Hoodies Don’t Deserve Their Rap
Banned from shopping centres, vilified in the press and thought by many to be the urban uniform of misguided youth, hoodies in the past, if you’ll pardon the pun have had a bad rap. But as Bob Dylan rightfully prophesized, ‘the times they are a changin’, and the once feared hoodie is fast becoming one of the key wardrobe essentials for people of all ages, genders and social standing… and rightfully so.
Whether it’s the seemingly colder winters, the influence of American culture on British society or just the fact that they’re so damn easy to wear and unquestionably cool, the hoodie has become massive and should not be overlooked by the image conscious. As we move into the winter months layering will once again become a key look and this is where the hoodie proves unbeatable. If any further proof was needed then take a look at some of the cultural icons of the last few years, Sean Combs and Kanye can often be seen rocking old skool trefoil emblazoned Adidas hoodies under denim jackets. Justin Timberlake is huge advocate of the zip through hoodie worn under a distressed leather. And David Beckham has even been seen sporting the humble hoodie under a crisp blazer.
Adding further weight to the argument that hoodies are now a true fashion heavyweight is the fact that they are now capable of influencing major trends. The recent influx of varsity inspired track style hoodies made up a large part of the vintage preppy look, a look that’s had us all donning Chuck Taylors and retro Harvard, NYU and UCLA print hoodies this summer.
With mainstream stars and leaders of subcultures alike all giving the hoodie their backing, it’s no wonder this once symbol of disaffected youth and isolation has gone from pantomime villain to fashion front runner. Able to lend itself to numerous looks, from old skool sporting legend to preppy vintage, from leader of fashion to regular Joe, there’s a hoodie out there for whatever look to choose to adopt.