While recently traveling through Shoreditch, a trendy and high-end shopping area of London, I was stunned to see a Carhartt boutique store. I thought my eyes were deceiving me, but my London-living daughter, Hayley, assured me it was a real thing. Why would Carhartt locate a store there?

Hayley, a student of tailoring, history and trends, shares Carhartt’s origin, mission and purpose. “Hamilton ‘Ham’ Carhartt launched the company in 1889 to produce overalls for railroad workers. He purposed clothing being built for any rugged task. It exists to serve and protect hardworking people. Who is more hardworking than farmers and railroad workers?”

Hayley noted another iconic brand, Levi’s, was launched for gold miners. Now millions of people wear their blue jeans.

As farmers, did you know you are part of a fashion trend? “Many good clothing brands started with workwear and sportswear,” Hayley says. “Farmers were way ahead of the fashion trend. It’s really an oxymoron because such clothing is meant for functionality and laborers, but more people wearing it don’t work very hard.”

Rugged wear is not just about working cattle, cleaning hog barns, or harvesting corn and soybeans. “It’s part of society now. It’s worn visibly and intentionally because it’s a sign of status, it’s expensive, and it’s trendy like North Face and Adidas,” Hayley says.

She notes that Carhartt stores have sprung up in Singapore, South Korea, Ontario, Toronto, Vancouver, Paris and Mexico. The brand is American, it’s worn by all ages, it’s well made, and it’s coveted.

Farmers, male and female, did you know you are fashion plates? Are you ready to walk a fashion runway?

Hayhurst writes from Terre Haute, Ind.