To most, a hoodie is, well, a hoodie. No more descriptors or context needed, as the image burned into our collective consciousness appears right away. Relaxed fit cotton jersey, hood with drawstrings, and a ‘kangaroo‘ pocket on the stomach. End of story. That’s why it’s not likely you’ve stopped to wonder – how long have hooded sweatshirts been around? What did original examples look like and how have they changed over the decades?
But as it turns out, there is more ‘in the hood’ than you might think. Although our idea of the hooded sweatshirt is clear, it didn’t just get that way overnight. It, like anything else, went through an evolution. And just as the journey is better than the destination, one stop on the sweatshirt train has become a roaring success amongst a very small, very obsessed group of individuals in the vintage clothing industry which has, in turn, led to reproduction companies (somewhat) democratizing it – the After Hood Sweatshirt.
What Makes an After Hood an After Hood?
Image via MTA5950
An After Hood sweatshirt is a style of hooded sweatshirt where the hood is attached to the crewneck of a sweatshirt after that crewneck sweatshirt has been made. If you take a closer look, you can clearly see that if you the crewneck sweatshirt base with hood attached separately.
Unlike hoodies of today that have hoods fully sewn onto the neck and collar of an otherwise unfinished garment, the hood of an after-hood is partially sewn onto a completely finished crew neck sweatshirt in a way that doesn’t obstruct the wearer when worn down while providing head warmth with some level of customization when worn up.
A 1930s After Hood via Lord Happenstance
Beyond this central detail, there is some variation when it comes to design. Coming in both straight & raglan sleeve/body types with dual, kangaroo, or no pockets, single, double, or no v-gussets, 1, 2, or even 3 color tones, single & double face construction — and even drawstring or snap closure — there is definitely a lot to geek out about.
Brief History
An After Hood in action via The Real McCoy’s
The history of the After Hood is really only a moment in time in the history of the hooded sweatshirt itself, which may explain why this rare style has made such a strong comeback in the heritage scene lately.
After the cotton crewneck sweatshirt gained popularity as a welcome sportswear alternative to early knit jerseys made from durable but itchy wool in the mid-1920s, there was still a gap in the market. Champion (then the Knickerbocker Knitting Company) claims to have made the first commercially-manufactured hooded sweatshirt in the 1930s, in response to East Coast factory workers needing further protection from the elements in the wintertime. Champion and other makers applied a hood to their crewnecks, and fitted the garments with dual or kangaroo pockets for hand-warming as well as head-warming.
Vintage Champion After Hood sweatshirt via Mr Clean Vintage
The style would eventually become synonymous with athletic wear as well as work wear from the ’30s through to the 50s, and continue to be produced even after manufacturers started weaving hoods directly into hoodies. After Hoods eventually faded away, though, in favour to the more streamline hoodie construction which became the ubiquitous silhouette we know and love today.
Who Was Making Them?
Vintage Champion After Hood sweatshirt via MTA5950
It’s important to remember sweatshirts and hoodies were basic, common, everyday items in athletics, manual labor, and general casual, at-home attire, so it’s hard to nail down exactly who was making them aside from the big names in heritage sportswear. Manufacturers like AG Spalding, Lowe & Campbell, Bodyguard, Duxbak, Russel Atheltic, Rawlings, everyone was doing it. Smaller companies were also in on the action, but have mostly been lost over time. Not to mention many examples either came untagged or had a tag at some point and fell off.
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Where To Find One Today
Running it back to their function as actual hardwearing gear, paired with the mentality surrounding clothing at the time, not many of these sweatshirts have survived. Whether worn to dust or thrown out, finding an original is super tough and if you do -definitely email me immediately. But seriously, the secondary market on After Hoods is basically non-existent. They are so seldom seen that the only thing rarer than seeing an original is seeing one that is for sale.
So, looks like you are going to have to settle for a perfect condition, more widely available, less expensive, reproduction. Oh, poor you. Fortunately, there a few brands living up to the legacy of the After Hood, all of which likely have at least one in the archive to reference to ensure exacting standards.
Warehouse & co. – Lot 475 Hooded Sweatshirt “Faded”
Warehouse & Co.‘s single-layer raglan sleeve iteration comes in an array of classic colors and is lazer treated to reveal a perfectly faded, worn-in look that matches the comfort of the naturally uneven yarn used for knitting its fabric.
Available for £158 (~$193USD) from The Bureau Belfast
Cushman – Lot. 26302 Double Face After Hood Parka
Cushman nails the construction of their double face example but goes a step further by introducing some fun tones which likely wouldn’t have been used for original examples, but so what? A great balance of ‘of the time’ and ‘ahead of its time’.
Each Cushman After Hood is woven on a suspended loom, weaving the fabric in a continuous loopwheeled low tension construction meaning there are no side seams to the body. They’re double-faced, as well, meaning they’re lined with soft cotton jersey for extra warmth and comfort in the colder months.
Available for $250 from Clutch Cafe
Full Count – After Hood Sweatshirt
Full Count brings some denim flair to their loopwheel fleece sweat through the use of Zimbabwean cotton that has been dyed indigo. Featuring double ‘v’ gussets and ribbed cuffs, this variant has some neat old-school detailing and of course a super true construction method. It’s finished with a split seam hood and kangaroo pocket.
Available for $250 from Clutch Cafe
The Real McCoy’s MC21106 13 Oz. Wool Loopwheel Hooded Sweatshirt
This After-Hood from The Real McCoy’s is made in Japan from a 13 oz. loopwheeled cotton-wool blend, a nod to the overlap between the original wool hoodies of the 1920s and cotton hoodies of the 1930s. It comes fitted with angled dual pockets at the hip and a split-seam hood. This one will set you back a fair amount, but just take a look at the back of that fabric – it looks to die for.
Available for $487 from The Real McCoy’s London
Gallery
Vintage After Hood sweatshirt via Sanforized (left) & a vintage 1940s After Hood Sweatshirt via Acorn Japan (right)
Vintage two-tone After Hood sweatshirt via Koichi Yanagimoto (left) & a vintage After Hood sweatshirt via Bidstitch (right)
1940s Champion After Hood sweatshirt via Beberjin
