About The Trades

Built by Tradesmen. For Tradesmen.

The Trades is a lifestyle brand that was born on the job site — not in a boardroom.

I'm a carpenter instructor based in Kansas City, Missouri, with 20 years in the trade. When I was coming up, my journeyman did something I've never forgotten — he handed me some of his old tools and even bought me new ones to help me get started. He didn't have to do that. But that's what the trades are about. You take care of the people coming up behind you.

The Trades exists because of that moment. This brand is my way of paying it forward.

What We Make

We don't do fast fashion. We don't do gimmicks.

Every piece we put out — the tees, the hoodies, the long sleeves — is built to represent the pride you carry on the job. Gear you can wear on the site, at the shop, or out with your crew. Quality you can feel the second you put it on.

This isn't just apparel. It's a statement that the trades matter.

The Tool Fund

No tradesman should be held back because he can't afford the tools to get started.

That's why we created the Tool Fund.

For every donation — from $5 to $20 — you're putting real tools in the hands of tradesmen who need them. Someone just breaking into the industry. A journeyman rebuilding after a setback. The next kid who needs someone to believe in him the way my journeyman believed in me.

It's not charity. It's the trades taking care of their own.

Why It Matters

The trades are facing a shortage. Fewer young people are entering skilled trades, and the ones who do often face real barriers — cost of tools, cost of training, lack of support. As an instructor, I see it firsthand every day.

The Trades exists to change that narrative. To make the trades something to be proud of. To build a community that has each other's backs — the same way my journeyman had mine.

Join the Movement

Whether you're a 20-year journeyman or just picking up your first tool — this brand is yours.

Shop the Collection and wear something that means something.

Donate to the Tool Fund and help a fellow tradesman get to work.

The trades built this country. Let's make sure they keep building it.