He gives up the smokes and alcohol in favor of rigorous training when he finds out that he has a chance to compete in the heavyweight championship. He puts on the recognizable filthy grey sweatshirt and tracksuit and begins to work with newfound conviction and energy.
Rocky is shown rushing about Philadelphia at dawn and pounding meat at a slaughterhouse while Creed, his rival, is busy discussing business transactions with his workers in a plush office. The hoodie here is the ultimate representation of the person who chooses to stand up, rebel against the system and try their luck at fame. The hoodie serves as Rocky’s protective gear as he trains, defending the one thing he owns that is of value: his body.
To the extent that dread of hoodies and the purportedly evil intents of young people who wear them have become a visible cultural phenomenon throughout the western world, the hoodie nevertheless has rebellious undertones.
Hoodie-wearing is routinely banned in shopping malls, nightclubs, and other businesses across the UK and Europe, with the dubious rationale that this will help to deter crime and antisocial behavior. Ahegao irl
The horrific, racial killing of Trayvon Martin in Florida in 2012 may have also been influenced by fear and suspicion of the hoodie. In his call to the police just before shooting the unarmed 17-year-old, killer George Zimmerman described the victim as a “real suspicious guy… [who] looks like he’s up to no good or is on drugs… [wearing a] dark hoodie… like a grey hoodie.”
The hoodie’s potential to either shield its user or put them in danger, depending on the circumstance, is both interesting and worrisome. I occasionally incorporate fun embellishments to my clothing since I know when I create them that the hood will be worn down most of the time. The idea behind my hoodies is to make them seem innocent and silly in order to downplay any rebellious overtones while also honoring the hoodie’s history.
The hoodie has been a symbol of survival and a reminder of the difficulties of the working class and minority communities ever since it first entered popular culture in the 1970s. It remains the case whether you spend £600 on a Balenciaga or £20 at JD Sports.
Usually, when someone says I look “comfortable,” I understand that they are saying you appear to have given your clothes little thought. Yet, I subscribe to the belief that a casual dress need not be unattractive. In fact, in my opinion, clothes seem much more fashionable when they don’t need to be constantly adjusted to fit properly. That’s why mastering hoodie styling has been at the top of my to-do list this winter, especially as I get used to working from the office again.
Comfortable clothing has been increasingly popular in recent years; anyone shopping for clothing online in 2020 almost certainly purchased a lounge set of some kind. My collection of sweatshirts increased enormously, just like everyone else’s did when there was nowhere to go except indoors, but when the world started to open up again, my priorities shifted. Fuzzy slippers gave way to low strappy heels, loose crop tops for going out replaced my favorite sweatshirts, and lighter materials for the summer took the place of my beloved hoodies in the back of my closet.
Nevertheless, as soon as it fell below 70 degrees (for approximately two days in September before rising again), I jumped for my warm sweaters, only to realize who that, unlike eight months before, I really had somewhere to be now. My go-to comfy outfit of an oversized sweatshirt and matching sweatpants would no longer work with the return to working in an office and the rare social engagements. Thus, for days when I needed to look my best, it became my job to discover elegant yet simple ways to wear my hoodies.