During my first years of exploring YouTube, I came across a video (which no longer exists) by a fairly popular user at the time that saw them go on a comical rant about a particular design of hoodie. It was a design that became a huge trend for around two or three years back when I was finishing primary school. The person in the video wore one of these hoodies and showed off the strangeness of the design before highlighting how ridiculous they thought it was. I went on to understand their point, even through the intentionally amusing expression of it. But at the same time, I thought about how everybody was wearing them and how the design was made to look stylish. I never got to own a hoodie like this at the time, as I never made it a part of my fashion nor did I ever had the chance to go out and purchase one for myself. Before I could, the trend had died in my country and the hoodies were no longer sold. You could say I was a tad upset, though having it no longer seen on the streets did take quite a lot of pressure off my back. Nothing however, could stop me from wanting to experience this unusual feature for myself.
I'm speaking of course about the full-zip hoodie. And when I say full-zip hoodie, I mean FULL-ZIP hoodie. Not the ones with the zipper that stops either at the bottom of the neck or under the chin, but rather those with the teeth around the edge of the hood that allow one to completely close it by zipping it over the head. We all know what I'm talking about and we have all seen them before. Some of us have even found ourselves asking why they do what they do, especially given the majority of them zip up over the head without allowing one to see anything. The fact most have no perforated or see-through material for the eyes. The fact that some can make it hard for certain people to breathe (though this is barely a problem for myself). It's the modern yet uncommon style of hoodie that one would think is likely to spark some significant conversations. So far this isn't the case, but I am here to bring it to the light and share my rather unpopular opinion.
Plenty of people would think it's a ridiculous feature, and I can't blame them for that. The real question is whether I fall into this category. Do I think such an idea for arguably the most popular piece of clothing today is absurd? This is one of those rare occasions where I immediately have an answer, despite the reasons taking much longer in coming to mind. From the very first moment I saw these hoodies, I thought they were awesome. I simply loved the way they could completely engulf the head of the wearer. Sure they look silly from the outside, but little do some know that one can gain a whole new perspective from the inside. I am in fact, a very strong example of this. After purchasing my first of these and wearing it, I quickly obtained a greater understanding of the numerous advantages. So much so, that I would search everywhere I could for more hoodies with the same feature. As this took place, my liking for them became much more complex.
A simple zipping up of these hoods deliver warmth and encourage peace, as they hug one's head at times most appropriate. When light is too bright, these hoods can block most of it out to help the eyes relax and even allow one to rest or sleep. One can zip up theirs and indicate to others that they don't wish to be disturbed. And believe it or not, full-zip hoodies like these are a form of convenience. In the very cold temperatures, most zipper hoodies that stop around the neck area don't exactly keep one's entire head warm. People are instead pushed to add a beanie, scarf or even a balaclava to answer for much of the face region. With a full-zip hoodie, one can zip up the hood to wherever they please. They can cover the chin, mouth and even the nose enough to still allow us to see what we are doing. I occasionally enjoy zipping mine up to my nose whilst wearing a beanie to protect my forehead. This strategy works a treat for me. And considering that I don't own a scarf as of now, I like to believe this is a decent alternative.
Of course it would be a small improvement if most of these hoodies allowed us to see whilst completely zipped up. I do however understand why designers rarely choose to go this direction. We don't want to supply criminality another advantage. Allowing vision makes it all the more beneficial for wrongdoers to continue their immoral ways without being properly identified. It honestly sucks how these selfish people ruin it for everybody, but it is what it is. The joy of protection, security and warmth will forever get tangled up with unjust treatment. The fact that when one covers their face, their immediately seen by others as suspicious characters. And they don't have to do anything bad for this to be the case. There are times and places that I do agree, require our faces to be seen. But outside these walls, I do wish I had a little more freedom of expression. Where my shyness, quirks and peculiar ways are seen closer to normal. Then again, we probably all wish that for ourselves. It's something that is unrealistic and beyond reach. Thank you criminals for spoiling the fun. Anyways, back to the topic.
Although most of my full-zip hoodies don't allow for vision, I do have my own little technique to answer for this and it doesn't involve cutting holes or making any alterations whatsoever. The technique does depend greatly on the hood size and the type of zipper used, but many of my hoodies allow for it. If anyone has a hoodie with this feature, I encourage them to try this out:
1. First pick an eye you feel more confident seeing out of. It sounds strange, but it actually is much like which hand is better for certain activities. I usually am more confident seeing out of my right eye compared to my left.
2. Chuck the full-zip hoodie on and zip it all the way up. Do ensure that the hood is a decent size and not too tight. It's important that there is some room to move the head. Anything too tight could likely make uncomfortable contact with the eye. If the hood is too big and roomy, tighten it with something thick (beanie, balaclava, etc.) underneath. This technique should still work.
3. Simply twist the hoodie so that the zip line meets with the preferred eye. If the zipper is friendly, you will be able to see through it very well.
It's not a super effective technique, as the ability to turn the head and see the opposite side of the eye won't be great. But your awareness of surroundings is relatively better and you will undoubtedly surprise a few with your ability to see anything that takes place.
Of course it would be a small improvement if most of these hoodies allowed us to see whilst completely zipped up. I do however understand why designers rarely choose to go this direction. We don't want to supply criminality another advantage. Allowing vision makes it all the more beneficial for wrongdoers to continue their immoral ways without being properly identified. It honestly sucks how these selfish people ruin it for everybody, but it is what it is. The joy of protection, security and warmth will forever get tangled up with unjust treatment. The fact that when one covers their face, their immediately seen by others as suspicious characters. And they don't have to do anything bad for this to be the case. There are times and places that I do agree, require our faces to be seen. But outside these walls, I do wish I had a little more freedom of expression. Where my shyness, quirks and peculiar ways are seen closer to normal. Then again, we probably all wish that for ourselves. It's something that is unrealistic and beyond reach. Thank you criminals for spoiling the fun. Anyways, back to the topic.
Although most of my full-zip hoodies don't allow for vision, I do have my own little technique to answer for this and it doesn't involve cutting holes or making any alterations whatsoever. The technique does depend greatly on the hood size and the type of zipper used, but many of my hoodies allow for it. If anyone has a hoodie with this feature, I encourage them to try this out:
1. First pick an eye you feel more confident seeing out of. It sounds strange, but it actually is much like which hand is better for certain activities. I usually am more confident seeing out of my right eye compared to my left.
2. Chuck the full-zip hoodie on and zip it all the way up. Do ensure that the hood is a decent size and not too tight. It's important that there is some room to move the head. Anything too tight could likely make uncomfortable contact with the eye. If the hood is too big and roomy, tighten it with something thick (beanie, balaclava, etc.) underneath. This technique should still work.
3. Simply twist the hoodie so that the zip line meets with the preferred eye. If the zipper is friendly, you will be able to see through it very well.
It's not a super effective technique, as the ability to turn the head and see the opposite side of the eye won't be great. But your awareness of surroundings is relatively better and you will undoubtedly surprise a few with your ability to see anything that takes place.
My only complaint regarding these hoodies takes aim at whoever stitches them together. I believe in one important rule that everybody should follow. If any person adds a zipper on the hood, then they're to ensure that the hood is of a decent size. What's the point of having the feature if the hood is too small for the zipper to be used properly. Sure they still have the advantage of being folded away when not in use, but that's about it. I've seen videos of some attempting to zip up very small hoods with this feature, only for the zipper to break off because of the strain. There is nearly no point for small-hooded jackets or sweatshirts to have this feature. A hood needs to be big and deep enough to wrap around the head. The bigger the hood, the better I say. Bathing Ape hoodies always ensure this is the case. Even creators of some cheap imitations do a satisfactory job here. Those that don't follow this rule, are only wasting their time whilst ripping others off.
If you ask me, hoodies and hooded jackets like the one i'm wearing in the picture at the top should be more common. I personally find them to look nice and fashionable with my other clothes (especially my leather and vinyl jackets). And it is nice having the option of zipping them up whenever I think the time is right. While they can look silly and pointless for most common activities, they too can be comforting and useful at other times. When it's very cold, they can cover much of one's head to keep them warm. One can even sleep in them. I forgot to mention that somebody in the United States a few years back, actually designed a full-zip hoodie to give to the homeless. There is a video on YouTube all about it (Click the link to see it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w99fTkh80so). If ever this style becomes big again, I will be all for it. It's not just my obsession with hoodies speaking, but also the more serious and logical side of my overall personality. An unusual topic of discussion, I know. Just remember that it is from an unusual character such as I.
Travis "TJ" James
No comments:
Post a Comment