Some of our favourite brands and designs
Who would have thought that adding a hood to a sweatshirt would turn out to be the most inspired decision of 20th century fashion? No garment has ruled the last three decades like the hoodie.
It makes sense: they’re comfortable, warm, practical, and, most importantly, easy to shrug on and pair with anything. Hoodies have also made powerful allies in the skater, surfer and hip hop communities, meaning they never go out of style.
Aside from the ubiquitous logo t-shirt, hoodies can be one of the best ways to get your brand out there in an innovative way. Here are some of the best branded hoodies in fashion history to help inspire your own designs.
Champion
This American sportswear brand claims to be the inventor of the hoodie, and still reigns supreme. The calligraphic Champion logo continues to be popular, partly due to enduring collaborations with the NFL and NBA in America.
While they were out of the spotlight for a while, the rising popularity of vintage logo sportswear has recently given Champion just the boost it needed. With their signature reverse weave technique, their hoodies resist shrinking and are more durable than most of the competition – perfect for athletes.
DHL
One of the boldest collaborations of the last decade was luxury streetwear brand Vetements’ adoption of the logo of DHL, one of the world’s best-known delivery companies. This partnership was one of the first to associate luxury fashion with workwear, a trend which has only become more widespread in recent years.
Last year the trendsetting label Anti Social Social Club dropped a golden hoodie with red DHL logo, reminiscent of the company’s shipping boxes. Some complained, others admired, some called it ironic or “antifashion”, but few trends captured the public imagination like this one.
Palace
One of British streetwear’s biggest success stories, Palace is ten years old now and a venerable institution, but it hasn’t lost its edge. Starting out as a skate brand, Palace is now worn by Rihanna and Jay-Z as well as Wimbledon finalists on the court.
They even adorn record sleeves and have had exhibitions at London’s ICA. The iconic triangle logo can be seen in memes and political ads and, of course, on their signature hoodies, each small run of clothes in high demand.
The Steam Room
This tasteful dry cleaners in Haggerston, East London, offers special treatment for your garments, specialising in raw denim and offering advice on how best to clean and preserve your clothes.
The Steam Room hired ICON to print a range of merch for them, including some classy sweaters, each of them featuring their distinctive logo, a hand-drawn face with a rather distinctive mole. It’s the calling card for the spot that goes beyond cleaning by also offering lifestyle products and hosting events for the local design community. (Head to their shop to pick up one for yourself.)
Supreme
Perhaps the most famous of all New York’s skate brands, the red and white box logo of Supreme has been seen adorning boards, tees, hoodies and high fashion since they opened in 1994.
No other brand has kept its finger on the pulse of youth culture and fashion in quite the same way, leading to collaborations with every corner of the cultural sphere. Simply put, Supreme can never go uncool.
Gap
This brand very much did go uncool, at least for a moment. Gap was huge in the 90s, capitalizing on its comfortable daywear which was affordable and available in a wide variety of colours.
While Gap’s distinctive hoodies had only been seen in old episodes of Friends for the best part of the decade, the recent wave of 90s revivalism means these signature sweatshirts have been firmly back in the limelight.
NASA
No other arm of the American government has quite the same cool credentials as NASA. Their retro logo can be seen branding all manner of objects and clothing at the moment.
It’s easy to understand their broad appeal: it’s an aspirational idea, proof that humans achieved something that was thought impossible for millennia. Hasn’t everyone dreamed sometime of exploring the outer reaches of space?
Thrasher
The bible of skate magazines has the mother of all logos: Thrasher’s flame logo was everywhere in 2016 and 2017. With its vaguely heavy metal styling, it was yet more proof of the fashion world’s love affair with skate culture.
Spotted on celebs walking the catwalk, at the beach and even skiing, it proved that it’s not all about a great hoodie design: it’s also about putting your garment to good use.
Want to create custom hoodies or other merch for your brand or business? ICON Printing offer fast turnaround printing on a range of garments, counting clients ranging from the Tate to Boiler Room and WeWork. Get a quote in 2 minutes online.