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Vintage Hoodie

bn1966

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On the lookout for a vintage style hoodie, have noted Pike Bros & Eastman both make a version..very nice but quite pricey. Any recommendations Gentlemen?
 

Superfluous

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I just purchased three Buzz Rickson hoodies -- real happy with them. I have a 3Sixteen hoodie that is even better. Real McCoys also makes great hoodies.
 
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Oh... I had no clue. Thought it's a relatively modern garment. I'm looking at the Pike Bros one, doesn't seem particularly different than what's being made today but then again, the same could be said by any piece of clothing we're obsessing over here on TFL. :D

It's nice and I don't think the price is that bad, though. I see pricier hoodies in any mall.
 

bn1966

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Oh... I had no clue. Thought it's a relatively modern garment. I'm looking at the Pike Bros one, doesn't seem particularly different than what's being made today but then again, the same could be said by any piece of clothing we're obsessing over here on TFL. :D

It's nice and I don't think the price is that bad, though. I see pricier hoodies in any mall.

I thought they were an 80's item too, discovered the earlier versions whilst looking for an early model sweatshirt. ELC one is lovely, but I don't know if I can justify the £££ for a utility item (then again I probably can :) )

www.elmc.co/hooded-sweat-navy-p-156.html
 

patrick_b

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Boston, MA
Overlord Brand makes vintage inspired military t-shirts and sweatshirts (crewneck only right now). Their tees are quite good and very reasonably priced. Haven't tried the sweatshirts yet.

Just noticed tees are on sale right now.

https://overlordbrand.com
 

Ernest P Shackleton

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Interesting. There's quite a bit more sewing involved in that hood. The hand pocket is crudely cut and sewn. I never cared for the decorative crossing zig-zag stitch at the collar on shirts. I do like the longer cuffs so you can fold them back in half like you would cuff a pant.

Champion used to make a hoodie you might like to look for on eBay. They were thick and expensive in the late 1980s. Long cuffs like that, and on the sides, they had an additional panel of material that was set perpendicular to the front and back mains. So the weave was vertical on the front and back, and the 6" or so panels on the sides were set so the weave was horizontal. For all I know, they are still made, but I know I haven't seen one in the wild for a very long time. Even back then, they were $35-50...back when the minimum wage was $3.35/hour. I would notice them because I thought they were both very sharp looking and of unusually high quality because of the heavyweight material.
 

EmergencyIan

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^ Yeah, decades ago Champion and even Russell Athletic made really high quality pullover and zip up hoodies or sweat jackets.

As far as repros go, I have a very nice Buzz Rickson’s classic gray zip up sweat jacket/hoodie. It’s very nice.

- Ian
 
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Doctor Strange

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Hudson Valley, NY
As far as when they were introduced... I don't recall seeing zipper hooded sweatshirts anywhere before the very end of the seventies or early eighties. At least, that's when they began showing up in department and sporting goods stores. And it seemed like a genius invention at the time, it was surprising nobody had thought of it before. Pullover hoodies are much older, they were ubiquitous and standard when I was a kid in the early sixties.

As it happens, I'm currently wearing a Russell zipper sweatshirt I got in 2000, a serious heavyweight garment, well-made, that cost around $40 when new. It's my all-the-time-in-my-thermostat-at-65-house wearer now, every day through the cooler months for several years. With wear and washing, the wrist knits have become thin and stretched, but otherwise it's held up awfully well: I must have zipped/unzipped it tens of thousands of times by now.

And at the other end of the scale... I just got a couple of pretty nice imported Fruit of the Loom-labeled ones, 60% cotton, in a local discount store for $8 apiece. They're nowhere near as well made as that old Russell, but they are darn good knockabout wearers for that price.
 

Ernest P Shackleton

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Those Champion sweatshirts are called: Reverse Weave. Those side panels are called: stretch panels. It appears they still make them.

edit: these are now made with 12oz/yard and some variation thereabouts, depending on color, of 82% cotton/18% polyester.

Champion Reverse Weave Men
- Champion has made legendary Reverse Weave® Sweats for nearly 100 years. Simple in its design, but perfect in its execution, Reverse Weave® fleece is cut on the cross-grain so the length stays true and vertical shrinkage is minimized. Signature side panels stretch for mobility. Double-stitched seams can take the tough stuff and make for sweats you love to wear. Iconic colors reign beside standout graphics for classics that stand the test of time.
 
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scottyrocks

I'll Lock Up
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9,178
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Isle of Langerhan, NY
Champion used to make a hoodie you might like to look for on eBay. They were thick and expensive in the late 1980s. Long cuffs like that, and on the sides, they had an additional panel of material that was set perpendicular to the front and back mains. So the weave was vertical on the front and back, and the 6" or so panels on the sides were set so the weave was horizontal. For all I know, they are still made, but I know I haven't seen one in the wild for a very long time. Even back then, they were $35-50...back when the minimum wage was $3.35/hour. I would notice them because I thought they were both very sharp looking and of unusually high quality because of the heavyweight material.

I still have a couple of those Champion hoodies that I purchased in the '80s. One is still wearable in public, but the other's cuffs are frayed enough to serve only as a work shirt now.

Regardless, yes, the quality of these items is very good. Nice, thick cotton, and well put-together.
 

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