Why every man needs a smart black hoodie

There are a few wardrobe items that many men need: a dinner jacket that fits and flatters, a good raincoat, a pair of comfortable trainers and, increasingly, a black hoodie. Whether in a basic heavyweight cotton from Asket, fine merino wool from John Smedley or a ribbed knit by Brunello Cucinelli, it’s an easy, democratic look. 

Designer Pierpaolo Piccioli has adopted it as a personal style signifier, as did the late Louis Vuitton artistic director Virgil Abloh; Rick Owens’ lamb-leather versions are a perennial in his collections. “What man doesn’t want to look like a hot hooded monk from an El Greco painting?” he asks. Well, neither of the contenders for head of government in the UK this summer would want to – both sported chain-store and football-merch sweats while campaigning, in an attempt to look like the everyman. For them, the hoodie was anti-establishment. Superdry would be their punk.

What man doesn’t want to look like a hot monk?

The hooded version of the sweatshirt we wear today came about in the 1930s via the Knickerbocker Knitting Mills, the company that became US sportswear titan Champion. In the 1970s, the hoodie moved from the sports field to the Bronx as hip-hop apparel – warm, customisable, easy to dance in and usefully anonymous when worn to spray subway trains with flourishes of Krylon paint. From there, it became a juggernaut for commerce. A million hoodies appeared, all brandished with logos from Adidas to Troop.

Decades later, the wheels on that vehicle are still spinning in a blur of interlinked Gucci Gs and Off-White arrows. “We see consistent demand for minimalist luxury hoodies from The Row and James Perse,” says Daniel Todd, buying director at Mr Porter. “But our most in-demand black hoodies are subtle logo-print styles from Loewe and Celine Homme, alongside seasonal versions from LA brand Gallery Dept.”

Loewe leather-trimmed cotton-jersey logo-debossed hoodie, £795, mrporter.com

The Row cotton-jersey Essoni hoodie, £730, mrporter.com

Canada Goose limited-edition cotton PBI hoodie, £250

Asket cotton The Hoodie sweatshirt, £100

Earlier this year, Colombian-born French designer Haider Ackermann was named as Canada Goose’s first creative director; his debut launch for the brand was a hoodie in four colourways (including black), branded with the logo for the non-profit Polar Bears International. Demna often exaggerates the volume of his hoodies at Balenciaga, while Tom Ford’s are straightforward. Elena Cappellini, head of menswear at LuisaViaRoma, believes Valentino has the most interesting take on the style this season: “The garment uses various fabrics from neoprene to leather to create something far from ordinary. Helmut Lang, meanwhile, revolutionises the black hoodie’s traditional design by introducing a knitwear variant.”

For men who want a classic German brand, Merz b Schwanen, founded in 1911 and re-established a century later, makes three different designs of hoodie. “The 382 uses fabric that weighs 10 ounces per square yard, providing a substantial yet comfortable feel,” says Gitta Plotnicki, creative director and co-owner. “The HD31 uses an 11-ounce fabric with a comfortable heft, and has a slightly shorter length. The HDJKT02 is in the same weight, but with a brushed interior to create a soft texture.”

James Perse supima cotton-jersey hoodie, £250, mrporter.com

John Smedley merino-wool Rae hoodie, £380

Helmut Lang cotton fleece hoodie, £305

Tom Ford cashmere/silk lightweight hoodie, £3,100

The Elder Statesman produces a heavy cashmere zip hoodie that retails (when not sold out) for £1,900. “I think there is beauty in taking unsung parts of the wardrobe and turning them into something special,” says Greg Chait, The Elder Statesman’s founder. “Our design follows the same basic form as a ’93 Gap hoodie I once had. It’s the material and construction that set it apart. Using a high-end level of cashmere yarn makes a utilitarian garment feel ‘flipped’. All of a sudden, a simple hoodie is remarkable.”