Note: Taylor Stitch sent this item for review.
A good hoodie, which is also performant, is hard to find. Yes you can find wool hoodies, but they all lack something. Synthetic hoodies are all over, but they look synthetic. There’s two types of hoodies out there: those that you want to put on to feel cozy and have a quick nap or three. And those you want to wear out and about, to be seen in, as a layer while remaining comfortable and casual.
And it is that latter category that I find the Apres Hoodie in Coal. It’s quietly performant, while looking very sharp.
Material
First this is mostly cotton, as the composition is a 12-oz. garment consisting of: 98% cotton, 2% Spandex. I would have wagered there was far more than 2% spandex as the entire thing is pretty stretchy. It’s a solid 4-way stretch and there’s little chance of restricting movement.
More than the materials composition is the hand feel. This is a dense and heavy feeling hoodie. Neither the interior or the face, is soft and fuzzy. Well, the interior is soft and not scratchy, but there is no pile to the material — instead Taylor Stitch opted for a soft woven texture across it. The outside feels closer to your standard hoodie with perhaps a heavier weave.
The clear advantage here is that it slides over other materials much better, and doesn’t leave behind a lint trail.
Fit and Style
As I mentioned at the outset of this review, this hoodie is full of style. It’s cut trim and modern, and my standard Large fits just fine. If you want a little more of a relaxed look you should size up a full size — I could wear an XL easily and still look fine. But the Large looks more tailored, more put together.
The entire hoodie works well from a style perspective. You could easily toss this on with a pair of swim trunks and hang out near a bonfire on the beach — you’d fit right in. Or you could toss it on with a pair of chinos over a button down and have a great layer for a night out.
And that’s not just the cut, but the detailing on it plays to these strengths. With pockets that a slanted and sit flat, and tiny little leather triangles at either end. It’s a nice touch for the whole thing. The leather grab on the zipper is classic as is the brass contrast of the zipper. And the white speckling throughout the hoodie adds enough of a casual element to keep this feeling like a hoodie.
I love the way this looks and fits.
Performance
Ok, so this is a cotton hoodie. All of the performance here comes from stretch. And there is a lot of stretch in this. What this means practically is that the hoodie can fit trim to your body, while not restricting your movement at all. And not only being unrestricted, you can also lounge in it and still be comfortable the entire time. The stretch really is fantastic and rarely do I see this much in a cotton garment.
The rest of the performance simply comes from the application of cotton. As I mentioned above there is no brushed interior. It’s smooth and soft with a dense exterior. This is cotton done well, but still cotton.
Overall
I only have a handful of hoodies because I find them problematic. It’s hard to find a good performance one which also still looks sharp. And that’s because hoodies are one of those items which is best done with cotton. The stretch here is excellent.
No it won’t dry fast, repel water, or resist odors. But it will look good no matter what you are doing, perhaps better than most. And if you happen to be working at home, well this should be at the top of your list.
It’s not a performance hoodie, but it is the hoodie I want to wear.
Note: This hoodie is currently out of stock in the color I reviewed. It is available in other colors, but note that each color has a slightly different fabric makeup, with many infusing hemp into the mix which should be a nice addition.
NOTE: where possible all product links on this site may earn the site money when you buy using those links.