A historic Levi Strauss ad painted on the side of a building in Jacksonville, Oregon

I was just scanning through some things and saw this bit of history from Cotton Inc:

On May 20, 1873, an American icon was born when Levi Strauss and Jacob Davis were given a patent for their copper rivet fasteners for denim trousers. The blue jean has since secured its place in American culture and in world fashion as a “go to” garment. Changing fashion styles and attitudes altered the look of the blue jean over time, but until recently, the blue jean had remained true blue to its cotton origins. The recent influx of man-made fibers into blue jeans is not a good fit for many consumers, and could affect the care, wear and expected five-year longevity of their beloved blue jeans.

Seriously? Today is the birthday of blue jeans? And I’m stuck here wearing a sundress? Granted, I have on a denim jacket but wow, am I bummed I didn’t know this when I got dressed this morning.

The history of denim as being all cotton, comfortable and crazy durable earned it a spot quickly with folks who work hard physically like farmers and pioneers of the west. Denim and the beloved American blue jeans have continued to catch on and now you can find really expensive fashion jeans or cheaper work cuts. And when traveling in some foreign countries, I have found taking someone a pair of 501s is the fastest way to their heart!

I have to say, while the addition of a small amount of spandex or something to cotton to help jeans keep their shape, Cotton Inc hits the nail on the head when it comes to denim that includes higher percentages of man-made fibers.

CI’s Kim Kitchings says “Consumers love denim. We know from our Lifestyle Monitor data that U.S. consumers own an average of seven denim items and wear jeans an average of four days a week. We also know that 60% of consumers would pay a little extra to get more cotton back into those jeans.”

I definitely have more denim pieces in my wardrobe than the average Joe, but I can tell you the jeans I have with more synthetic fibers… they don’t come out of the closet much. They are not as comfortable, they don’t breathe with my body and they just don’t have that comfy feeling my other jeans do. I tried something different in buying one or two pair and I didn’t like it. My cotton awareness and prioritization though is unique according to CI:

Some fault may actually lie with the consumers and what Kitchings calls “label apathy.” “Today’s consumers have been wearing jeans most of their lives and are familiar with how to care for them,” says Kitchings. “The rules change when there are higher percentages of one or more man-made fibers.” Kitchings points to Lifestyle Monitor data that reveal less than half of consumers check the fiber content or laundry care labels when purchasing a garment.

So, I have to tell you, take the time to read labels and think about what’s on them. You may also want to follow these tips from CI’s Vikki Martin who says, “Always check the labels for fiber content information and care instructions; knowing what you’re getting and how to care for it will help extend the life of your jeans or any garment.”

Martin has the following tips on proper denim care:

• Before laundering, always check the sewn-in tag for specific care instructions.

• Invest in quality detergent to help extend the life of denim jeans.

• To preserve the color of denim jeans (especially dark washes), turn them inside out before laundering, then line dry.

• If denim jeans are overly stiff, soak them overnight in a washing machine with water and a cupful of fabric softener. Run the load normally the next morning.

• If denim jeans are not dirty but need a boost: wet them with water, let them spin in the washer, and then tumble or line dry.

You can see the original release Majority of Consumers Bothered By Man-made Fibers in Their Denim on the Cotton Incorporated website.

The post The Day Blue Jeans Were Born — Celebrating Levi Strauss & Denim appeared first on Hundred Percent Cotton.

Christmas is a great time of the year and I have to say it has motivated me to blog several times. Last year, I wrote (and sang) the  “12 days of Cotton” and I’ve also written a post about the Top 12 Indisputable Facts About Santa Being a Cowboy or Farmer. And if you look on the list of the top posts right now, you’ll see my post where I give my thoughts on Why Shouldn’t I Say Merry Christmas? Happy Holidays Isn’t the Same!

With the holidays, I love things fresh from the farm throughout the year. And at the holidays, several fresh from the farm foods to mind — that Christmas ham or maybe a big turkey. I also have had the chance to enjoy olive oil from friends  farms or cheeses others produce milk for! I think my nieces & nephews would be more likely to point to pancakes or French toast with maple syrup.

But like a lot of folks, this weekend I’m trying to finish up Christmas shopping and that turns me to presents. You know JP LOVES COTTON so some of my favorite Christmas gifts are made of my favorite fiber — love cotton gifts! I don’t want to give away any of the presents I have under the tree for family and friends, but its common for me to buy and to LOVE receiving these cotton gifts:

A perfect hoodie! As I write this I am sitting here wearing a hoodie I bought myself during my summer roadtrip out west. The classic hoodie is a perfect part of winter wardrobes! I mean they are great for layering, can show your personality or loyalties (I have a great new University of Memphis hoodie my sis gave me for my birthday).

Thick, soft flannel sheets! With the long, cold nights of winter, snuggling into a really warm bed. Good cotton flannel sheets are a must for me and have been popular for my family for generations! (Yes, we have been generations of cold weather wimps LOL.)

T-Shirts! Classic or Novelty, you have to love them!  There are cotton t-shirts to fit every style! A simple black or grey v-neck t-shirt can be worn to all sorts of events and places. Really good tees are put on under a great leather blazer or simply make a casual day in the park a bit nicer. On the other hand, you can match novelty shirts to express the personalities, mindset or whatever. I love wearing shirts that start conversations when I’m goofing off…. this is a long-time favorite conversation starter! But I tend to opt for simple solids if I’m visiting friends or taking photos. And both are great at layering in winter! 

Pajamas, especially flannel PJs! Friends and I were talking last week and their family and parts of mine have the same tradition and yes, they are cotton gifts — new PJs for Christmas! Whether they are Christmas themed, plaid, solid colors, or whether they are bought at Old Navy or Victoria’s Secret or something else…. Lots of people love PJs whether they wear them around the house, sleep in them or go out in them!

Money! US Dollars are made of cotton! It’s funny, but as I thought through the various gifts that are made of cotton that have really brought smiles to faces, I remembered how I would open cards as a child and seeing cash fall out or how my nephew has previously put money on his list. And in case you didn’t know, the paper US dollars are printed on is 75 percent cotton and 25 percent linen. (For this, I’ll use the legendary $5 entertainment tip.)

What’s your favorite cotton gifts that start on a cotton farm?

The post Five Favorite Christmas Cotton Gifts From the Farm! appeared first on Hundred Percent Cotton.

The post Ric Dragon’s Handmade Cotton Shirt is also a Talisman appeared first on Hundred Percent Cotton.

I have “liked” lot of brand pages on Facebook and have to admit, some of them eventually get unliked or hidden cause they just don’t seem to get the kinds of things I’d be interested to see from a brand. But some friends saw the Lee Jeans page this week and knew they had to call it to my attention. Jodi Oleen was the first to shout at me! And they were right! I was pumped! Look at the photo Lee Jeans shared!

So…. how many pairs of Lee Jeans can you make from one bale of cotton? Well, I’ll give you a hint that Lee didn’t give fans of its page. A bale of cotton weighs just under 500 pounds. With that hint I hope you don’t low ball it too badly. Some of the guesses on the Lee page were obviously not made with that factoid in mind cause I saw one or two guesses that assumed bales were the size of one on my bookshelf!

More than 1,200 people guessed – some of whom definitely did a little internet research. I have to wonder if some of them found an old post of mine where I gave a chart of how many of this or that you could make from a bale. For jeans, you can make 215 pairs! Here are some of the other quantities of various cotton items you can get from a bale of cotton, according to the National Cotton Council, one bale of cotton can make:

• 215 Pairs of Jeans
• 249 Bed Sheets
• 409 Men’s Sport Shirts
• 690 Terry Bath Towels
• 765 Men’s Dress Shirts
• 1,217 Men’s T-Shirts
• 1,256 Pillowcases
• 2,104 Boxer Shorts
• 2,419 Men’s Briefs
• 3,085 Diapers
• 4,321 Mid-Calf Socks
• 6,436 Women’s Knit Briefs
• 21,960 Women’s Handkerchiefs
• 313,600 $100 Bills

If I get to pick, I think I’ll take that last one! Yes, I will take the more than 300k $100 bills!

Another thing to note, bales used to be wrapped in that nice burlap. it helped keep cotton clean and was pretty cheap, well now, bales are wrapped in plastic bags. It keeps them clean, doesn’t run the risk of sticking to the lint (you wouldn’t want burlap fiber making it into your 500 count sheets!)

The post How many pairs of jeans in a bale of cotton?, Lee Jeans Asks appeared first on Hundred Percent Cotton.

When I started the fabric of our lives series of guest posts, I thought about some of the people who could really help celebrate my favorite natural fiber. oddly, one of the names that came to mind is normally connected to sheep — my friend Sally Colby Scholle who lives in Pennsylvania & has sheep. She tweets as @sheepwriter blogs about it at https://sheepwriter.wordpress.com/. I couldn’t tell if it was really nervy to ask her to write about natural fiber or not so I told her it was fine if wool got equal time, cause she and I both know the various natural fibers all play a role for us. I love the post she came up with too!

If it feels good, wear it!

I was one of those wiggle-worm kids who just couldn’t sit still in school. Every teacher is blessed with a few of us fidgety kids, and I hereby apologize to all of the teachers who had to tolerate my squirminess.

Now I realize that part of the reason I was so restless was because I just couldn’t stand the way my little plaid dresses felt. They were itchy. I didn’t know this at the time, but I’m sure that the reason those dresses didn’t feel quite right is because I was in elementary school when the great new P fabric was introduced.

My mom hit the homemaker jackpot – she no longer had to iron my cute little dresses. I, however, drew the short straw and had to wear itchy clothes.

Somehow I adjusted and made it to junior high, where my home economics teacher assigned a fabric identification project. I was lucky – my mom sewed, and we had a multitude of fabric scraps. I loved learning the names of the pretty cotton fabrics as I carefully stapled them to a piece of poster board … seersucker, chintz, chambray, gingham, denim.

Ahh…denim. With two jobs – farmer and ag writer – I can almost always wear whatever I want. I have old, broken-in jeans that are perfect for whatever I have to do in the barn or in the field. Some have patches, some should have patches, but they’re all comfortable. I love the durability of denim jeans and how they become part of me. I also love denim’s other life as deep-dyed indigo blue for dressy jeans.

In close second for favorite clothing are my cotton t-shirts. The long-sleeved versions are perfect for layering in winter, for in-between weather and for sun protection in summer. Cotton sweatshirts are great for unexpected changes in weather, so I usually keep one in the front of the four-wheeler. When I shop, I always look for the cotton label  – it means clothing that won’t itch, pill or look thin and worn before its time. Although my first choice for everyday wear is a cotton t-shirt, my dressy cotton shirts are the perfect choice for pairing with dark jeans when it’s time to look like something other than a farmer.

Since we raise sheep, all this cotton talk might make me sound like a traitor. But wool is another natural, renewable fiber that, like cotton, has a multitude of uses and blends well with cotton. I often use the sleeves from worn-out cotton sweatshirts to make little coats for chilled lambs. If that isn’t the perfect match, nothing is!

In cotton, I can walk around the pasture checking new lambs, trim hooves, milk goats, ride a horse, work in my garden, meet with farmers at a field day, go shopping, attend an ag meeting or have dinner with friends. What else is there?

Thanks, cotton farmers, for growing my jeans and shirts!

The post If it feels good, wear it! appeared first on Hundred Percent Cotton.

Earlier this week, I made a plea for guest posts…. I want to share the various stories about how cotton is the fabric of our lives. Those special moments and the day-to-day that include my favorite fiber. Good friend Val Wagner is the first to take me up on the offer! Val didn’t send her own bio, so she’s at my mercy.  Val is one of a kind and at the same time, so familiar. She doesn’t fit the stereotypes others set up, but it’s not because she tries not to, she is simply being her awesome self! She lives in Monango, ND (which I will be visiting this summer – do or die!)

I first met her at the 2010 AgChat Foundation Conference (the photo at left is from our laughter at the airport as we headed home) but we had talked quite a bit on Twitter so I felt a little like I knew her. By the time we caught up at another ag meeting, we were dear friends. She had started her blog Wag’n Tales, that tells the story of her family’s farm where they raise beef cattle, corn, soybeans, wheat, alfalfa hay and four boys. Val is a farm mom in the traditional sense in that you’ll see her post recipes and talk about the crazy schedule of keeping the household of four sons running. But she also writes about going ice fishing or hunting, spending time driving tractors or helping deliver calves. Thanks Val & I hope you enjoy the post!

Cotton. I’ve always known what it was, but never gave it much thought. I mean, I like it in my clothes, I love it in my bedding, it’s everywhere I look…but I didn’t think about it. Much like many of us, I would guess. 

But that all changed not so long ago. I met this lady who has a passion for all things cotton…and when you come face-to-face with that kind of excitement and energy, you can’t help but feel a little excited and energized yourself.

I started reading labels, and watching what I bought, and realizing (without ever knowing it) that I was heavily in the cotton court…or maybe I should say field?

My hubby’s new Carhartt spring work shirt is 100% cotton. 

My youngest son’s favorite blanket is 100% cotton.

My wrestling son’s wrestling shirt is 100% cotton.

Yes, cotton is woven through every nuance of our lives…and I realize now, just how important that is.

Cotton is truly the fabric of our life.

You can learn about how cotton is grown through the Cotton 101 series of posts or more about the natural fiber in a variety of cotton posts.

The post Paying More Attention to Cotton Clothing & Textile Labels appeared first on Hundred Percent Cotton.

I love it when a short conversation inspires a blog post! I want to give a few thoughts to the ideas that my good friend Marie Bowers inspired recently with this tweet:

@JPlovesCOTTON Hey what is the demand for cotton?

— Marie Bowers (@MarieB41) January 31, 2012

My first reaction probably wasn’t what she was looking for, but it made me laugh.

I WANT COTTON RIGHT NOW!!!!!!!!!!!! RT @MarieB41: @JPlovesCOTTON Hey what is the demand for cotton?

— Janice Person (@JPlovesCOTTON) January 31, 2012

Once the laughter subsided though, I wanted to figure out where she was coming from & what she was really asking about so I asked….

·         Maybe you meant something else? Like growing middle class in much of the world, growing population too?

It wasn’t long until I realized, she was asking about cotton because a lot of people in her part of the country have been talking about another fiber crop – flax. But Marie had only heard pieces and was willing to trust me to try and fill her in. When I mentioned linen clothing, it seemed she didn’t realize that linen came from flax. My guess is she is not the only one!

So what are the natural fiber crops and what makes them similar or different?

These are the points I have learned to date and I have to remind you, that i have only a tiny bit more experience than Marie and am in no way an expert.

What helps define the group of natural fibers? My layperson’s explanation is pretty easy. Natural fibers are harvested from plants or animals to be used in various products we use. You are probably like the vast majority of the world in not thinking much about where fibers come from, natural or man-made but natural fibers are usually from a farm.

The most common natural fibers in my part of the world are cotton, linen, wool, cashmere and silk. And I think we’d consider wood a fiber as we harvest trees, but I am not too sure there.

The first two are from plants (cotton and flax) and the others are from the animal kingdom (assuming silkworms can be classified animals). Some of the fiber crops that you may not hear as much about are mohair, hemp, kenaf, jute, bamboo and I’m sure I’m missing some!

Most of us know natural fibers is through clothing and household linens, and paper. But they are also used for things like rope, in medical supplies, and lots of other uses too. I’m going to stick to natural fibers used in clothing.

So a few bullet points from my background with cotton & textiles?

Its clear, I have a favorite fiber. But there are some points that I’ll mention:

• Each fiber has strengths and weaknesses (well other than cotton that totally rocks )
• It seems that as more parts of the world begin to build a larger middle class, people tend to buy another outfit or two. Think about how our grandparents may not have even had closets and now we have homes with closets that are enormous. Or think of how many hoodies/jackets/sweaters you have versus how many sweaters/jackets were in your parents home, or compare jeans, etc.
• Demand for cotton has been fairly consistent and global supply tends to keep up with demand. This is fairly easy as there are so many world areas involved in cotton production and consumption. There is more flexibility to plant more cotton in a given year than there is to harvest wool…. you just need to have seed & available land vs the livestock to do that production.
• Farmers will plant cotton in warmer geographies but they may change the number of acres in cotton vs other crops.
• Fiber consumption involves on-farm production as well as textile mill use.
• Textile mills tend to gain experience working with certain fibers and the equipment they use may be better for one group of fibers or another.

My selections for natural fibers?

• Cotton is a fiber that has great flexibility. I have a great love for wearing a pair of jeans and a hoodie (picking from a bunch) on a day when I’m goofing off, but have several tailored blazers and slacks made of majority cotton that make it a frequent fiber for the office too. In winter, I have thick cotton flannel sheets that are awesome! Its not just the crop I love but I do love cotton products!
• I like wool but it wasn’t until I found SmartWool that I realized what an incredible fiber it was! I can’t imagine a winter without my comfy wool socks! I’ve become a great proponent for wool too, buying my mom & nieces SmartWool that seems to have changed their lives! And boiled wool cardigans totally rock this time of year! My brother has been shearing his sheep for a few years and my sister had some of it spun for a blanket for his first grandbaby. And the trip to England resulted in some hand-dyed wool yarn & a wool scarf!
• Linen has varied a lot in my life… at one time all linen clothes would be wrinkled for me by the time I got the clothes on. But there are softer linens now and in the summer months, I wear some linen slacks and jackets. I’ve never been to a farm where they were growing flax that I know of. Since its a bit more to the north, I’ll have to put that on my to do list!
• Silk is a great summer fiber too but I’ll admit to wearing it a good bit of the year. I’ve got several nice blouses made of silk that make it easy to run around while wearing a suit but I also have some casual silk shirts. In early winter, or in this mild one, I sometimes wear silks (as in long underwear)!

Which natural fibers do you prefer and why?

The post What’s this talk about natural fibers? appeared first on Hundred Percent Cotton.

We’ve all heard it…. if you are going to run or do exercise, you want some type of fabric that wicks away the moisture. Somewhere along the line, that seemed to limit the use of natural fibers like my beloved cotton. But there are a couple of products in the market that have more people looking at cotton. And I just wanted to point them out in case you are in the market for some great gear for athletes and outdoor enthusiasts. Since the natural fibers offer a better feel, increasing some of the performance characteristics means everyone can have a win-win!

UnderArmour’s Charged Cotton

I have mentioned Charged Cotton from UnderArmour and previously posted about the ad campaign that had me UnderArmour free. But I only saw UnderArmour’s cotton products recently while shopping my 16-year-old nephew (it was his birthday shopping trip!). I was impressed with how big the selection of Charged Cotton was! The signs clearly position it as active wear when you aren’t sure of or you don’t care what the weather will do. Take to the road in the rain cause its weather tough. There are hoodies, t-shirts, etc. and they all feel really good. I may just have some under the Christmas tree as a result!

Gear Junkie Reviews ‘Performance’ Underwear made of Cotton

A couple of weeks ago, I caught this product review from Gear Junkie and thought to myself…. this HAS to go on the blog! If you are familiar with the Gear Junkie site, you know that whether you need winter boots, the latest in cycling or camping gear, etc, then its a site to check out. To see them covering underwear is…. well…. unexpected.

Cotton underwear. Seriously, that is the topic of this column. But these boxer shorts, made by Longworth Industries Inc. of North Carolina, are not knitted with your run-of-the-mill white fluff. Marketed as “performance underwear,” the company’s Polarmax AYG line of men’s and women’s boxers and briefs feature a special cotton type branded as TransDRY.

The quick summary of TransDRY is that it is a fabric that looks and feels like normal cotton, but it breathes like a synthetic. The secret is in a chemical treatment applied to the threads that helps disperse moisture that might otherwise get caught up in the fine filaments on each cotton strand.

In my use, the TransDRY treatment seems to work. I have worn the boxer shorts on long hikes and on backpacking trips that last a couple days. (No, I did not change my underwear the whole trip!) The TransDRY fabric is indeed a neat product, as it creates a comfortable, non-clammy environment inside boxer shorts that otherwise might act like normal Fruit of the Looms.

A bonus is the underwear’s anti-microbial treatment, which is necessary for trips where your skivvies might do duty for a couple days in a row. The treatment helps with odor and “enhanced comfort and hygiene,” as the company puts it.

The feel of TransDRY is that of a thin cotton fabric, comfortable and light. On the underwear, a strong elastic waistband keeps them in place, and an athletic cut allows for free motion.

via ‘Performance’ Underwear made of Cotton | Gear Review | Gear Junkie.

Do you have any athletes on your shopping lists? If so, this may work!

[slideshow]

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The post Cotton is Getting Major Attention from Athletes #GetFit appeared first on Hundred Percent Cotton.

My friend Jasper Cunningham tweeted me one day asking me if I had some cotton facts on my blog. He seemed to enjoy several of the posts in my Cotton 101 series, especially the cotton dictionary, but I realized some quick and easy facts about cotton may be of interest too.

Type of Plant

Cotton is a perennial that farmers grow on an annual schedule. The plant wants to survive first and foremost. It focuses on maturing bolls and creating seed for future seasons second. Plants can differ in their growth from being columnar (where all the bolls are in fairly close to the main stalk) or bushy (where fruiting branches go longer & bolls continue to be produced further out on the branches.

Environment Needed to Grow Cotton

Cotton thrives in heat. It also prefers a bit of water now and then but doesn’t do well in soils that hold water in the root zone — that means loams and sandy soils are preferred to clay-types.

What states in the US has cotton farmers in the population mix?

Coming west to east: California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina  and Virginia. I have to tell you a few other states have played with cotton acres too — I’m an honorary lifetime member of the Nebraska Cotton Farmers Association.

Items Made from A Bale of Cotton

How many finished textile products can be made from a typical 500 lbs. bale of cotton lint? Below are a few examples of what might be made from a bale of cotton. (These numbers are approximations)

• Men’s dress and business shirts 800
• Men’s & boy’s jeans 325
• Ladies blouses and shirts 850
• Ladies knit & woven dresses 350
• Diapers 3,000
• Pillowcases 1,200

How much cotton does it take to make?

The following examples are estimated amounts of cotton required to make these common consumer items.

• 1 Pair Jeans 1.5 lbs. (24 oz.)
• 1 Man’s Shirt .6 lbs. (10 oz.)
• 1 T-shirt .5 lbs. (8 oz.)
• 1 Diaper .15 lbs. (2.5 oz.)
• 1 Bath Towel .6 lbs. (10 oz.)

Sources include: General knowledge I’ve built after decades in cotton, awesome friends at the National Cotton Council, Cotton’s Journey – The Story of Cotton – COTTON FACTS, Cotton Facts! Bet you didn’t know…...

The post Cotton 101: Facts about Cotton — The Crop & Products appeared first on Hundred Percent Cotton.

The topic for this post came at me twice in the past week so I HAD to write it! The reason? The hoodie has become such a staple in my wardrobe, it took me a bit to think about life pre-hoodies. But alas, I am SO OLD, I remember it after a bit of jogging. I had the conversation about the hoodie with my niece Alicia and my good friend Cyndie too!

Hooded sweatshirts are the best! You get one of those 100 percent cotton, with fleecing on the inside and wow, you are so comfortably warm. Alicia and I were talking about them as I dealt with luggage… seems that fated trip to Atlanta where I got to enjoy ice made me really wish I’d seen ahead to carry a hoodie. Needless to say I didn’t want to make that mistake again. And simply commenting on the hoodie love resulted in Cyndie asking the question Alicia & I had discussed just days earlier.

@JPlovesCOTTON When did "hoodie" become a popular word? I don't think it was that long ago.

— Cyndie Shearing (@CyndieShearing) January 27, 2011

Recent chance to relax with college friends… hoodies rock!

So, I thought about it. I remembered a really awesome hooded sweatshirt in college. It was heavy weight, grey in color with maroon writing of the school’s name (Phillips University) emblazoned across the front and a pouch pocket to warm my hands in. And I had lots of other sweatshirts, mostly crewnecks and a turtleneck now & then to keep warm. But the history? Luckily Cyndie did a websearch and came up with this….

The hoodie is a variant of the popular sweatshirt, which of course come in various shapes and sizes, from pullovers and jumpers to cardigans and hoodies. It is thought the sweatshirt, so named because it was designed to draw the sweat from the body, was originally the preserve of the British fisherman, who wore it because it kept them warm and relatively dry whilst working on their boats. This is where the famous Guernsey, Aran and Fair Isle sweatshirt patterns originated, all are islands of the British coast that fishermen commonly lived or worked nearby. The sweatshirt and its offshoots gained mainstream popularity thanks to several popular 19th Century wartime figures, the 7th Earl of Cardigan, James Brudnell (who led the infamous charge of the Light Brigade) and Lord Raglan, Fitzroy Somerset (another officer of the Crimean War). The cardigan and raglan sleeve were popularised by these men respectively, the wider raglan sleeves actually being designed specifically for the one-armed Somerset who had lost his right arm in battle.

via A Brief History of the Hoodie.

If you go to that website, it shows the connection I think may be spot on. The hooded sweatshirt may have been around before rap and hip hop, but that’s when it gained traction!

The hoodie is definitely geared toward the younger generation.  The urban clothing industry is definitely in the lead for the creation and marketing of hoodies.  The trend can be traced back to rappers who wore them as a way of looking sinister.  Now the trend has taken off and any urban clothing enthusiast would have at least one hoodie in their wardrobe.

via Sweatshirts In The Hood.

And my guess is that’s when sales went up and growing out of the athletic wear set. We all started learning to fold those hooded sweatshirt so we could stack them! How many do you have?

(PS – Sitting in my hotel in St. Louis I’m very happy to have my hoodie and slippers keeping me comfortably warm.)

[polldaddy poll=4466886]

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