Legendary clothing, revisited in our own way – Ep. 1/3: our first hoodie

You have just discovered our five new products.

For the first time, we have reinterpreted three legendary garments:

• The hoodie
• The fatigue pant
• The coach jacket

We have taken a further step in their story, adding our own touch.

We will share these three stories with you throughout the week.

Then, it will be up to you to continue writing them, making each piece your own.

Let's start with our first piece: the hoodie.

The hoodie: story of a living legend

1930's - The birth of a champion

Does Knickerbocker Knitting Company mean anything to you?

This is undoubtedly the case if I talk to you instead about the current name of this brand: Champion.

Founded in 1919, this company took the initiative ten years later to sew a hood on its sweatshirt model.

The hoodie was born.

It is then accompanied by two technical feats:

• A cotton fleece called "reaverse weave", whose oblique knitting on the reverse side helps limit shrinkage when washed.
• A new knitting method for linking thicker jersey panels together.

With its dense material and its protective hood, it quickly built a reputation among its first clientele: New York workers.

Regularly braving the winter cold on outdoor construction sites, or sometimes working in cold rooms, they need warm, comfortable, accessible and easy-to-maintain clothing. Here they are satisfied.

But they are not the only ones: just like its hoodless cousin, the hoodie is welcomed with open arms by the sports community.

From military training to university football matches, it becomes the clothing of the runner when resting. Protecting the latter from the chills of the great outdoors without taking away their freedom of movement.

1940's - From sportswear equipment to popular clothing

This is a crucial stage for any iconic garment: the one where the practical garment becomes an emblem worn for its aesthetic.

For the hoodie, this transition involves the most envied figures of American youth: college athletes.

The magic of flocking allows them to proudly display their belonging to a house or a team, while their companions take it away from the field.

Infiltrated into the preppy wardrobe, the hoodie becomes a cool piece of clothing.

It's fashionable.

When we see one, we no longer think of a worker or a military camp. We dream of the presence with which he can envelop us with his hood.

1970's - The (counter)cultural appropriation of a rebellious garment

The hood of the hoodie was not only used to keep warm.

It is also a powerful tool of anonymity, which street artists use to be able to disappear without risk after having left their graffiti on a wall.

For skaters, it's the dream outfit for getting into a resident's empty swimming pool for a few acrobatics on wheels.

(Always) inexpensive, practical, comfortable, and easy to maintain, the hoodie is welcomed with open arms by urban rebels.

The latter make it a key element of their daily outfit, whether to hide their identity or simply to display their belonging to the counterculture.

The hoodie thus finds a place of choice in the worlds of hip hop, surfing and punk.

During the decades to come, this privileged position would offer him the privilege of dressing big names such as Puff Daddy, Tupac Shakur, Fat Joe, Cypress Hill, Run-DMC, and even Wu Tang Clan.

1976 - From popular clothing to legendary clothing

In 1976, after a first placement in the spotlight in the film Marathon Man, it was the heroic Rocky who completed the hoodie's consecration.

The film won three Oscars including Best Picture. It makes the hoodie a symbol of hard effort and success.

To show you how, and above all for pleasure, I'll let you enjoy this extract as cult as it is epic:

It gives you chills, doesn't it?

Thrills that the franchise will decide to revive in several future episodes.

Note that this is not the first time that his hood adorns a boxing champion. More than 10 years earlier, Mohamed Ali already put his on as soon as he left the ring.

1980's - Climbing onto the podiums

After being popularized on campus by sportswear manufacturers like Champion, then on the streets by more urban brands, the hoodie is hoisted on the fashion catwalks. The one with a capital M.

It became a prestigious piece, enjoying an essential role in the collections of Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger and Giorgio Armani.

At the origin of this ennoblement: Norma Kamali, a renowned American designer who stands out by imposing the codes of sportswear in her women's collection.

The latter puts cotton fleece in the spotlight through the hoodie and its close cousin, the sweatshirt.

Its influence directs the trend, blurring the line between generic material and luxurious aesthetics.

Through this door, the hoodie is also gradually entering the women's wardrobe.

2000's - Intrusive connotations

As we said above, the hoodie's hood was able to hide many faces. And this function did not do him honor.

Theft, damage, trafficking... the hoodie has served gangs as well as isolated delinquents.

So much so that over the decades, some have directly associated it with crime.

Example as symbolic as it is striking: the clip “Stress” by the French group Justice, controversial for its concentration of delinquency, crystallized this association in 2007.

More broadly, during the 2000s, the connotations of the hoodie earned it occasional bans but revealing its perceived image.

In 2005, in the Kent region (United Kingdom), the BlueWater shopping center refused access to people wearing hoodies.

The same year, in October, the hoodie was one of the items of clothing excluded from the official dress code imposed on NBA players.

2010's - A political symbol

One February evening in 2012, Trayvon Benjamin Martin was shot and killed inside a gated community. He was then 17 years old.

The shooter, George Zimmerman, coordinator of a neighborhood watch, invoked self-defense, specifying that he suspected him of preparing a crime.

More than a year later, he was found not guilty.

The connection between this tragic story and the hoodie? Trayvon wore one.

Very quickly, a debate was opened on the role of clothing in the altercation: did it fuel the shooter's suspicions?

In a surge of national indignation, a protest movement calls for the indictment of George Zimmerman for an act widely described as a racist crime.

To this end and to challenge the amalgamation at the center of this affair, support for the movement takes the form of wearing a hoodie with the hood pulled down.

The hoodie becomes political, it is worn to make a statement, a protest.

It is worn to unite around a cause.

2010's - A symbol of power

The semiotic baggage of the hoodie still having a little room, Mark Zuckerberg decided to put his contribution there.

Are you wondering how?

Here is Bill Gates, CEO of Microsoft:

Here is our dear CEO of Facebook:

The dress codes of the man of power have changed a lot.

By wearing a hoodie, jeans and - often - a pair of sneakers every day, Mark Zuckerberg does more than ignore the figure of the big CEO in a suit. He taunts her.

He plays with norms to show us that when we are in charge, we can choose how we dress without affecting our credibility.

He therefore opts for comfortable clothing and frees himself from any connotation it might have. Transforming the hoodie into a synonym of power and (once again) success.

2020 - The story continues

Having left the New York construction sites to arrive on the catwalks of current Haute Couture, the hoodie has come a long way.

It offered warmth to workers, comfort to athletes and style to high school students.

It allowed urban youth to appropriate their environment, display their culture, and identify with their idols.

It is a piece of history which, by crossing times and social environments, has been enriched with universal symbolism.

Today it is interpreted in many ways. By luxury designers, nostalgic brands, technical innovators, hype initiators...

Our interpretation of the hoodie

Now, it's our turn to offer you our vision: a modern hoodie with a unique material and an atypical composition. All while respecting its origins.

1 – Authentic, simple

Respecting its origins, we have preserved the attributes that make up its style and functionality:

• Its hood with a drawstring, for its legendary aesthetic
• Its ribbed edges, to highlight your silhouette
• Its front pocket , to slip your baby kangaroo inside

Guaranteeing its authenticity, its simplicity makes it an easy piece to combine.

Because let's not forget, the hoodie has gone through all styles.

It was therefore important to safeguard this universality. So that it fits easily into every locker room.

A versatility that also draws on the gray base of its jersey, a nod to its sportswear origins.

But you know us well: we couldn't settle for classic knitting.

2 - Traditional, modern

To modernize its timeless aesthetic, we turned to Japanese rigor which, armed with patience, has sprinkled this jersey with a beautiful blue speckling.

When you approach, its irregular texture charms the eye.

When we move away, its uniformity gently melts into the whole.

3 - Aesthetic, comfortable

Between cotton, linen and ramie, Morishita has found the balance to give rise to a grain that is as pleasant to see as it is to touch.

“This mixture is not easy to master. And yet, they managed to obtain a hand that is both very textured on the outside and soft on the inside.

We haven't found any similar jerseys anywhere else." - Julien, Collection Manager

Enough to easily make another fleece fade, or, from the first wear, develop an addiction.

• 79% cotton: breathable, soft and comfortable
• 11% linen: absorbent, hypoallergenic and thermoregulating
• 10% ramie: bright and textured

4 - Multitask, without staining

Whether relaxing in front of Netflix or strolling around town, our hoodie will easily navigate any style register. Without making waves.

To add some cool to your ensemble, here is some inspiration.

At the crossroads of styles

They don't come from the same world, but a hoodie and a long coat often go well together.

One shows your relaxation, the other reminds you that you are a gentleman.

The hood fits with panache and shows that you are not afraid to mix genres.

For the other stones of your style building, it's up to you: jeans or chinos, casual shoes or sneakers...

Our recommendation:

• white pants with 5 pockets,
• a pair of sneakers worthy of the urban spirit of the hoodie.

Streetwear, but not too much

It's more sophisticated, I grant you that. But clothes are also there for fun.

So, what if we played with streetwear codes? After all, the hoodie is one of them.

To take a step towards this universe without putting both feet in it, focus on the materials:

• A cap in refined velvet,
• A slightly speckled wool flannel cardigan.

Down below, a simple fitted chino will also help you keep things cool.

Casual, but not sloppy

No need to dissect each combination: the reason why these clothes go well together is that they were designed together.

Together, these interpretations of iconic pieces result in the urban, relaxed and modern silhouette we had in mind. And we can't wait to introduce you to each one.

See you tomorrow for the rest of the story.

How to get our new parts?

It's simple: meet on our e-shop .