Cult of the Well-Worn Hoodie

You love your hoodies. Shouldn’t your furniture enjoy that same level of comfort?

Originating from a 2003 Campana brothers workshop with the themes “containment” and “constructing from deconstruction”, the Hood Chair by Swedish firm BRDA - Broberg & Ridderstråle Design & Architecture - plays upon the different visual appearances furniture takes on when in use, such as the look of a chair when someone “claims” it by laying their jacket or hoodie over the back.

BRDA does some fantastic conceptual design, though I could find no indication that this chair is currently for sale. It would make a great addition to any apartment, though I wouldn’t act too surprised when your cat claims the hood as her own space.

Deviating only slightly from the recent batch of animal-themed hoodies, I’d like to introduce you to an imaginary monster friend, Plumkin.

I might be stretching the definition of a hoodie a bit here, but this design by Jessica Ding of JackalHaert Productions was too cool to pass by. The Plumkin “Eatchu Hood” is a one-of-a-kind design, falling just past the shoulders when worn as a hood, and with built-in snaps to double as a muffler.

Plumkin looks like he might have escaped from a Maurice Sendak story to chomp on your noggin; the whimsical style is sure to draw attention wherever you wear it.

The hood is available on Etsy for$27 (JackalHaert hoods normally run $30), though other hoods can be made to order or customized by the designer, who can be contacted at ryashademon@yahoo.com.

Fifty 24SF has a pair of ultra-stylish all-over print hoodie, inspired by the sights (and attitude) of the city.

First is the Truce Des Brownsville light grey hoodie (as listed - it looks blue to me too), screened with several dozen downtown Brooklyn icons, indicators and logos:

Second is the dark grey Truce Des The Shore, which evokes Cony Island in it’s carnival design, and is reminiscent of one of those old newspaper-printed tablecloths you might find in a homey Brooklyn diner.

Both are available for $80, in adult sizes small through XL in the Giant Robot online store.

I cant help thinking that if Swan, Ajax and Cleon were around today, they might be rockin’ one of these hoods. You know, once the whole leather vest thing fell out of fashion.

Keep your laptop cozy while traveling with this Instructable, where user TabLeft shows you how to create a laptop sleeve from an old hoodie, requiring only basic sewing skills.

With Neoprene laptop sleeves running around $20, if you’ve got an old hoodie you can’t bear to part with, this is a great way to keep it in service and protect your TiBook from any devastating dings in the process.

If you put one together, post in the comments with photos or tips!

Making the transition from aquatic life to land animals, this has to be one of my favorite hoodies yet.

The Rocket World limited edition Creature Hoodie, designed by Patrick York Ma, is made of Polartec Thermal Pro fabric and designed, quite clearly, to make you look like a bear.

More specifically, the design is patterned after Titus, a member of Rocketworld’s Insurgents Wilderness Gruppo. The hoodie comes in sizes from XX-Small to X-Large, and while the $160 price tag might seem a little steep, it’s worth noting that Ma donates a portion of the proceeds of every sale to one of several select non-profit wildlife organizations.

The creature hoodie is loaded with pockets for iPods and pens, and can come customized with any of 10 different patches and enamel pins. In addition to the sweatshirt, your purchase includes a limited edition I.W.G. mini figure – Terminator Septimius.

I would be sold by the ear-adorned hood alone, but if you examine the photographs closely you’ll notice that the sleeve openings also have 4 Gloomy bear style claws at the end. That’s attention to detail!

The creature hoodie is available for purchase from the Rocketworld web site, or from one of the seven specialty retail stores listed on their site.

Looks like we’ve fished up another squid.

While doing some surfing around the web, I came across this Angry Squid hoodie for sale by Mule Design, a great little creative agency with a super sense of humor.

The hoodie is for sale and will run you $35 in their online store.

It’s a shame that the King of Games’ Game & Watch: Octopus design doesn’t come in hoodie form.

And in case you were wondering, the correct pluralization is octopuses.

Just in time for back-to-school, or the start of the chilly season here in New York, GAMA-GO (the collective run by Tim Biskup, Chris Edmundson, & Greg Long) has an awesome-looking 100% Cotton Giant Squid Hoodie.

The design is screen-printed with a red-lined hood interior and drawstrings that resemble the tentacles of the cephalopod hanging out on your right sleeve.

$78 in limited quantities, the GAMA-GO online shop is taking pre-orders that will be shipped on September 21st.

It’s mid-afternoon, and I could use a siesta. So with fair warning that it might be the somnolence speaking, I’m really digging Burton’s Sleeper hoodie.

It’s cool, stylish, and chock-full of functional and impractical embellishments that are the mark of any good outerwear; the biggest strike against it is the airplane emblazoned on the front, which a month or so on looks out of place without two snakes wrapped around it.

Things like the built-in earphone compartment and iPod pocket are becoming standard on kitted-out hoodies, so it’s the snap-out, fold-down light shield and inflatable neck pillow that really set this hoodie apart. Unfortunately there’s no info on Burton’s site, leaving me to imagine a Nike Pump style inflatable button for filling the neck piece with air. Regardless, it’s infinitely more stylish than those inflatable neck pillows that look like they could double as hemoroid aids.

The idea seems to be borrowed from Matthew Gale’s Excubo jacket, winner of the national DYSON Eye for Why Design Competition (and quite a bit more Blade Runner-ish).

The Burton sleeper is $100 and available in black and heather grey from the Burton online store.

Hoodies are a fashion statement — from the hundred-dollar BAPE to the construction-zone Carhartt. They are the cornerstone of urban streetwear and a staple of college students’ wardrobes. The hooded sweatshirt has recently been saved, sung about, and legislated against. In some parts of the world, the simple act of wearing a hoodie has become an act of protest.

So why the cult? This is a site for anyone who doesn’t pass up the perfect hoodie in a shop window or a street rack, even when rent is due. Who has spent hours on a Sunday flipping through several hundred styles in an online catalog looking for the perfect color and cut. Who would rush home to post a missed connection on Craigslist after seeing a cute guy or girl on the train looking cozy in a hood, or tug someone’s sleeve in the streets to ask them where they scored their threads. Who has flipped up a hood to keep out the rain or snow, shield their faces from tear gas at a protest, or always has a balled-up bunny hug at hand to fill-in for a pillow on any long journey.

The site is not beholden to advertisers, a shill for a brand or a front for a style. While I might occasionally post reviews or feature certain brands, if you see it on the site, you can expect to see me wearing it around the neighborhood.

Ultimately, my goal for the site is to have a single destination cataloging all the interesting news and cultural artifacts about the hoodie, and maybe contribute a little something back. And most importantly, I’d like to hear stories from you, the reader, about your own hoodie love and experiences.