It's Sweatshirt Season, My Friends
Get in formation, crewneck crew
I’m a morning person. I don’t know how or why that is, but I love getting up before everybody else. “It must be harder in the fall and winter,” somebody recently said to me, adding that they have difficulty waking up when it’s still dark out. I’m the opposite, I told them; you can’t beat the stillness of 6 AM in October or November. I get out of bed, make some coffee, put on the Minneapolis Public Radio classical station, get caught up on a little reading, walk the dog, and then get ready for the baby to wake up. I have some breakfast, don’t check my e-mail or bother with social media until around 8 or 8:30, and just sit around while everybody else is getting out of bed. It’s by far the chillest part of the whole day, but the key is preparation; I’m in the morning mindset before I go to sleep. Mise en place is the name of the game, and nothing is more important than the clothes I’m going to put on when I wake. As much as I love a good robe, I need to have clothes on when the day starts. So I’ve always got a pair of pants, socks, and a sweatshirt on my dresser. I’m probably not going to wear the sweatshirt all day, but I’m usually starting my day in one from late September well into winter.
When I say “sweatshirt,” I’m not talking about hoodies, that’s a totally different thing. I’ll wear a hoodie out of the house, but generally, it’s under a coat or with a pair of shorts when I’m running to the bodega. The sweatshirt is a little more personal, and not formal enough to wear to dinner, but I’m not against rocking one at night when you’re going to the bar. I will wear a sweatshirt out in public every now and then, but that’s why I’m pickey about the ones I buy. It’s literally a shirt that’s designed to sweat in, and I don’t want to look like Hanz and Franz if anybody sees me walking around in one, so I probably put too much thought into picking out the ones I like. I know it should be a simple process, but these six make the cut.
I generally love vintage sweatshirts more than new ones, especially ones that have college logos or come from some sort of club or business. I had this terrific grey one from some bar in Iowa that I found at a thrift store years ago, and the thing felt so light when I picked it up, but it kept me warm on the more moderate autumn days. I generally like the stuff Bram’s does, and I the design is cheeky enough that it reminds me sooner or later it will get warm and we’ll start planting our gardens again. My one snobby point about sweatshirts is to make sure the body is 100 percent cotton. It’s a little more expensive, but 20 percent polyester and 80 cotton just doesn’t hit the right way.
Chang is a Korean artist whose work is definitively “Ivy Style” influenced, and there’s something so fun about wearing a sweatshirt of a guy walking a dog when…you’re walking your dog. And most importantly: 100 percent cotton.
Norse Projects Standard Sweatshirt
I promise I’m not a shill for Big Grey Sweatshirt, but it’s really the best color in my humble opinion, and Norse makes the perfect one. 100 percent organic cotton, made in Portugual, and I like the way it fits me. I wear an XL but I’ve considered sizing up for extra comfort, maybe making the bigger one my designated “Weekend Sweatshirt.”
Yes, again with the grey. The great thing about this one is the pocket. I sized up and went XXL, but it’s so comfortable that I could actually see myself going for a hike in it even though I probably never will. I’d feel a little weird going out into the wilderness in a Drake’s sweatshirt. I know they say that’s what it’s designed for, but I’ll stick to the Patagonia and North Face for the great outdoors.
Finally, a real outlier. I copped one of these when I was in Japan a few years ago and it’s honestly one of the most perfect pieces of clothing I own. All of my sweatshirts are long sleeve but as somebody who runs hot, the Japan Blue “t-shirt” is unbeatable when the heat is cranked up in the house. I sweat when it’s over 67, so putting this on after my wife hijacked the thermostat is a beautiful feeling. It’s also just really cool looking. When I do wear it outside of the house I get a lot of compliments.
I'm a big sweatshirt fan too. These are all great but kind of pricey. Any cheaper ones you recommend? Thanks.