Let’s face it—we’re all jealous of that friend who can roll out of bed five minutes before work, toss on a t-shirt and a pair of jeans, and start their day without even needing to comb their hair. Or the CEO who can rock a casual look while staring down fat cat investors and eating multi-million-dollar mergers for breakfast.
How do they do it? The not-so-simple answer? Confidence. A confidence that transcends clothing.
But for others, it’s also knowing that in our modern age almost anything goes when it comes to fashion, so why not feel good about what you’re wearing? It’s true that how you look can influence how you feel, so why not go for the proverbial best of both worlds?
For example, consider hoodies. Hoodies used to be what sleepy teens wore on Saturday morning. You’d never see serious business types going to work in a hoodie. Until people like Mark Zuckerberg, that is. Now some of us can’t get enough of do-it-all hoodie because it’s casual, comfortable, easy to match, easy to wash, wrinkle-free, and like a warm blanket on a wintry day. The hoodie says, “I want to be comfortable and look comfortable, okay?”
But even better, hoodies can be trendy. Casual + Trendy = the perfect garment, if you can strike that balance. Here are some tips for styling a casual, yet trendy look with the casual, yet all-so-useful hoodie!
First, what does trendy mean to you? For some, trendy means keeping up with the latest brands that everyone’s wearing. If that’s you, check out your local stores for what’s selling. A fair number of companies are making buckets of money gobbling up economical options like Gildan hoodies from wholesalers and slapping a fancy logo or a witty phrase. Once that logo goes viral, the hoodie is trendy!
However, you don’t have to wear someone else’s logo if you don’t want you—with a little splash of color, you can design your own.
Designing a trendy hoodie:
Go minimal: some of the trendiest styles are minimal. That means smaller logos—think left chest, 3 inches at the largest—and fewer colors. Large, in-your-face logos or designs scream too much, like all caps in a text message. With hoodies, make your design stand out just enough to say “look at me,” but not so much that you’re drawing attention to yourself or your fashion choices. This is true for colors as well. Stay away for overly bright neons—pastels are trendier, softer, and easier on the eye. Remember that form follows function, so go with what works for the style and color of the garment, as well as the style and vibe you’re hoping for.
Try textures: slipping into a favorite pair of faded jeans will always be trendy. Casual clothing that feels good and looks worn is the perfect trend for hoodie and jeans lovers alike. With prints, you can achieve that faded, well-worn look by adding a texture to your print. Like this. Now your favorite hoodie looks like it’s been washed 100 times but still holds up. That speaks to quality and comfortability.
But what if you don’t want to wear someone’s logo? (Or can’t design your own?). No worries! Wearing blank hoodies—or blank apparel in general, like tees and hats—is becoming more and more trendy. Some of us simply don’t want to be walking billboards for brands who aren’t paying us for the free advertising; we’re perfectly happy wearing blank, tag-free clothing. If this is you, achieve your casual, yet trendy look by focusing on the substance of the material and the efficiency of the design.
Think about weight: how heavy do you want your hoodie? 4 oz? 9 oz? If you’re looking for that trendy layered look, think 4-6 oz. Anything above 8 oz will be perfect for winter but not great for layering in the warmer months.
Think about softness: how do you want your hoodie to feel? Ringspun cotton is all the rage these days since it’s the softest feeling cotton in the industry. If you want something easy and stylish, go for 100% ringspun.
Think about color: black is always trendy, but other colors are trendy, too. Try azalea instead of pink. Look for mauve or olive instead of red or forest. Every color serves a purpose, but feel free to stand out.
Thoughts? Questions? Feedback?
Happy styling!
