The hoodie is the most democratic piece in streetwear: everyone owns one, few wear it well. After almost thirty years of selling them in our shop in Lanciano, we have seen every possible version — the right one and the very wrong one. This is a practical guide, no theory: how to choose it, what to wear it with, and which brands to look at depending on the effect you want.
start with the fit, not the logo
Before the graphic, before the brand, look at the shoulders. A hoodie works when the shoulder seam sits slightly beyond your natural shoulder — enough to layer a tee underneath without pulling, not so much that the cuff swallows your hands. Boxy cuts want cropped or straight trousers; longer, slimmer cuts handle wider pants better. If you are between two sizes, size up on heavyweight fleece and stay true to size on lighter fabrics: heavy cotton drops and settles with wear, light fleece just looks stretched.
three combinations that always work
workwear. Hoodie under a chore coat or a work jacket, straight canvas or denim on the bottom. This is the classic Carhartt WIP formula: keep the palette in browns, greens and greys, and let the fabric do the talking. It survives trends because it was never a trend — it is workwear that moved to the city.
monochrome. One colour, two or three shades of it. Grey hoodie, grey-blue denim, off-white sneaker. Monochrome makes even the plainest hoodie look deliberate, and it is the easiest way to wear a bold graphic without turning the outfit into a billboard.
layered. Tee longer than the hoodie, hoodie under an open overshirt or a bomber. The rule is contrast in length and weight, not in colour: three layers of similar tones read as depth, three competing colours read as noise.
choosing by brand
Every brand we stock cuts a hoodie differently, and the difference is the point.
Carhartt WIP is the benchmark for weight and construction: dense loopback cotton, cuts that hold their shape for years. If you want one hoodie that does everything, start here.
OBEY carries the graphic heritage — Shepard Fairey's street-art roots are still visible in the prints. An OBEY hoodie wants a quiet outfit around it: the graphic is the statement, everything else supports.
IUTER is Milan: sharper fits, seasonal graphics, a more Italian idea of streetwear. It works well if your wardrobe already leans clean and you want one piece with personality.
Butter Goods comes from skateboarding and it shows — relaxed cuts, washed-down colours, made to be worn hard. Best with loose trousers and beaten-up sneakers, worst with anything too polished.
fabric and weight, in plain words
Fleece weight is measured in grams per square metre. Under 350 gsm you have a light hoodie: fine for layering, transparent to wind. Between 350 and 450 gsm is the sweet spot for most of the year in Italy — structured enough to wear on its own, not a duvet. Above 450 gsm you are in heavyweight territory: these hoodies stand up on their own, break in like denim, and are worth the price difference if you wear them often. Brushed-back fleece is warmer, loopback is more breathable; neither is better, they are different tools.
the mistakes we see every week
Hoodie tucked into trousers: no. Hoodie under a tailored blazer: the fabric weights fight each other — if you want that contrast, use a fine-gauge knit hoodie, not fleece. Hood trapped inside a jacket collar: take the ten seconds to pull it out, it changes the whole silhouette. And the most common one: buying a size down because the shop mirror flatters it. A hoodie that fits in the fitting room on day one will feel tight after the first wash.
make it last
Wash cold, inside out, and never tumble-dry a good hoodie — heat is what kills the fleece and shrinks the cuffs. Dry it flat if you can. Pilling on high-friction areas is normal on soft cotton; a fabric comb solves it in five minutes. Treat a heavyweight hoodie like this and it will outlive most of your wardrobe.
where to start
Our full selection of hoodies and outerwear is in the felpe & capispalla collection — what you see online is what is on the racks in Lanciano, updated in real time. If you are unsure about a size, write to us: we measure the actual garments, not the size chart.