What Is A Hoodie?

Hooded sweatshirt is the full name for a hoodie. It belongs to the same garment family as a crewneck sweatshirt, which has a round neckline. The hood is sewn into the neckline and extends over the back and top of the head. On styles with a drawstring, the cord runs around the hood opening and can be pulled to bring the fabric closer around the face.

The washed-black style pictured above is a pullover: it goes on over the head through the neck opening. The large pouch sewn across its lower front is called a kangaroo pocket. Openings at both sides lead into the same pocket. Ribbed cuffs gather the sleeve ends at the wrists. A ribbed waistband can hold the bottom of the sweatshirt around the hips, creating a little fullness above it. Other designs finish with a straight hem that hangs loose. Some hoodies have pockets concealed in the side seams or a plain front.

A zip-up opens all the way down the front. Undoing the zipper separates the two front panels, so the hoodie can be put on like a jacket or left open over another top. Zip-up styles often have a separate pocket on each side. Half-zip hoodies have a shorter opening at the chest and are pulled on over the head.

Champion traces its hooded sweatshirt to the 1930s, when it was developed for athletes to wear between games or practice sessions. The brand's Reverse Weave hoodies later appeared in hip-hop and skate clothing during the 1980s and 1990s.

Inside The Sweatshirt Fabric

Turn back a cuff or look inside the body to see the fabric's inner surface. French terry has small knitted loops on the inside and a smooth outer face. The folded gray fabric below shows both surfaces.

Sweatshirt fleece gets its soft, fuzzy inner surface from brushing that lifts fibers out of the yarn. The raised fibers hold air, helping the fabric retain warmth. That plush interior is part of the sweatshirt fabric itself. Sweatshirt fleece can be made from cotton or a cotton-polyester blend. Elastane is sometimes added to ribbed cuffs to help them stretch and recover. Some cold-weather hoodies also have a separate lining, such as a fluffy sherpa layer sewn inside the body.

The fabric's weight affects how substantial a hoodie feels. Lightweight French terry is an option for mild weather. Product listings sometimes give the weight in GSM, meaning grams per square meter of fabric. This number describes the weight of the cloth; the knit's thickness and inner finish also contribute to warmth.

The Fit Of An Oversized Hoodie

Hoodies come in regular, slim and oversized fits. Men's oversized hoodies have extra room through the chest and sleeves, with shoulder seams often sitting partway down the upper arms. The body can be cropped, finish at the waist or extend over the hips. An oversized M already includes the extra room intended for that style; the brand's garment measurements show its actual width and length.

The Supermade's Band Graphic Washed Distressed Hoodie has a broad body that ends in a short, straight hem. Wear it with dark-blue baggy jeans and black canvas sneakers. Let the frayed edge hang free above the denim.

The navy pullover shown below ends at the top of pale-blue baggy jeans. Its ribbed hem gathers the sweatshirt close to the waistband, so the extra room sits through the chest and sleeves. Off-white sneakers show beneath the jeans' loose hems.

For this short, roomy fit, compare chest width and body length on the garment's size chart. Use the measuring points supplied by the brand, taking the same measurements from a hoodie whose fit suits you. Choosing a larger size in a regular cut usually adds body and sleeve length as well as width.

A White T-Shirt Underneath

The white T-shirt below the black hoodie shows as a narrow curve above the wide gray trousers. Both tops are left untucked. Pair them with thick-soled black leather loafers and a black tote, letting the trousers fall in long creases to the shoes. Try the T-shirt under the sweatshirt to judge how far its hem extends below the hoodie. Smooth the T-shirt down at the hips before letting the sweatshirt fall over it.

An Open Zip-Up

Tuck a white ribbed tank into olive cargo pants and pull on cream trail sneakers.

Let the cargo hems gather around the shoes, with the laces showing. Slip the gray zip hoodie on over the tank and leave it open from the neckline to the hem. The straight front edges hang on either side of the white fabric, leaving the olive waistband visible at the center.

A Matching Hoodie And Shorts

The washed-beige hoodie hangs over the waistband of matching knee-length shorts, with loose sleeves gathered at the wrists. A pale baseball cap sits above the hood. Brown suede sneakers and a brown tote add a darker shade to the outfit. White crew socks pick up the white laces, with a little white also showing at the T-shirt neckline. The shorts fall loosely around the thighs and finish at the knees, leaving a stretch of bare calf above the socks.

Wearing A Hoodie Under A Coat

The hood sits outside the coat's collar, with its front edges beside the lapels.

Try the coat on over the hoodie and reach forward with both arms. The coat should let you move freely across the upper back and shoulders, with space for the sweatshirt inside the upper sleeves. Button the front to check the room across the chest.

Wear the brown coat open over a black hoodie and loose black pants, adding brown-and-white sneakers and a brown ribbed beanie. The open coat shows the black hoodie and pants together through the front. Here, the trouser hems finish at the sneakers, showing their white laces and side panels.