The History Of The Development Of Sweatshirt
aungcrown
Aung Crown
2021-02-25 13:02:02
Sweatshirts are fucking important.
Hoodies are an effortless way to look cool and casual while staying comfortable. They are an everyday, wash-and-wear staple, worn by freelancers and CEOs alike.
The history of the hoodies
From its association with punk and hip-hop to skater culture, the hoodie has a history of being adopted by youth-driven communities once relegated to the fringes, imbuing it with an iconoclastic, sometimes criminal, subtext. Mainstream fashion may embrace it as practical article of clothing, but it’s never lost that edge.
The hoodie was born of modest origins. Champion Products, which began as the Knickerbocker Knitting Company in 1919, claims to have made the first hooded sweatshirt. Originally a sweater mill, Champion began making sweatshirts in the early 1930s once it developed methods to sew thicker underwear material.
According to Harold Lipson, a former president at Champion who started at the company in 1934, the hood was first added to sweatshirts in order to protect athletes and laborers from the elements. Employees at cold-storage warehouses and tree surgeons working through the winter were calling for a garment that would provide more warmth than their long underwear. Meanwhile Champion was working directly with high schools to determine their apparel needs, eventually making big double-thickness hooded sweatshirts that football and track athletes wore on the sidelines in bad weather.
Hoodies are an effortless way to look cool and casual while staying comfortable. They are an everyday, wash-and-wear staple, worn by freelancers and CEOs alike.
The history of the hoodies
From its association with punk and hip-hop to skater culture, the hoodie has a history of being adopted by youth-driven communities once relegated to the fringes, imbuing it with an iconoclastic, sometimes criminal, subtext. Mainstream fashion may embrace it as practical article of clothing, but it’s never lost that edge.
The hoodie was born of modest origins. Champion Products, which began as the Knickerbocker Knitting Company in 1919, claims to have made the first hooded sweatshirt. Originally a sweater mill, Champion began making sweatshirts in the early 1930s once it developed methods to sew thicker underwear material.
According to Harold Lipson, a former president at Champion who started at the company in 1934, the hood was first added to sweatshirts in order to protect athletes and laborers from the elements. Employees at cold-storage warehouses and tree surgeons working through the winter were calling for a garment that would provide more warmth than their long underwear. Meanwhile Champion was working directly with high schools to determine their apparel needs, eventually making big double-thickness hooded sweatshirts that football and track athletes wore on the sidelines in bad weather.
The hoodie made the leap from practicality to personal style when athletes started to give their track gear to their girlfriends to wear. Just as they are today, high schools were a breeding ground for popular fashion, and soon sportswear caught on as a fashionable style.
Fast forward to the mid-Seventies, when hip-hop culture was developing on the streets of New York City. Eric “Deal” Felisbret, one of the early graffiti writers, recalls the hoodie popping up on the scene around 1974 or 1975. “The people that wore them were all people who were sort of looked up to, in the context of the street,” recalls Deal, who says graffiti writers used the hoodie to keep a low profile, and break-dancers wore it “to keep their bodies warm before they hit the floor.”
Over time, hip-hop, punk, and skate cultures found common ground in the distaste that society had for them. They could all relate to being harassed by the cops and getting hard looks by adults. And so the hoodie was further interwoven with a culture of defiance. Look no further than Odd Future’s skate-hop aesthetic for evidence of this progression.
Clothing designers such as Tommy Hilfiger and Ralph Lauren took note, finding inspiration in the fashion of the streets. They helped bring the hoodie full circle from the high schools to the streets and back again – though this time with a whole lot more cultural baggage.
The same cloaking abilities that took the hoodie from frozen warehouses and sports fields to the closets of the creative underground are today viewed as a threat to the status quo. When a robbery occurs and the description of the perpetrator includes a hoodie, the hoodie gets dragged through the mud. Many high schools and nightclubs have marked it off their dress code.
When LeBron James tweeted a picture of himself and his Miami Heat teammates wearing hoodies on March 23, the players were showing support for the Trayvon Martin cause. But they were also flouting the controversial ban on hoodies that the NBA has maintained since 2005.
How to style your hoodie
Winter winner
There are so many different ways you can wear your hoodie. In Frank and Oak’s hometown of Montreal, it’s cold for half the year. Hoodies are our favourite layer player and we like to wear ours under a heavy overcoat and over some blue jeans and boots.
Fast forward to the mid-Seventies, when hip-hop culture was developing on the streets of New York City. Eric “Deal” Felisbret, one of the early graffiti writers, recalls the hoodie popping up on the scene around 1974 or 1975. “The people that wore them were all people who were sort of looked up to, in the context of the street,” recalls Deal, who says graffiti writers used the hoodie to keep a low profile, and break-dancers wore it “to keep their bodies warm before they hit the floor.”
Over time, hip-hop, punk, and skate cultures found common ground in the distaste that society had for them. They could all relate to being harassed by the cops and getting hard looks by adults. And so the hoodie was further interwoven with a culture of defiance. Look no further than Odd Future’s skate-hop aesthetic for evidence of this progression.
Clothing designers such as Tommy Hilfiger and Ralph Lauren took note, finding inspiration in the fashion of the streets. They helped bring the hoodie full circle from the high schools to the streets and back again – though this time with a whole lot more cultural baggage.
The same cloaking abilities that took the hoodie from frozen warehouses and sports fields to the closets of the creative underground are today viewed as a threat to the status quo. When a robbery occurs and the description of the perpetrator includes a hoodie, the hoodie gets dragged through the mud. Many high schools and nightclubs have marked it off their dress code.
When LeBron James tweeted a picture of himself and his Miami Heat teammates wearing hoodies on March 23, the players were showing support for the Trayvon Martin cause. But they were also flouting the controversial ban on hoodies that the NBA has maintained since 2005.
How to style your hoodie
Winter winner
There are so many different ways you can wear your hoodie. In Frank and Oak’s hometown of Montreal, it’s cold for half the year. Hoodies are our favourite layer player and we like to wear ours under a heavy overcoat and over some blue jeans and boots.
Outstanding Office Outfits
While a hoodie has become commonplace in the modern office, it wouldn't hurt to dress it up. Guys — try slipping yours under a suit jacket and over a pair of coloured trousers and brown loafers for a look that’s stylishly professional without being pretentious. Gals — go street-style chic with a hoodie over a pair of wide-legged pants and white sneakers, and transition easily from spreadsheets to spirits.
Weekend warrior
Running errands but don’t want to look like you ran out of outfit ideas? Hit the town in your favourite hoodie with a statement coat over a white button down, sweatpants and your biggest boots. Need to dress it up later in the day? A skinny pair of jeans and you're good to go.
Summertime radness
During the summer, we sport hoodies over shorts and sandals on chilly beach or park nights. While we may wear options made out of wool or fleece in the winter, we break out more breathable cotton editions during the summer.
Need help finding your style without all the shopping? Try contact aungcrown, caps and clothes custom. we'll send you what you exactly what you're looking for.
While a hoodie has become commonplace in the modern office, it wouldn't hurt to dress it up. Guys — try slipping yours under a suit jacket and over a pair of coloured trousers and brown loafers for a look that’s stylishly professional without being pretentious. Gals — go street-style chic with a hoodie over a pair of wide-legged pants and white sneakers, and transition easily from spreadsheets to spirits.
Weekend warrior
Running errands but don’t want to look like you ran out of outfit ideas? Hit the town in your favourite hoodie with a statement coat over a white button down, sweatpants and your biggest boots. Need to dress it up later in the day? A skinny pair of jeans and you're good to go.
Summertime radness
During the summer, we sport hoodies over shorts and sandals on chilly beach or park nights. While we may wear options made out of wool or fleece in the winter, we break out more breathable cotton editions during the summer.
Need help finding your style without all the shopping? Try contact aungcrown, caps and clothes custom. we'll send you what you exactly what you're looking for.