Streetwear Style: The Return of the Sweatshirt

The sweatshirt is one of the most ubiquitous articles of clothing out there. Everyone you know
owns one. Or at least they should. It is casual response to the sweater, but comes with so much
more benefits. Its snug, sporty style has seen it become the preferred torso-cover item for
athletes, college students, fashion trend setters and pretty much anyone with any interest in
anything.
The sweatshirt can be used to make a statement, lose weight, draw attention and even exude
certain abstract qualities. What other piece of clothing even compares? Not only is it fascinating
to look at, the sweatshirt also has an interesting history. With fashion trends the way they are, it
also has an exciting future. Let’s look at some this history and some of these trends.

A brief history of the sweatshirt

The sweatshirt has had an illustrious history, dating back to the early 20th century. Today, almost
a century later, it is still a center of fashion attention. All of the biggest designers are constantly
looking for ways to push the envelope with the sweatshirt. More often than not, they resort to
history for inspiration.
Sweating it out
Back in the day, football players used to play in thick wool uniforms. As you can imagine, they
were extremely uncomfortable. Always one to take the lead, Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback
Benjamin Russell, Jr. decide to do something about it in 1926.
He set out to put an end to the constant chafing and itching caused by woolen uniforms, and
changed the face of fashion forever. Naturally, his journey began with women’s undergarments.
 ‘So what about these about these new uniforms, huh?’

Women’s undergarments?
That’s right. Working with his father (who happened to own a clothing manufacturing company),
BR Jr. came up with a practice jersey modeled on a women’s union-suit top. It was made of thick
cotton, which can breathe, as we all know. The Russell Manufacturing Company just so
happened to specialize in such materials and designs.
The new jerseys were essentially loose, collarless pullovers - the sweatshirt had been born. BR
Sr. set up the Russell Athletic Mills in 1930 to produce just sweatshirts and the company has
expanded ever since into a multinational, multi sport giant called Russell Athletic Co. Warren
Buffet bought Russell Athletic Co. in 2006.
Along with Fruit of the Loom, Russell Athletic forms the core of Berkshire Hathaway’s holdings
in this snugly sector of the economy.

College daze
A few decades after it was introduced in football, the sweatshirt started to make waves on
college campuses throughout the U.S. The 1960s saw a proliferation of college-name printed
sweatshirts. The medium simply caught on. How much of that is because of the general open
mindedness that pervaded the era, who can really say. In all likeliness, the sheer comfort of the
sweatshirt is what birthed its popularity.
Previously, the T-shirt had the monopoly on clothing-based identity broadcasting and political-
opinion advertising. The sweatshirt slowly began to take over, at least on college campuses.
Together, the T-shirt and sweatshirt would come to define statement-making through clothing
from the 1970s or so onwards.
The sweatshirt-as-campus-pride movement continues to this day. In almost every university
bookstore you will find row upon row of sweatshirts emblazoned with the name of the
school and in its colors. You can’t really say you went to a college if you’ve never owned that
particular piece of merchandise. In fact, they should probably start wearing sweatshirts to
graduations instead of gowns.
Soon enough it became apparent that it wasn’t just students using it for self-expression.
Designers had started to catch on as well.

But wait, isn’t it basically a sweater?

To the untrained eye a sweater and sweatshirt may appear to be the same thing. But then, to the
untrained eye there isn’t much separating a Mercedes S Class from a Toyota Corolla. The main
difference between a sweatshirt and a sweater is that the former is sewn while the latter is
knitted.
This has several ramifications. For one, the sweater’s knit (made of thick yarn) is usually highly
visible. The sweatshirt is sewn from a fabric (which itself can be made from a knitted yarn),
giving its characteristic feel and look.

What about sweatpants and sweatsuits. . .and what’s a hoodie?

These are all members of the same loving family. The sweatpant is made in a way similar to the
sweatshirt, and when worn together, they form a sweatsuit (or tracksuit).. Sweatsuits are usually
worn by people trying to lose weight as the exercise as the internal layer helps to retain heat and
cause excessive sweating.
Sweatshirts can come with a variety of add ons, pocks and hoods being a the most common. A
hoodie is simply a hooded sweatshirt.

Modern interpretations
Variations on a theme
Whenever designers begin playing with something, you will get millions of variations of it. The
sweatshirt has been repurposed in many creative ways since it began taking over college
campuses in the 60s.
There are short-sleeves sweatshirts, long-sleeve sweatshirts, sweatskirts, graphic sweatshirts,
sweatshirts with high-tech material, round-neck sweatshirts, pullover sweatshirts, hoodies,
sportswear sweatshirts, fur-lined sweatshirts, winter sweatshirts, hobo sweatshirts, oversized
sweatshirts, buttoned sweatshirts, multi-fabric sweatshirts, crop top sweatshirts. . . the list could
go on forever.

The subcultures
Just as in the 60s, the popularity of the sweatshirt is based on its ability to advertize, its
sportiness and comfort. Various subcultures have adopted the sweatshirt look for these very
reasons, from skaters to surfers, hip hop to grunge.

Streetwear: Skate and Surf

For surfers, the sweatsuit was a source of warmth as soon as you got out of the water. It also
absorbed water, facilitating drying. As surfing became more popular, the sweatshirt with started
to appear more often with surfing brand logos, Quicksilver being probably the most popular.
Skateboarders like the sweater because it provides extra cushion for hard falls. As skating
magazines and video games started flying off the shelves, the sweatshirt became even more
popular. The breathtaking visuals of a hooded skater doing an eggplant or grinding on a shopping
mall railing captured the imaginations of millions of kids. The sweatshirt was always part of the
wave.

Skating is a major popularizer of the sweatshirt

Those who couldn’t skate or surf felt just as good merely imitating the clothing styles. For
skating, this included baggy pants, hat, sweatshirt and Vans sneakers.

Boogie down: the hip hop sweatshirt

Another major cultural revolution that influenced the spread of the sweatshirt nationwide and
then globally was hip hop, particularly the flavor that started blaring from the South Bronx in the
late 70s. The hip hop subculture involved more than just music: it was a style of walking, talking,
eating, and wearing. There was breakdancing and graffiti, the hard knock life and corner bodegas
with 40s and smokes.
The dress code was simple: baggy pants, a fitted cap, jewelry up the Wazoo, Adidas or Puma
sneaks. The likes of Run DMC epitomized that original, old school hip hop, which still draws
many dedicated fans to this day. The sweatshirt was there all along.

Designer styles
High end variations
Today’s major designers, from Calvin Klein to Adidas, Fila to Tommy Hilfiger, have all done
something with the sweatshirt. Step outside right now and you are likely to see one of their
creations, no matter where you live. You may be wearing a designer sweatshirt as you read this.
The logo’d sweatshirt is essentially fashion wear for the masses.
Starting with the Anglomania sailor sweatshirt and designer Norma Kamali’s Sweatshirt
Collection, to today’s CK sweatshirts and Dolce and Gabana’s "l'Hip-Hop C'est Chic" (Hip-Hop
it’s Chic), there have been numerous iterations of the designer sweatshirt. Today there are
designs for every imaginable taste, from the conservative crew neck sweatshirt to the full zip up
hoodie.

Higher end
Among the truly high-end fashion sweatshirts is the Y-3, co-designed by Japanese master
designer Yohji Yamamoto and Adidas. The sleek design evokes both a sportive and cultured
feel. Michael Kor’s combined the sweatshirt with a fur vest to produce something that looks like
nothing else that came before it.
There are other more daring interpretations. Chloe and Gucci have experimented recently with
the head-to-toe full body sweatsuit.

The highest end

Today”s sweatshirt styles draw heavily on the streetwear craze brought on by skating and
surfing. The subsequent hip hop sweatshirt obsession and Japanese street fashion both draw
inspiration from the same hooded source.
Haute couture at its finest is about pushing boundaries, much like the subcultures from which the
latest sweatshirt designs get their ideas. The best ideas these days include combinations of style
changes and material innovations.
The use of neoprene, leather and satin have all been welcome changes. Stylistically, literal
thousands of variations have been tried. The sweatshirt is the gift that keeps on giving.

The return of the sweatshirt?

Fashionable statements
The sweatshirt is and always has been popular in one area or another. Its current re-emergence in
the area of high end fashion in nothing short of an earthquake in the fashion world. One could
theorize all day about why this happened, but it's fairly clear (to some of us, at least). Subcultures
always set the trend. ‘High’ culture merely latches on.
But what is high culture doing to signal this resurgence of the sweatshirt? They are re-using it as
a statement maker. Some of the new items are embroidered, some have satin backs, others have
python patterns or bamboo prints.
There are Sci-fi jumpers retailing at more than $1000 and others, much cheaper with statements
that poke fun at the whole affair. One sweatshirt reads “Homiès” (a reference to Hermès).
Quilting and zippers, which one would never consider new on their own, are infusing fresh life
into the sweatshirt design. There is even a move toward retro 90s sweatshirts in some circles.
As the basic template is the same (same overall style, often times the same material) the true
innovation lies in the artwork. That is where modern designers separate themselves into good
designers and great designers. People thrive on originality, even if that’s what everyone else is
doing.
The return of the sweatshirt is then maybe re-named as its reiteration. The original premise (of
being about making unique statements, whether for your university or lifestyle) is being stressed
again, albeit this time with sales figures in mind. But there is nothing wrong with that in. Great
ideas are forged in the fire of competition.

The recurring hoodie

Even though the sweatshirt has never really been out of fashion (which makes it hard to speak of
it ‘coming back’) some items are encountering a plain resurgence. After all, as with anything
else, there are trends. The hoodie, for example, is making a slow comeback after having been out
of the fashion limelight for some time.
 The hoodie returneth
No doubt in part due to the Black Lives Matter movement, the hooded sweatshirt is becoming
the locus for many designers as they try to reimagine the sweatshirt yet again. Chances are that
the ebb and flow of popular trends will see other forms of the sweatshirt come and go in years to
come, but there is no sign that the sweatshirt in general will leave the public eye.

Sweatshirt chic
No other fashion accessory has been so infused with revolutionary zeal as the sweatshirt (perhaps
except for Che Guevara’s military beret). Originally, it was used to solve a simple chafing issue
in pro football. Over a few years, it found its way into other sports and then into a college dorm.
Now it is everywhere, from Main Street to 5th Avenue. It really can’t expand anymore, only
change its form.
Not all form changes are accepted with equal warmth. But whether it is in style or out of style,
the sweatshirt is always there somehow. It’s too comfortable, too convenient, has too much
character to simply be locked away in the attic of fashion history. The real beauty of it is that
there is still so much that can be done with it. It has been 100 years but another 100 could pass
before we exhaust the possibilities.
Try a full zip up hoodie with no sleeves, lined with fur, or a form-fitting crew neck sweatshirt
made from cashmere. Maybe gloves and underwear made from sweatshirt material. Sweatshirt
furniture? Whatever you do with a sweatshirt, you will look good and feel comfortable. What
else could you ask for from your clothes?

LINKS TO IMAGES
Football https://www.shutterstock.com/de/image-photo/low-angle-view-football-huddle-
314917004?src=73Prkwo4eY7OKbmZ6Ob7-Q-1-4
Skater https://www.shutterstock.com/de/image-photo/teen-skater-hoodie-sweatshirt-jeans-slides-
609651839?src=XrTlet9DzOJB_OkCqJ9z2w-1-0
Hoodie https://www.shutterstock.com/de/image-photo/lonely-man-leaning-against-urban-wall-
488547841?src=sF9M42vNazIKl6hvbRnszA-1-42