The Sweatshirt: How an Itchy Wool Jersey Became an American Icon
The sweatshirt is one of the great accidental icons of American clothing — invented to solve a very specific misery.
Born in 1926
The problem was wool. In the 1920s, a college quarterback was fed up with the heavy, itchy wool jerseys his team practiced in — they chafed, they shrank, and they never dried. He and his father, who ran a knitting mill, swapped the wool for a soft, sweat-absorbing cotton crew. By 1930 it was in production, and the modern sweatshirt was born. The "sweat" in the name comes straight from its life on the practice field.
How the hood arrived
A few years later, a knitting mill added a hood to the double-thick sweatshirt — first for laborers working freezing cold-storage and warehouse jobs, then for athletes shivering on the sidelines. Later, a clever "reverse-weave" construction was engineered to keep the body from shrinking vertically in the wash. From the field and the warehouse, the sweatshirt slipped into college culture, film, and music, and became the most democratic canvas in the closet — worn by everyone, everywhere.
What makes a great sweatshirt
It lives or dies on the fabric. The weight and quality of the terry or fleece is everything: a heavier terry — measured in ounces — drapes richer, wears warmer, and lasts far longer than a thin poly blend. Garment dyeing gives the color depth and a broken-in hand from the first wear. And the stitching and reinforcement decide whether it becomes a ten-year friend or landfill by spring.
The Black Bear Brand take
These are Josh's dream sweats. Our Ultimate 30 oz. Terry line uses an unusually heavy 30 oz. terry, cut and sewn in Seattle, USA, with vintage stitch throughout, and garment-dyed in Black Bear Brand's own custom colors — Charcoal Grey, Old Money Green, Hunter Green, Navy, Vintage Rose. Josh tracked down the best terry he could find and designed exactly what he'd always wanted, and now wears them nearly every day. For a lighter option, we also make a 20 oz. terry crew sweatshirt in Japan.
Feel the difference. Shop the Ultimate 30oz Terry Hoody and Terry Crew, and see the full Black Bear Brand store.