Collection: Hoodies

I started this post back in October, just as a chill was starting to manifest in the air, when a hoodie was all you really needed, even at night. (And then my schedule got away from me. Whoops!) Now it’s late November, and in New York we’re deep into the complicated process of balancing our layers.

The following are the pieces I have acquired over the years:

Loud and/or Formal Hoodies:

L to R: Lane Bryant; Cobra Starship (Fueled by Ramen); Lane Bryant again.

The two Lane Bryant pieces are the early fruits of an extended search for an “office appropriate” hoodie. The one on the far left turned out to be slightly too tight and restrictive for my purposes, and the one on the right I decided was both too thin and too loud. The Cobra Starship one in the middle has always been too loud for work, but I’m fond of it anyway, mainly because it is probably the most eye-searingly loud piece of clothing that I have or will ever own.

Detail shots:

Band hoodies:

My Chemical Romance (WB store); B (R.A.G., Port Authority); My Chemical Romance (WB Store)

The two My Chem hoodies are the most comfortable lightweight hoodies I own. However, as much as I love the skeleton shot full of arrows on the left, it is completely inappropriate for the office. (I did totally wear it to work on Halloween, though!) The one on the far right is a little bit better, but not much.

The one in the middle is not actually a band hoodie, but I lump in with them because several people have referred to it as my “Black Parade” hoodie, since it, er, does look remarkably like a somewhat-shiny marching band jacket. It is also incredibly warm and cozy.

I stopped wearing it last winter because the zipper broke in an awkward way, but I’m going to get it fixed soon.

Green Day American Idiot (musical, from theater); Panic! at the Disco (Fueled by Ramen); Meat Loaf (at show)

I’m especially fond of the Panic! one because the design is so simple and clean. If only it were black, and not blue, it would be perfect. The Green Day one is great because it is heavy and warm. I love the design of the Meat Loaf one too, it’s very simple and clean.

Layering staples:

L: Indigo Thirty C:  Monk PJ R: Profundis, All from R.A.G, in the Port Authority, 42nd Street.

These are all the workhorses. Though the one on the left I actually haven’t worn yet; that’s my emergency back-up hoodie. The red one in the center is lined with faux-shearling and can be worn by itself well into the early winter. It’s ideal for wearing to shows, because it’s not as bulky as a coat and is easy to tie around my waist. It is without question the best $10 I have ever spent on an article of clothing. The one on the far right is the one I’m wearing now, as an insulating layer under my jacket. I it might be an Ed Hardy knockoff. I love it anyway.

And now, the crown jewels of my hoodie collection:

Pleather and fake-wool, The Avenue

This is my main jacket. Last winter I wore it right up until the very last minute that I could, i.e. until the day it really was 9 degrees outside and I had to wear a proper coat. It’s super comfortable, has some nice fitted details, and the sweater-sleeves mean I don’t get overheated easily.

Black velour, Ashley Stewart

And finally, the final result of my quest for an “office appropriate” hoodie. It is the platonic ideal of “work hoodie”:  black (so it matches pretty much everything else I wear), mid-weight, sturdy, and soft. I found it at an Ashley Stewart in North Carolina about two years ago. I probably should have bought two or three.

And thus concludes the tour of my outerwear!