92% matchDickies
Same 874-era work uniform staples, wider retail reach
What changes: Broader lifestyle/streetwear crossover and fashion collabs
Brand profile
Red Kap
American industrial workwear brand founded in 1923 in Nashville, known for durable uniform work shirts, shop coats, coveralls and work pants.
NashvilleOrigin
UnisexFocus
Workwear / HeritageStyle
$Price
What to know about Red Kap
Built for uniform rental fleets
The core range — industrial work shirts, shop coats, twill pants, coveralls, flame-resistant styles — is specified to survive repeated commercial laundering, not seasonal wear.
Customization is part of the product
Red-E-Service adds embroidery and emblems, so garments are sold as job-site and shop uniforms as much as standalone pieces.
Streetwear found it secondhand
Vintage and current work shirts trade widely in streetwear resale, which is how most shoppers meet a brand that has made bib overalls since 1923.
How Red Kap fits
Overall fit
slightly large
Red Kap workwear is cut roomy and durable for on-the-job movement, so many find it fits slightly generously and holds up to commercial laundering.
Tip: Consider your true size or sizing down one for a trimmer fit, as most styles run roomy for work mobility.
Medium confidence · based on 8 sources
By category
| Category | Runs | Shape | Size advice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shirts & overshirts | slightly large | regular, roomy through chest and shoulders | Size down if you want a fitted look; otherwise expect a roomy, tuck-friendly work shirt. |
| Trousers & pants | true to size | regular, straight through leg | Order your normal waist; expect a straight, relaxed leg with a generous seat. |
| Jackets | slightly large | relaxed, built for layering | Stick to your usual size for layering room, or size down if worn over just a shirt. |
Directional fit consensus summarized from public sources with AI — a starting point, not a guarantee. Confirm with the product's own measurements before buying.
If you like Red Kap
92% match
85% matchBen Davis
Heavier-built West Coast work pants and half-zip shirts
78% matchStan Ray
US-made painter pants and fatigues, more heritage-minded
What changes: Small factory range, higher price, no uniform services
70% matchPro Club
Blanks-shop heavyweight tees rather than work shirts
What changes: Knit basics only, no woven workwear or coveralls
Red Kap fit questions
Does Red Kap run big or small?
Red Kap fits slightly large. Consider your true size or sizing down one for a trimmer fit, as most styles run roomy for work mobility. Red Kap workwear is cut roomy and durable for on-the-job movement, so many find it fits slightly generously and holds up to commercial laundering.
How does Red Kap fit?
Red Kap workwear is cut roomy and durable for on-the-job movement, so many find it fits slightly generously and holds up to commercial laundering. Overall shape: regular to relaxed, roomy through body.
How do Red Kap shirts & overshirts fit?
Red Kap shirts & overshirts fits slightly large. Size down if you want a fitted look; otherwise expect a roomy, tuck-friendly work shirt. Shape: regular, roomy through chest and shoulders.
How do Red Kap trousers & pants fit?
Red Kap trousers & pants fits true to size. Order your normal waist; expect a straight, relaxed leg with a generous seat. Shape: regular, straight through leg.
How do Red Kap jackets fit?
Red Kap jackets fits slightly large. Stick to your usual size for layering room, or size down if worn over just a shirt. Shape: relaxed, built for layering.
Brand facts
Red Kap is an American industrial workwear and uniform brand based in Nashville, Tennessee, founded in 1923 by two Harlin brothers and cousin Claude H. Williams as a bib-overall maker, later Central Overall Manufacturing. The range centers on durable basics: industrial work shirts, mechanic and shop coats, twill work pants, coveralls and flame-resistant styles, built for commercial laundering and offered with Red-E-Service customization for embroidery and emblems. VF Corporation owned the brand from its 1986 Blue Bell acquisition until 2021, when it moved to Workwear Outfitters. Vintage and current work shirts circulate widely in streetwear resale.
- Founded
- 1923
- Origin
- Nashville, United States
- Made in
- USA, Mexico
- Price
- $
- Focus
- Unisex
- Facts checked
- August 2026
- Styles
- Workwear / Heritage, Streetwear