Published in the Contra Costa Times
By Casey Capachi
Our grandparents had the zoot suit and our parents sported the leather jacket. What’s our generation’s trendy, bad to the bone staple? The hoodie.
I wear a hoodie about six days out of the week, says St. Mary’s High School senior Patrick Wong, who claims at least 60 percent of his school wears hoodies on any given day.
The hooded sweatshirt, which can or cannot include a zipper down the front, has caused a stir in the fashion industry in the past few years and is reaching new heights of popularity. In the fall and spring 2007 runway shows in New York, designers worked hoodies made of silk and fur into evening wear. Hoodies have been appearing on both ends of the fashion spectrum from the everyday to the elite, says radio show hosts Jayne Chase and Jennifer Goodkind, who recently talked about the trend on their show A Fashionable Life, which airs on Wednesdays from 9:00-10:00AM on 1490 WGCH-AM, Greenwich, CT. “After this year, I think many consumers might consider hoodies high fashion items.”
Although it may be a while until you consider pairing a hoodie with taffeta, chances are you already own a hoodie if you’re under 30. And you don’t just wear these sweatshirts around your room. You wear them out. “I’ve worn a hoodie on a date to a nice restaurant a few times before,” says Miramonte High School senior Eric Herkenhoff. But Herkenhoff isn’t referring to a $30 hoodie he bought at a campus store, but rather a $150 hoodie designed by the brand Kidrobot, recently featured in Teen Vogue.
The fact that only 256 of each design exists led Herkenhoff to shell out his savings for the hoodie with one-of-a-kind graffiti artwork of bunnies. Along with texting, our generation has deemed hoodies acceptable for almost all occasions. At Nordstrom’s Brass Plum department in Walnut Creek, they are increasing hoodie inventory to compete with their Abercrombie & Fitch, Hollister and Victoria’s Secret. “We received (information) from surveys that our customers prefer comfortable over trendy,” says B.P. manager Rachel Grivois. “They want buy-now, wear-now clothes, like hoodies, that will work for all occasions.” Deer Valley High School senior Laura Riley owns an array of hoodies which she alternates depending on the activity. “I’ll wear my hoodies from sports teams and colleges around the house or to the grocery store,” Riley says. ?But when I go to school I wear something more fitted with a good color, design, maybe a different sleeve length.?
To many, a hooded mass of teens all look the same. But to the eye of a student, a hoodie can say something about the person. ?If you wear a hoodie from Abercrombie or Hollister it shows you’re more preppy,? Wong says. ?If you wear Quicksilver that’s more of a slim fit, you’re probably a skate boarder. Other things like logos and style characterize you. A skull could show you’re into gothic stuff.” In some parts of the world, especially Britain, teens who wear hoodies are generalized as troublemakers called “chavs” ? young adults who, along with hoodies, wear gold jewelry and designer clothing and are considered unintelligent and not to have any respect for society. The U.K.’s Guardian magazine even went as far as to say, ?The hoodie is the uniform of the troublemaker: its wearer may as well be emblazoned with a scarlet letter.? “It’s wrong that few bad apples behavior should cause so many other people a problem or an inconvenience. I do not believe that hoodies are necessarily linked to crimes in any way. Criminals wear hoodies no more than any other person,” said Herkenhoff.
The United States also has a problem with the hoodie. Boston-area schools banned hoodies as their latest item this school year, according the Boston Globe. Previously, students used the hoods to conceal their identity as they cut class or stole items from the building. Whether the hoodie says hoodlum or comfortable chic is up to you. But one thing is for sure: the hoodie won’t be going down for a while. “I like hoodies because they keep my head warm and look so much better than just plain sweatshirts without hoods. Those are just so awkward looking….so bare. A hood gives it style. It also allows me to cover up a bad hair day,” said Riley.
Who knew a half yard of fabric could make such a difference.