In 2015, we put out the first Make Money Not Friends Jacket. A nylon bomber, all black, with a graphic across the back that said exactly what it said. We didn't think it would become a slogan. We thought it would be the jacket we wanted to wear.
It sold out the first run. Came back. Sold out again.
Why the phrase landed
"Make Money Not Friends" wasn't designed to be a manifesto. It was a private joke about focus. A reminder that the work matters more than the noise around the work. People bought the jacket because they understood the joke. They stayed because the jacket was good.
A decade later, the line on the back has been quoted in interviews, painted on walls, lifted by people who never bought the jacket. We don't mind. The original is still here.
What the jacket actually is
The body is a relaxed bomber cut. Premium materials. The Fifty Karats logo on the chest and the collar. The graphic across the back. Available XS through 3XL. Black on black on black, designed to be loud without saying a word.
Sizes restock periodically. If your size is gone, the size notification list is the fastest way back in.
The Jacket II
Some people want the message quieter. The Make Money Not Friends Jacket II is the same body as the original, with one difference: a more minimal front. Cleaner chest, less branding, same statement on the back. The body is identical. Only the front changes.
Original if you want the full statement up front. Jacket II if you want the back to speak for itself.
On the imitations
The jacket has been copied since shortly after we put it out. Knockoffs surface on Amazon, Etsy, and various drop-ship sites. The real ones come from us. Always have. If you bought one outside fiftykarats.com, double-check the source.
Where it stands
The original Make Money Not Friends Jacket is restocking now. The Jacket II as well. Color drops are queued for 2026.
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