It’s difficult to imagine a garment more basic, simple, and prevalent than the hoodie. People have been shielding themselves from the elements with hoods since, at least the middle ages, while the hoodie’s modern form dates back to the 1930s, when it was manufactured for upstate New York warehouse laborers working in sub-freezing temperatures.
So why the mini history lesson for something so simple? The hoodie’s journey through the fashion of various urban subcultures has saddled it with some fairly overblown baggage. In 2016, when pretty much everyone can count at least one hoodie in their wardrobe, the sight of one can, in some quarters, inspire panic that would be appropriate for, probably, the hooded ring-wraiths from the Lord of the Rings series, but not a human being wearing an extra layer of cotton.
It’s ridiculous to ascribe sweeping generalizations to something so commonplace in everyday life. That’s why the latest Bodega drop returns the hoodie to its place as a blank canvas.
These hoodies aren’t made for physical labor or for juvenile delinquency. They were made for nothing in particular besides looking good and keeping warm. The rest is up to you.
