The Gray Sweatshirt

I’m not a sweatshirt guy.  Though I like the rugged look of heritage wear, my style tends toward old school preppy and my interests are more of the vintage workwear (rather than athletic wear) persuasion.  Casual athletic clothing often makes the wearer look anything but,  though something about the sweatshirt of yore make them the perfect garment to slip on for a weekend run to the store or dress up a little on a low-key weekday.

I came into a gray Todd Snyder X Champion sweatshirt this week, and appreciate both its functionality (it came in handy on a nippy Wednesday morning) and appearance.  Todd Snyder (the designer) is a fashion industry veteran who’s an alum of Ralph Lauren and J. Crew.  The influence of his past employers rubs off on his designs, though it’s his mass-market competitors copying him these days, not the other way around.  Snyder built his eponymous label on getting the details right, and nowhere is his immaculate dedication to the garment’s nitty gritty more evident than in the sweatshirt’s chain stitching.  

For his collaboration with Champion, Snyder drew upon inspiration from one of their sweatshirts from the 1940s.  The chain stitching both looks attractive and is durable thanks to the finesse required to create it - chain stitched embroidery from 5th century B.C. China still exists today.  The sweatshirt has a high rib, which keeps it from bunching up at the bottom and maintains a slim, flattering fit for the wearer.  The classic Champion logo is discrete and the off-white chain stitching on the cuffs, chest placket and shoulders add refinement to the marled gray cotton sweatshirts are known for.

I paired the sweatshirt with my Barbour Bedale and a vintage bandana I bought in Portland.  I have a weakness for scarves and bandanas and find they lend effortless verve to an outfit when not tied in newfangled knots.  The bandana projects a rakish bohemian élan while bringing out the sweatshirt’s rugged vibes, making for a modern-day Americana look with a continental silhouette.

Sweatshirt: Todd Snyder x Champion, Bandana: Vintage (found in Portland), Jacket: Barbour