The Origins of Hoodies

This particular piece of clothing spells out attitude clearly, and is worn by boys, girls and even babies alike. Rap artists have belted out their songs wearing one of these, to add some style quotient to their image. Wearing one indicates you’re cool. So how did the hoodies come into existence and why is it such an important ingredient in urban fashion wear?

Who was the influence behind the hoodie and when was it first used, is a much debated question in history. Some say that the cowl which was a hood worn by Catholic priests on top of their tunics, was the original inspiration for the hoodie. These cowls were commonly used by them for prayers and during confessions. A more plausible theory is that workers, who used to spend long hours working in frozen warehouses, were the first people to wear the hoodie. Of course back then, the intention was to give the wearer warmth and not to make him look stylish. Soon a few sportswear designers such as Claire McCardell actually developed many collections all proudly featuring the humble hoodie. Not before long, athletes and football stars in particular began to wear them quite often. However, the image attached to the hoodie was one of exclusivity.

People get hugely influenced by the movies and in the late 70’s, the world was raving about Rocky- the famous underdog who was determined to fight back and stay fit. Who can forget Stallone’s workouts wearing his hoodie? Something about the character struck a chord with teenagers and youngsters. It was almost as if the hoodie seemed to say ‘The world is against me, but I will make my place eventually’. Sales of hoodies slowly began to rise. Coincidentally, America was also slowly waking up to hip hop, which was a new refreshing sound unlike rock and other popular music forms at that time. Hip hop for some reason, was seen as music for outcastes and for people who just didn’t fit in. Its lively beats and meaningful lyrics, soon found a place on every street and in the nightclubs. Just as the music itself was different, hip hop artists sought to create an image different from the torn jeans and denim jacket style of those times. The hoodie teemed with a t-shirt, colourful sneakers and bling for style, became the signature look of so many hip hop artists. Graffiti artists, surfers and skateboarders quickly followed suit.

The image of the hoodie itself has changed a lot over time. It hasn’t helped that rebellious teenagers wear it often, or that crimes have been committed by people wearing a hoodie with the hood up. When the hood is worn covering the head, this stylish garment transforms into something darker. However many designers have added a creative touch to the hoodie by including prints on them, adding pockets and zips or simply fine-tuning it. For a garment that has truly changed with the times, the hoodie isn’t likely to go out of style anytime soon.