Hoodie Apparel - What's The Story Behind The Hood

For decades the simple hoodie has endured the ravages of fashion as it is enjoyed by yet another generation. So whether you love or hate them, they are here to stay and widely available in a variety of designs and colors online and in malls. Did you ever wonder why this fashion is so alluring to the masses?

Born out of necessity, it was introduced as functional work clothing and is still easily recognized from the original design with its unique hood and over sized front pocket. But it wasn't destined to remain in the domain of the unknown. It was soon to erupt onto the streets as the "must have" for leisure and sportswear fashion, but how?

The hoodie first hit the mainstream in the US during the seventies, thanks to the hip hop culture and fashion that was huge at the time. New York trends however, did not reach London that was busy having its own cultural revolution. So the item was largely unheard of in the UK until much later.

Wearing one is a statement, as lots of us have preconceptions associated with what they mean and the type of people that wear them. Hoodie fashion has been popular on both sides of the Atlantic for some time now. Surprisingly though, some of those social attitudes are poles apart.

In the US, it is a fashion icon. They are commonly worn for sports and leisure activities. Every college and university proudly emblazons their emblems on them, appealing instantly to the masses.

When you hit the west coast of the US, particularly California, they enjoy equal amounts of genuine affection amongst surfers and skateboarders. As the chosen item of such an elite group, the hooded shirt gained a cool casualness to them that is unsurpassed. Despite this, the hoodie still enjoys popularity with the public at large.

Every jogger in the US seems to wear a hooded shirt, as do the footballers and many other sporty types. That concept is very alien in the UK, where it is never associated with actually doing sports and to wear one whilst engaging in a sport would immediately identify you as an American. Wearing this item in the UK says something entirely different about you.

In the UK, you couldn't get further away from the US blue collar university association of hooded attire. The "chav" culture of the lower classes in the UK have called it an icon of its own. "Chav" culture and the wearing of them is particularly popular among the teenagers of the group, whose brooding gangs gave rise to "hoodie culture".

In England, a ban on the wearing of hoodies (with the hood up) in shopping malls was enforced in an effort to reduce the crime and animosity associated with their owners. This is a common element in the UK and US were it is associated with gangs and criminals who have used the unique hood to great effect when getting up to all sorts of misdeeds.

In the early nineties, the hoodie had its designer makeover with many big names choosing to showcase the iconic garment. It is still very much the staple of the masses though, despite the intervention, and as is its birthright. So what story of hoodie fashion will you tell the next time you put on yours?