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In 2012, San Francisco clothing store American giant It released its first product, a zip-up hooded sweatshirt that put the company on the map. Officially called Classic full zipmost people know it as “The Greatest Hoodie Ever,” thanks to the headline List article She promotes her charm.
After that story, things took off for the American giant. In the 13 years that followed, the company sold one million hoodies. It has also grown its brand and added a collection of casual tops and bottoms, all manufactured and sourced in the United States. But one thing that hasn’t changed much is the design of that classic full-zip hoodie. Until today.
The classic full zip has just been relaunched as a softer, more breathable piece, thanks to a comprehensive update centered around a new cotton fleece construction. The distinctive design features remain: the double-striped hood, extendable side panels and elbow patches. But wear it and zip it up, and you’ll notice that it’s not comfortable around the waist or around the shoulders.
For me, as someone with large shoulders, the cotton around the shoulders was one of my quibbles with the AG hoodie. I’ve always liked the piece as a whole, but the fit wasn’t as comfortable as I’d like, and even after years of wear, it always felt a little stiff. The new design gives you more room to move. The slightly more forgiving elasticity in the cuffs around the wrists and waist is also something I consider an upgrade.
The biggest upgrade, though, is the cotton wool itself. The fabric is softer and more breathable. This can be attributed to the change in the cotton fibers in the sweater.
If you have a thick, cheap cotton shirt in your collection — perhaps one with a heavy metal band’s logo screen-printed on it — you know that it looks a bit rough, and the shirt isn’t very breathable. These cheap t-shirts use short-staple cotton fibres. The longer the fibers, the softer and more breathable the cotton becomes. For this new wool, AG is using the type of long-staple cotton fiber found in soft cotton items like luxury T-shirts and expensive bedsheets.
At launch, the original Classic Full Zip Hoodie cost $138. The price jumped to $168 last year due to changes in American Giant’s supply chain, the biggest of which was the closure of its main supplier. Carolina Cotton Worksin May 2024. The good news is that there is no further price hike for the new jacket. It’s still $168, and is available today.
The Original Hoodie is currently a favorite among our staff and ranked as “Best Overall” in Best WIRED hoodies guide. We’ll test the new version and see if it can hold that top slot.