearances, or just a candid shot on the street, the Heartstopper star is almost always wearing Carhartt. More specifically, he’s regularly spotted in the label’s Detroit or Cartograph jackets—boxy silhouettes originally built for laborers and tradesmen, now recontextualized by one of Britain’s rising actors.

This week in New York City, the 20-year-old actor pulled up to Good Morning America wearing yet another iteration of the brand’s iconic outerwear. This time, a worn-in Detroit jacket, layered over a simple tee and paired with dark jeans. He was there to talk about Warfare, the upcoming Alex Garland film set during the Iraq War. But as always, what he wore spoke volumes without saying a word.

Connor’s ongoing affair with Carhartt isn’t a fashion stunt. It’s not the result of a stylist trying to engineer virality. It feels natural. Repetitive in the best way. And in a culture obsessed with reinvention, there’s something quietly radical about a young star wearing the same thing again and again, almost like a uniform.

Let’s break down what it means when one of Gen Z’s most-watched actors reaches for a jacket designed for railroads and machine shops—now turned symbol of emotional armor, vintage clout, and minimalist rebellion.

Workwear as Identity

Carhartt isn’t just having a moment—it’s having a cultural peak that never seems to end. Founded in 1889 to make durable clothing for railroad workers, the American brand built its reputation on toughness, utility, and no-frills authenticity. For most of its history, Carhartt was worn by people who needed clothes to do hard things: construction workers, welders, mechanics.

But over the past two decades, its appeal has shifted. In the late ’90s, hip-hop artists and skateboarders embraced the brand. In the 2010s, fashion insiders, from stylists to streetwear kids, put it on mood boards. And in the last five years, Carhartt has achieved something few brands can claim: cross-cultural, cross-generational credibility.

It’s workwear with a built-in grit filter. And that’s exactly what makes it powerful for someone like Connor.

Kit Connor, despite global fame from Netflix’s Heartstopper, has never tried to sell himself as flashy or untouchable. He’s grounded. Slightly reserved. His off-screen style mirrors that tone—reliable, no-fuss, repeatable. And that’s where Carhartt fits in. It says, “I’m here to work. I’m not here for the circus.”

The Detroit Jacket: A Modern Classic

The Detroit jacket—which Connor wore this week in NYC—is arguably Carhartt’s most iconic piece. Introduced in the 1950s, it features a cropped cut, corduroy collar, brass zipper, and reinforced seams. Over time, it’s been embraced by rappers, mechanics, painters, and fashion kids alike.

It’s also one of the most enduring examples of fashion through function. No logos screaming for attention. No unnecessary design flourishes. Just a jacket that gets better the more you beat it up.

That’s why it’s telling that Connor chose it for a major U.S. press stop. On the surface, it’s just a jacket. But underneath, it’s a statement about durability—of the garment and the person wearing it.

Celebrity Style Without the Spectacle

In an era of stunt dressing—where actors arrive at premieres in gowns resembling sculptures or suits made of latex—Kit Connor’s style reads as almost anti-fashion. It’s the kind of wardrobe that doesn’t scream for attention but commands it by consistency.

Think of Paul Mescal’s short shorts, Jacob Elordi’s vintage polos, or Austin Butler’s open denim shirts. These guys are building an aesthetic not through wild reinvention, but through iconography of restraint. Connor fits squarely into that lineage.

He doesn’t need a stylist pulling ten racks from a showroom. He just needs a good jacket. The same one. Again and again.

And when he steps out in that Detroit jacket—creased, softened, maybe a little faded—it’s a visual cue that he knows who he is. No costume changes. No fashion persona. Just quiet continuity.

The Alex Garland Effect

Of course, there’s also the matter of Warfare. Connor’s latest project—a politically charged, psychological war drama directed by Alex Garland—deals with violence, trauma, and the moral cost of duty. It’s darker terrain than Heartstopper. More introspective. Less emotionally clean.

So it’s no accident that Connor’s style seems to have evolved with it. The Carhartt jacket isn’t just cozy outerwear. It’s emotional armor. The same way soldiers wore uniforms that protected them physically and psychologically, Connor’s Carhartt may serve as a way to ground himself amid the noise—of press junkets, shifting public perception, and the weight of a serious role.

It’s not about cosplay or performance. It’s about personal continuity in the face of change.

Carhartt as Cultural Currency

Search interest in Carhartt’s Detroit jacket has surged by more than 400% in 2024, according to fashion search engine Lyst, which named it one of the year’s “hottest products.” But popularity alone doesn’t explain its resonance.

The reason Carhartt continues to thrive—especially among younger celebs like Connor—is because it operates outside the typical celebrity ecosystem. It’s not aspirational in a traditional sense. It doesn’t belong to the red carpet. It belongs to the real world.

In an age where celebrities are increasingly scrutinized for excess and artifice, there’s something refreshing about a guy who dresses like someone who might fix your car, rewire your apartment, or write a zine at a Brooklyn café. It’s soft masculinity draped in hard material—emotion wrapped in armor.

Beyond the Brand: What Kit Connor’s Uniform Says

Carhartt isn’t rare. It’s not exclusive. And that’s the point. It’s not about flexing—it’s about feeling. And Kit Connor is part of a new generation of actors who understand that style isn’t about wearing something once for the paparazzi. It’s about wearing it until it becomes part of your skin.

His jacket has creases. It remembers him. It’s been to premieres, airports, and probably long subway rides. And while fans obsess over what their favorite stars are wearing, Kit seems to say: “Here’s what I wear. Again. And again. Because it works.”

That kind of emotional continuity—the same jacket during a romance press tour and a war film release—cements Carhartt not just as a brand, but as a personal totem. It’s style without spectacle. Fashion with reliability at its core.

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