We're in the Golden Age of Hoodies. Make Sure Yours Rises to the Occasion. (2024)

FAQs

What was the original purpose of the hoodie? ›

The hooded pullover is a utilitarian garment that originated in the 1930s in the US for workers in cold New York warehouses. The earliest clothing style was first produced by Champion in the 1930s in Rochester and marketed to laborers working in freezing temperatures in upstate New York.

The first popular appearance of the hood as part of garments dates back to the European Middle Ages. In those days monks wore hooded tunics (also known as “cowls”) and workers who worked outside used hoods attached to their capes to protect themselves from rain and snow (these were commonly called “chaperons”).

The History Of The Hoodie

While hooded garments originated before the common era, the hooded sweatshirt or “hoodie” that we know today was invented in the 1930s by Knickerbocker Knitting Company, which eventually became the brand 'Champion'.

1930s: Invention

The hoodie made a transition from practical clothing to a personal statement when athletes started to give their sports attire to their girlfriends to wear. The trend emerged throughout high schools in 50's America, along with polo shirts & letterman jackets.

The 1960s: Hoodies worn by top athletes

But, things were starting to change, and world-class athletes were also starting to embrace the hooded sweatshirt. In 1966, World Heavyweight Champion Muhammad Ali was photographed walking the streets of London in a white hoodie, taking the look across the Atlantic.

Hoodies get linked to death and destruction, as embodied as the Grim Reaper, executioners, and devils and demons. Conversely, hoodies evoke the benignly mythical and mystical in fairies and elves and supernatural woodland creatures.

The origin of hooded garments dates back to the European Middle Ages when workers wore hoods attached to their capes, known as chaperons. The purpose of the hood was to protect them from rain and snow in the simplest way possible.

The Middle Ages

By the High Middle Ages, some women in Western Europe were using bra-like garments to support and restrain their breasts. Both Henri de Mondeville, surgeon to King Phillip the Fair of France, and Konrad Stolle, writing over a hundred years apart ( c. 1315 CE and c.

Pullover hoodie

This hoodie is a loose-fitted sweatshirt with no zips on the front and is often made of a thicker material than other types of hoodies, making them excellent for the autumn months. This is the most commonly used hoodie because of its comfortability and practicality.

In 1934, the University of Michigan noticed the durability and functionality of Knickerbocker's garments and invited the company to create the first hooded sweatshirt for their sports teams. These hooded sweatshirts (In Athletics) become colloquially referred to as “side-line sweatshirts”.

What is a hoodie slang? ›

a young person who wears a hooded sweatshirt, regarded by some as a potential hooligan.

History and description

Historically, hoods were either similar to modern hoods, often forming part of a cloak or cape, or a separate form of headgear. Hoods with short capes, called chaperons in French, were extremely common in medieval Europe, and later evolved into big hats. Soft hoods were worn by men under hats.

The earliest history of a hooded garment is thought to be from medieval Europe in the 13th century where hooded robes or capes were worn by monks as part of their monastic attire to provide head covering and to prevent distraction.

The death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in the US as a result of such discriminatory, race-based suspicions gave rise to a 'hoodie movement' in which the garment is made emblematic of the fight against racism.

3) Why did ladies wear hoodies in the 17th century? To hide themselves when they were going to meet their lovers. To keep a low profile while shopping. To protect their skin from the sun.