Are Carhartt wip pants completely different fits than the standard workwear Carhartt’s? I like the look of the fit on the black pair in this post but I don’t want to spend the premium price for carhart wip. I need that baggy taper look.
I looked at the pants that were on the WIP site and it seems like they have a lot more variety in the fits that they are offering. Some taper, some are straight leg and I didn't see any that said "straight leg opening fits over boots" which I think give Carhartt's their distinct wide leg stack.
As far as WIP in general, my understanding was that it was a way for Carhartt to sell their gear in Europe, given the restrictions on selling foreign goods over domestic, combined with restrictions on who can go into a workwear store and buy a pair of pants. In some countries, you'd need some kind bona fides showing that you were for sure gonna use the pants for a job. I think it's caught on in the streetwear world and they have branched out and now offer all different kinds of designs.
Short answer is, if your in the US, their stuff is readily available all over and pretty cheap so there's no reason to import WIP unless you just really love a particular piece.