Hoodies: Always in style

The sweatshirt is no longer a garment to be worn only before and after sports or for lounging at home. Today, they are part of the fashion trends incorporated into each fashion season. And one of the reasons, apart from their comfort, is their ease of combining with many other garments. It's a garment that never goes out of style. However, sometimes those with hoods are more prevalent, and other times those without them. To fully confirm the statement that it is a timeless garment, we can say that similar garments already existed in the Middle Ages.

History of sweatshirts

It turns out that the history of the sweatshirt is more or less parallel to that of jeans.

19th Century

Both garments appeared at the end of the 19th century. And they were born as workwear. In the case of the sweatshirt, French fruit and vegetable vendors began to use it to protect themselves from the cold. The words 'marchand d'ail' (garlic seller in French markets) were eventually abbreviated and transformed into the word 'chándal' (tracksuit).

1920s

The next important step was in the 1920s. And it was led by Benjamin Russell, owner of a women's and children's underwear factory in Alabama.

Using the fabric from women's underwear, Benjamin created the first sports sweatshirt for his son to play American football much more comfortably on the University of Alabama team.

The popularity of this garment among athletes multiplied, both in American football and then in baseball.

1930s

The Champion brand sewed hoods onto them to keep employees of refrigerated warehouses and forest rangers warmer and protect their heads from the cold.

And later, these sweatshirts also ended up becoming sportswear for training at US Army academies.

1970s, 80s, and 90s

In the 70s, the sweatshirt became a symbol of sport. A brand that was very strong at that time was Adidas with its Trefoil logo printed on the chest of its sweatshirts. It was so successful that years later it would become the logo of Adidas Originals, a new category in the world of fashion, which separated and differentiated itself from the technical sports line.

In the 80s, hip-hop and breakdance followers took sweatshirts out of sports facilities to become part of their aesthetic statement.

In the 90s, it became popular among surfers and skaters, with brands like Quiksilver or DC, which solidified the sweatshirt as a key piece of urban fashion style.

21st Century

Its massive presence became widespread, and it also made its way into the world of the most exclusive fashion catwalks, through the rise of athleisure. It is one of the favorite garments of celebrities and influencers. And finally, the trend of bringing back designs from the 70s, 80s, and 90s, known as retro or vintage, became popular.

Characteristics of sweatshirts

The main characteristic is their comfort and the pleasant feel of the fabrics they are usually made from.

Their versatility is also very remarkable. With them, you can create a wide variety of looks, sporty outfits, combine them with running shoes, dress up a more alternative outfit with roll-up style jeans... And they also combine fantastically with shorts or bermudas.

There is an infinite variety of designs: with or without a hood, with a zipper, plain, printed...

Among the manufacturing materials, cotton stands out with great primacy. Today, the best brands usually use organic cotton.

There are also combinations of cotton with other fabrics such as polyester and others that give it elasticity.

There is a men's or women's sweatshirt for every occasion, you just have to find it.

So, today, sports sweatshirts are a must-have in your wardrobe that allow for many combinations and give your looks a trendy and distinctive touch.