how workers’ clothing became a brand these days

Hoodie – a sweatshirt with a patch pocket and a hood, worn over the head. As a rule, it has a drawcord in the hood. Few people know, but the history of this attribute of clothing spans a whole century.

The history of the cult item

This brand was created by Champion in the 1930s. It was originally created as a uniform for workers in freezer warehouses. The Champion brand has worked closely with many European universities, or rather, with their sports departments.

Athletes from prestigious educational institutions began to wear hoodies with university logos. This trend also spread among girls, because athletes often gave hoodies to their friends. At lightning speed, work uniforms have gained unprecedented popularity. By the mid-60s, sweatshirts were in great demand everywhere.

Already in 1970, the basic thing was at the forefront of fashion. Sweatshirts became so popular that universities began to create their own logos on hooded sweatshirts and actively distribute them among students.

Breakdancers also contributed to their popularization. They wore sweatshirts to keep warm between performances. Uniform jackets, originally created for warehouse workers, kept warm perfectly.

Baggy, coarse hooded sweatshirts are popular among teenagers. Their practicality and high wear resistance were liked by both informals and golden youth.

The boxer, famous at that time, became a kind of symbol of the element of clothing. Rocky Balboa… He always appeared in the ring in an old shabby sweatshirt. I put on a jacket for warm-up, wore it between workouts and matches. Many of his fans have gotten the same sweatshirts.

Famous Rocky Balboa quote:

“Until the gong rang, the battle continues. Have you personally heard the gong? Personally, I, no, we continue. “

The iconic status of the Champion Hoodie is underscored by the fact that the specimen is housed in the main museum of modern art – MoMA in New York.

The path from hip-hop culture to high fashion

In the 1980s, frayed hoodies became a wardrobe staple among hip-hoppers and rappers in Los Angeles and New York. Bulky, hooded clothing epitomized the growing anti-authoritarian anger.

Hip-hop artists have revolutionized the style of fashion and music, as a result of which sweatshirts and all things in oversized style have become an integral part of every teenager’s wardrobe. Since then, the term hoodie has become firmly rooted in the global lexicon.

In the 1990s, designer Norma Kamali presented a sensational collection of hoodies. Models with fleece, free-cut pullovers, pleated skirts were demonstrated at the show. The world famous companies Tommy Hilfiger and Ralph Lauren, who had experience in creating brands at that time, decided to follow the example of Norma Kamali.

Thanks to the influence of Tommy Hilfiger and Ralph Lauren, hoodies have migrated from a subculture element to the category of essential wardrobe items for haute couture connoisseurs.

Today the market for such knitwear is huge: they are found in the portfolios of brands such as Levi’s, Tommy Hilfiger, Ralph Lauren.

Hoodie as a crime element

Hoodies have a consistently “criminal” reputation. This was due to the fact that the clothes were actively used by graffiti artists in order to hide their face under the hood and paint the walls of buildings with impunity.

The link to crime has become entrenched through the subversive activities of some hip-hop artists. Thus, by the mid-90s, the baggy hoodie was closely associated with something illegal.

Criminality continued to plague the sweatshirts even into the 2000s. Most of the UK’s popular shopping malls have banned indoor sweatshirts to prevent shoplifting and to keep society from “antisocial” behavior.

Initially, these bans were aimed at the younger generation, but as it turned out later, the campaign against the sweatshirts had a clearly visible racist overtones.

The turning point came in 2012, when 17-year-old black teenager Trayvon Martin was shot dead in an apartment complex.

At the trial, in his own defense, the gunman said that the teenager looked suspicious because of the hoodie he was wearing. After the trial, a storm of discontent arose, as a result, the sweatshirts became the symbol of the multimillion-dollar movement Black Lives Matter.

The shooter declared in court about “An extremely suspicious guy who wanders aimlessly in the rain down the street“.

In honor of the deceased boy, there was also a rally called “Million Hoodie March” which means the march of a million hoodies.

At the moment, we can confidently call the hoodie one of the brightest representatives of streetwear. Exclusive hoodies can increase the wearer’s credibility, and the products of famous brands command respect in certain sectors of society.

In addition to street recognition and reputation, sweatshirts from expensive brands indicate wealth and financial stability.

The street industry is actively developing. It is safe to say that sweatshirts will be relevant for a very long time, because a hoodie is that ideal case when style is harmoniously combined with convenience and practicality.

Stylish looks with a hoodie for women and men

Today, the hoodie has become an integral part of the wardrobe of many celebrities, it-girls, fashion bloggers and just those fashionistas who liked such a comfortable and at the same time multifunctional piece of clothing. Contrary to stereotypes, a well-chosen sweatshirt will organically look not only in a sports look, but also in other stylistic directions, and can be combined with a variety of things.

The most common option is combination of hoodie with micro-shorts, allowing you to showcase the legs and still look pretty closed. Such an image can have not only a sporty color: if desired, a sweatshirt can be bright, extravagant and even glamorous. By the way, it is to such options that the singer often turns. Beyonce.

It is a mistake to believe that a hoodie goes only with jeans and trousers – a sweatshirt may well get along in one look with a skirt… For example, a cropped black or gray model, which is especially relevant now, will look great with a skirt in saturated colors and will not add extra volume. Combinations of a hoodie with a classic pencil skirt, high-waisted skirt and denim models look especially advantageous.

A cropped sweatshirt can easily replace a crop top in your wardrobe and, if necessary, fit into a trouser suit, especially if you plan to create a somewhat casual and relaxed look. Complete the look with details such as sneakers, a baseball cap or a toe cap and you get a stylish youth outfit.

Can a hoodie fit into a business wardrobe? Definitely yes! The best option would be a combination of a straight elongated jacket, dress pants and a plain sweatshirt… Choose calm basic colors: white, gray, black, beige – in this case, your image will look stylish and even fit into an office dress code.

Hottest version of 2020-2021 – total look, where the hoodie will play one of the main roles… An outfit can consist of several things of the same color, but slightly different shades, and as an addition, you can choose contrasting details. And in order not to miss and the image does not turn out flashy, give preference to calm tones.

Does the hoodie have age and physique restrictions? Not… Even if you are not fragile, you can easily afford a sweatshirt that will hide your problem areas. And in case you are thin and afraid to look disproportionate in a voluminous sweatshirt, then complement it with an advising bottom – boyfriend jeans, straight trousers, a skirt.

There is no point in worrying about age: hoodies can be worn by both young fashionistas and mature ladies.… When in doubt, seek inspiration from 40+ fashion bloggers who have a lot of sophisticated, trendy hoody looks to offer today.