As you can imagine, the fashion world’s moods are constantly shifting. Sometimes, an item is made fun of relentlessly, and then the entire industry seems to change its mind and embrace it without any warning completely. Take Crocs, for instance. When they first came out, they were the butt of many fashion jokes; let’s not forget they were prominently featured in the film Idiocracy as the shoe of the fool, right? But now they are everywhere. People love them. The hoodie has a similar story. Sure, it was loved when it first came out. Who wouldn’t love a sweatshirt with a hood? But then it was ostracized, seen as a thuggish garment. The hood was good for nothing but hiding your identity. We even remember them being banned in high schools. People hated even the best men’s hoodies.
Luckily, fashion has evolved, and the hoodie is making a comeback. Sure, there are still people who hide in them. Usually, it hides your lack of motivation to go to the gym, but there is still a stylish trend involving the hoodie, and we are here for it. Throw on your favorite comfy sweatshirt with a head pocket while we make a case for the hoodie.
The comeback of the hoodie
First things first, we can’t blame COVID. We know that virtually every casual trend feels like it came from the traumatic experience of 2020 when we all found ourselves staying home for months. But the truth is, the hoodie was on its way back long before that. A few years before, brands were making suits with zip-out hoodies—suits with hoods. What caused this? The rapid casualization of society brought forth two very specific trends that blew into the realm of everyday wear.
- Casual comfort wear saw the fall of chinos and the rise of joggers. The more comfortable version of the “at least they aren’t jeans in the office” trend happened when people started ditching dress shoes and chinos and opting for elevated sneakers and the cinched cuff of more comfortable joggers. Once the bottom half got casual, the top half followed.
- Sportswear had a moment. With comfort beginning to take a front seat to elegance and protocol, sportswear started pushing their products as appropriate for the office. Their marketing was good because that’s when you started seeing golf polos, stretchy pants, and sneakers in the office. Hoodies had their start in sportswear, so it was only a matter of time before they had their big blowout.
They may not be the most dressy thing in your closet, but they can make a statement if you do it right. Don’t just go out and buy an oversized hoodie from Champion; there are some foolproof ways you can make the hoodie your number-one style partner this fall.
Styling a hoodie
Ok, here is the thing: Adam Sandler wears hoodies by just tossing them on over the top of whatever he rolled out of bed in and calling it a day. Sure, you could do that, but you’re not Adam Sandler. When he looks down on his luck, people still know who he is, and he is a millionaire. You are not Adam Sandler. When you look homeless, you just look homeless. So, instead, let’s talk about elevating your hoodie and wearing it with style. Here are a few ideas to keep in mind when you wear them.
- With a jacket over it—When you wear a hoodie as a statement piece, it is sometimes better to throw a denim or leather jacket over it with the hood free in the back. This showcases the hoodie but still allows you to elevate it with a solid, high-quality jacket.
- With ripped jeans—Ripped jeans are the definition of casual. They aren’t appropriate anywhere but for your most casual moments, like strolls in the park, walking the dog, or hanging out with friends. Completing that look with a well-fitting hoodie and some flat-soled sneakers projects that aura even further, and the throw-it-on-and-forget-it hoodie suddenly looks well thought out.
- With a sport coat – This one takes some thought. Swapping out your casual jacket for a tailored sport coat turns every rule on its head. That is a good thing if you do it right. But there are three things you want to do to nail this look. Have a fitted hoodie and not an oversized one so the sport coat fits. Keep it a simple solid with no zipper or kangaroo pocket if possible. And last, keep the jeans dark and without holes. Follow these three tips, and you have a stellar rule-breaking casual fit.
Our favorites
You know us, we’re not the type to let you just wander the world looking for lightning in a bottle. We have wandered the world and already captured the lightning for you. These are the hoodies that we found in our dangerous Ben Franklin-esque lightning search.
The Paka Vida
Some of the most comfortable garments in the world are made from the unmatched fabric of alpaca. Peru is the world’s largest producer of alpaca and that is why Paka set up shop right down the road of Cuzco. All of these are still handwoven and you can learn who created your sweater with an identification tag on the inside. The Vida can be worn when out on the town or when exploring the Wonder of the World Machu Picchu. Not only is this the perfect hoodie to wear in all three of the above scenarios, but they also give back to the Peruvian community so you can buy it and never feel guilty.
The American Giant Classic
We didn’t talk about one of the style options in the styling section…that is because we were saving it for here. This hoodie created its own style option. Wearing the zip-up hoodie over a tee, opened to show off the graphic or solid underneath. This hoodie was named the “Greatest Hoodie Ever Made” and it wasn’t a name given lightly. Reinforced elbow patches and a weaved construction that will last until the next fashion cycle when the hoodie rises again, this is the most durable you will find.
