for: Hoodie (disambiguation)

History

The history of the specific garment began in the 1930s, but historical precedent dates the style and form of the hoodie back to the Middle Ages. The formal wear for Catholic monks included a cowl, a long, decorative hood worn in addition to the standard tunic or robes. The modern clothing style was first produced by Champion in the 1930s for laborers in the frozen warehouses of New York. Its popularity spread as sportswear designers such as Claire McCardell developed entire collections based around the clothing.Fact: date=August 2008

The hoodie took off in the 1970s as several factors contributed to its success. Hip hop culture developed in New York City around this time, and the hoodie's element of instant anonymity, provided by the accessible hood, appealed to those with criminal intent. High fashion also contributed during this era, as Norma Kamali and other high-profile designers embraced and glamorized the new clothing. Most critical to the hoodie's popularity during this time was its iconic appearance in the blockbuster Rocky film. His attire embodied the persevering spirit of the American Dream at the time, and simultaneously appealed to workingmen, street thugs, and athletes.Fact: date=March 2008 By the 1990s, the hoodie had evolved into a symbol of isolation, a statement of academic spirit, and several fashion collections.Fact: date=March 2008 The association with chavs in the UK developed around this time, as their popularity rose with that specific demographic. Young men, often skateboarders or surfers, sported the hoodie and spread the trend across the western United States, most significantly in California.Fact: date=July 2008 The rise of hoodies with university logos began around this time.Fact: date=July 2008 Tommy Hilfiger, Giorgio Armani, and Ralph Lauren, for example, used the hoodie as the primary component for many of their collections in the 1990s.

Perception

In the UK, hoodies have been the subject of much criticism; some shoplifters have used the hood to conceal their identities from CCTV cameras in shopping centres. Particularly when worn with a baseball cap, the hoodie has become a trademark of "chavs": it has been called the "chav-style" in an Oxfam report.

In May 2005, Bluewater shopping centre in Kent caused outrage by launching a code of conduct which bans its shoppers from sporting hoodies or baseball caps, although the garments remain on sale. John Prescott welcomed the move, stating that he had felt threatened by the presence of hooded teenagers at a motorway service station. Former Prime Minister Tony Blair openly supported this stance and vowed to clamp down on the anti-social behaviour with which hoodie wearers are sometimes associated. London-based rapper Lady Sovereign published a single titled "Hoodie" in protest as part of a "Save the Hoodie" campaign.