Baby it's cold outside...

September 29, 2011 8:15 AM

I would like to purchase the greatest sweatshirt/hoodie of all time. Give me guidance.

I really hardly ever wear real jackets, sweatshirts are about all I need. Tell me the softest, warmest, most perfect sweatshirt or hoodie you know about. Zip up preferred, not mandatory. Should clean fairly easily. Shouldn't be all billowy and huge, I should be able to drive with it on.

Not going to list a budget, but I really don't want to pay a hundred bucks for it either.

Ideally I could wear it on the car to work, maybe at work, maybe kicking around the house on a saturday. Probably won't take it fishing, but it may suddenly get dog paw prints on it.

Oh, and this is a VERY important requirement: I really, really, don't want it to have a highly visible logo. A swoosh is OK on the chest, but minimal. I'm not a billboard.

posted by TomMelee to clothing, beauty, & fashion (22 answers total)

There's a reason you see these everywhere.
posted by theodolite at 8:20 AM on September 29, 2011

I've heard good things about Carhartt hoodies. Some have visible logos; others don't.
posted by supercres at 8:24 AM on September 29, 2011

It's close to your "hundred bucks" budget limit, but I love my Boden sweatshirt. It's warmer and better constructed than the AA bricabrac, but not so bulky you can't wear it under a shell.
posted by mkultra at 8:25 AM on September 29, 2011

I've had an Eddie Bauer Polarfleece hoodie for almost 15 years and boy, do I love it. I'm a pullover girl myself, but how about this for a zip?
posted by Sweetie Darling at 8:46 AM on September 29, 2011

I'm willing to consider a pullover---it's just that I always heat up in the car and then can't get them off, although it's probably more sensible for kicking around the house/office. I'm also not skinny. Not, like, big or anything, but that AA hoodie looks awfully skinny to me.
posted by TomMelee at 8:54 AM on September 29, 2011

This is the men's version of the second-best hoody I have ever owned (they no longer make the best hoody I have ever owned). It's above your price range, but it is very much worth it in terms of longevity, ease of care, and utility. It is, however, very warm. The one they no longer make was good for a wider range of temperature; this one is best when it's colder, not just slightly chilly. No logos, good secure pockets, trim fit.
posted by crush-onastick at 8:55 AM on September 29, 2011

I have a women's version of this hoody. Best thing ever.
posted by astapasta24 at 9:16 AM on September 29, 2011

Lulu Lemon. The price may seem insane, but it's worth every penny.
posted by Sys Rq at 9:18 AM on September 29, 2011 [1 favorite]

I've got a Carhartt hoodie. When it wears out (it's about eight or ten years old), I might just buy another Carhartt one, or I might buy a merino one from Ibex or Icebreaker or somebody.
posted by box at 9:54 AM on September 29, 2011

A second for the AA Flex Fleece. I am not ashamed to say I own four of them. They are awesome, warm, comfortable as all get out and hold up really well.
posted by Lutoslawski at 9:54 AM on September 29, 2011

And the AA Fleece has no logo at all.
posted by Lutoslawski at 9:55 AM on September 29, 2011

I always heat up in the car and then can't get them off

Just to address this, I'll give you my technique, which I actually use to take off any kind of outerwear in the car.

Make sure you are not sitting on the hoodie. Make sure there is nothing binding anywhere that will prevent it from going cleanly right over your head. Obviously, you should practice this in the driveway many times if you're planning to try it while driving.

Reach over your head and at the nape or your neck bunch up as much of the hoodie in your hand as you can. You're pulling it up from the waist as you do this. If you are driving, note that while you're doing this you still have one hand on the wheel and a full view of the road. Moreover, you can get that second hand on the wheel in a fraction of a second.

When it is safe to do so [like in a situation where you would be able to look down at your radio for a second], pull the hoodie over your head in one rapid motion. Now the hoodie is on your arms in front of you, you have both hands on the wheel and never really had to look away from the road, and at your leisure you can remove one arm at a time from it and put it aside.

I have this fear of getting an arm bound up while trying to take it off the "regular" way, and besides that taking it off the "regular" way occupies far more space with your arms extended and whatnot. With this technique I can take my jacket off while sitting next to someone and never invade their space at all.
posted by chazlarson at 9:55 AM on September 29, 2011 [2 favorites]

Katahdin Iron Works. Soft, thick, velcro pocket, heavy metal zipper. I can't wait to get back into mine this fall.
posted by steef at 10:44 AM on September 29, 2011 [1 favorite]

Alternative Apparel Eco Hoodies are the softest in the wooooorld. I borrowed one from a friend's husband and tried to keep it but it was his favorite, too, so I had to buy my own.
posted by rmless at 11:38 AM on September 29, 2011

Thanks everyone for the responses. I'll look into several of them. I've got a Carhartt thermal-lined hoodie, and it's really great, but it shrunk significantly after several washings and also came apart at the cuffs. Of course, I also wore it every day when I did manual labor... I'll check into these other ones.

The Nau one looks a lot like the Mountain Hardware fleece-jacket-things and I can't stand that weird outer shell material. Wish I could handle one instead of just looking at the pics. The Alternative Apparel looks super soft and snuggly but doesn't look like it could take much abuse.

Now ya'll got me wishing I had several hundred dollars I could throw to try them all.

also, chazlarson, thanks for the description. I'm like...weird. One minute I'm fine and then all the sudden I'm HOLY CRAP GET THIS THING OFF OF ME ITS KILLING ME AHHHHH but only when I'm driving. /shrug.
posted by TomMelee at 12:54 PM on September 29, 2011

Can't speak from experience, because I can't (at present) afford it. But I've lusted after TADGear's Praetorian Hoodie for a while now. It's wool, and wool is awesome.
posted by weaponsgradecarp at 2:18 PM on September 29, 2011

Also, TADGear's stuff way durable--a friend of mine took a TAD jacket to Afghanistan on two separate stints, and when he got home it was still in good enough condition that he sold it for a good chunk of what he paid for it.
posted by weaponsgradecarp at 2:19 PM on September 29, 2011

It's sad when a question gets more favorites than answers. That's cool though. I REALLY wish there was a way for me to handle some of these more expensive items other than buying them outright. Wool IS great, it also bakes me, but it IS awesome. Wonder if any of these places have stores in Pittsburgh? That's the closest local big city to me.
posted by TomMelee at 7:12 PM on September 29, 2011

I own this fleece hoodie from J. Crew. Mine is a couple of years old, so it might not be identical. Also, I got it on the clearance rack for about $50 bucks.

The fleece lining is super cozy and keeps the jacket relatively slim, compared to how warm it is.
posted by teriyaki_tornado at 7:18 AM on September 30, 2011

There is not an outer shell on the Nau hoody--the fabric just has a front & back. It's merino wool with just a little spandex, smooth on the outside and brushed on the inside to be fleecelike. Nau is also stocked at Moosejaw, Uncle Dan's and lots of sporting goods stores, but I find that selection is random at the stores, so it can be tough to try things in person first.
posted by crush-onastick at 8:44 AM on September 30, 2011

This target hoodie is amazing and ridiculously cheap. I don't know if there is a men's version, but it might even be worth trying the women's. It is warm and tough but not too bulky, and it layers nicely. I wore it basically every day last winter and bought one for my mom, who wore it basically every day that she didn't have to go to work.
posted by dizziest at 8:47 AM on September 30, 2011

I havethis hoodie from EMS and it is AWESOME. Best hoodie ever.
posted by Cygnet at 9:08 AM on September 30, 2011