Gary Warnett's social history of the hoodie "unpicks the stigma associated with the garment" and traces its presence in popular culture back to the 1930s.
The longtime association with criminals begins in medieval times, but Champion's classic sweatshirt dates to the 1930s.
"It's a pivotal moment," Warnett says. "That's when the design becomes rehashed for the purposes of storytelling."
The term itself is relatively new, though, and reflects just one of those stories.
It's part of a series about the place of so-called "sportswear" in fashion (like 'street fashion,' the term is used to exclude the thing being appropriated) Check out Gary Aspden on footwear.
In 2014, when interviewed by editor Lou Stoppard for our In Fashion series, designer Nasir Mazhar lamented continued references to the 'trend' for 'sportswear' and 'streetwear', citing a lack of understanding from fashion writers about the subtleties and references of his aesthetic. 'It's just fashion. I think it's kind of rude to call it 'streetwear' or 'sportswear'. You don't play sport in it do you? Streetwear – what are you saying? That it's what people wear on the street? People wear all clothes on the street. It's fashion. Why don't they just call it fashion?' he argued.
Motivated by these comments and the prevalence of sporty shapes and silhouettes across so many high fashion runways, SHOWstudio seeks to analyse the history and nuances of key 'sportswear' garments.
[Via Put This On]
