Attention, small revolution. For those of us who have always sung the praises of formal style, working on a hooded sweatshirt may seem surprising. Nevertheless, it seemed important for us to integrate it into our Fall-Winter 2024 collection, for two reasons.
The first is that clothing now lives in the era of comfort, influenced by the combined effects of the health crisis, the widespread adoption of remote work, and a continuous relaxation of dress codes. We had to adapt to this new reality and offer the 21st-century man this essential garment.
The second is a more pronounced ambition: to reinterpret the hoodie with the expertise of a shirtmaker. In essence, it was this challenge that we found worthy of interest: offering the most sportswear of pieces the attention and standards usually reserved for formal wear.
Whether you're a fan of sport-chic style, a lover of casual looks, or simply someone who values comfort, discover what you never thought you'd find at Hast.
Sporting origins, naturally.
A hoodie is a hooded sweatshirt. And a sweatshirt is literally a "sweating shirt." The tone is set.
Invented in the United States in the 1920s, this textile innovation came to the rescue of North American students who could no longer tolerate the heavy wool sweaters that dominated the world of sports. According to legend, one of them begged his father - the director of the Russell Manufacturing Company - to make him a soft and absorbent garment instead of the uncomfortable heavy sweaters. Without hesitation, Benjamin Russell developed a collarless cotton jersey shirt, unknowingly creating a legend.
Shortly after, a New York company named Knickerbocker Knitting Mills (now better known as "Champion") added a hood and horizontal jersey panels, definitively giving fashion one of its most famous creations: the hoodie.
Invented for athletes and adopted by workers for its insulating properties, the hoodie has gained ground over a century, flourishing today from couches to fashion runways to open offices throughout France.
Anatomy of Our Hoodie.
For a brand like Hast, whose core business revolves around shirts for over ten years, tackling the hoodie was a real challenge. Unlike our precious and refined flagship piece, the hoodie is decidedly more casual. Similar to the gap between the formal universe and the sportswear sphere, the contrast between the two is almost complete.
Rather than seeing an incompatibility, we preferred to view it as an opportunity, promising to approach the hooded sweatshirt as we would any other Hast-branded garment: with an imperative for accuracy, precision, and responsibility.
Precision in sourcing the raw material, strict criteria for selecting the yarn, meticulous choice of knitting stitch, utmost care in craftsmanship, absolute dedication to the finest details, meticulous selection of our European partners: in short, we made it a point of honor to design this hoodie with the precision of a tailor, just as we did when creating our T-shirts.
In the end, we are unsure whether we have before us the most refined casual clothing or the most casually distinguished piece, but it is certain that sportswear has never been treated with such respect.
Between us, here are the details that make the difference and make the Hast hoodie such a unique knit:
- Firstly, we selected a thick fabric of 452 gr/m2. On the market, this is the most generous in terms of density. A guarantee of warmth and durability, you can rely on it every season, even in the harshest winter.
- Jersey panels assembled in reverse weave. Looking closely, you'll see that the stitches run horizontally, following a technique patented by Champion in 1938. This uncommon approach has practical benefits beyond its aesthetic dimension. Considering that the jersey may undergo slight shrinkage during washing, the reverse weave allows it to shrink laterally (not horizontally). It's better to have a slightly more fitted hoodie than one that is much too short, isn't it? That being said, we took care to wash the material beforehand, which is why ours is already stabilized. You can choose your usual size without fearing any tightening.
- Expertly crafted raglan sleeves. If you're not familiar with this assembly technique that connects the sleeve directly to the neckline, you may fall in love with its comfort. Maximum freedom of movement and a beautifully defined shoulder line – that was enough to seal our decision.
- A hood lined with the same material as the body. Whether to ensure consistency or enhance protection, this was a key point in our specifications.
- 100% cotton jersey. While most brands choose to include polyester in their hoodies (often for stability and durability reasons), we opted for 100% cotton. The reverse weave and the density of our jersey ensure an unwavering and enduring hoodie, allowing us to prioritize 100% natural material without compromising its durability. In line with the rest of our wardrobe.
- Two colors on the menu, including an uncolored white "no dye." Alongside the gray sweatshirt, the historical color of this piece, we wanted to include an undyed white hoodie. A more ecological process, it reveals the cotton in its natural state for an added touch of soul.
- European craftsmanship, as always. If you know our commitment to local craftsmanship and the importance we place on proximity, you won't be surprised to learn that we entrusted the production of our hoodies to a Portuguese partner located just a few hundred kilometers from you.
A Sporty Piece Comfortable Beyond the Fields
In a century, the hooded sweatshirt has distanced itself from the sports facilities that were its first home. Today, the hoodie seems at home everywhere, and ours says no different.
As you'll see from the suggested looks, it's a piece that can fit into most contemporary styles, from the most casual to the most dressed up. While it's obviously possible to take it literally, paired with sweatpants, it's just as feasible (if not desirable) to take it to less conventional horizons.
With jeans or chinos, of course, but also integrated into more daring combinations. For us, its pairing with military pants or even with pleated wool flannel pants seems particularly successful. And to accompany it, a shirt with a protruding collar or flowing tails would truly have the best effect. As well as a dressy coat, from which you would casually let your hood peek out (not so negligently).
In short, the realm of possibilities is truly endless with it, and we advise you to fully exploit its incredible potential.
A Word on Maintenance
By approaching the hoodie as a "precious piece," we also had to accept making it a delicate garment. As a team, we considered that the game was worth the candle, so you won't be able to clean this one like an ordinary tracksuit.
So, we recommend handwashing it every 6-8 wears, in a soapy cold water mixture. Then squeeze it by compression (not by twisting) before laying it flat to dry, preferably protected from direct sunlight.
