Was this always the case? or as in the nineties, anyone wearing a hoodie was automatically distrusted, labelled a gang member or a danger. Perhaps there was a little acceptance in the athletic , boxing community who embraced the mid grey hooded sweatshirt, that Rocky wore so successfully in Hollywood films, which followed the amazing career of one of films most iconic heroes.
Certainly the hoodie in the 1990's was not a garment we would want our children wearing.
The hoodie was only available in a limited amount of colours, ie black, navy , marl grey, and words such as fair trade or responsible sourcing were a long way into the future.
As with all clothing trends the hooded sweatshirt has become part of mainstream clothing, now every age group has one go to hoodie.
Very often this hoodie is still marl grey, but decorated with an embroidered logo or printed image. Also clubs , certainly a sports club, will have their hoodie. These hoodies give the person a sense of belonging, showing their interests and wanting to be a part of something bigger.
The school leavers hoodie is probably the ultimate hoodie for the feeling of nostalgia, belonging, or even a coming of age trophy.
Also, the school leavers hoodie has gained in popularity over the last twenty years, inspired by university students wearing the navy hooded sweatshirt embroidered with their university. But, the question is, was one embroidered hoodie enough? If they also belonged to a music club or rowing team they would need more.
So, in the last 20 years, most Year 11 pupils look forward to receiving their leavers hoodie. In the AWDIS range there are an unbelievable array of colours, 70 in all. This range is one of the most popular in the embroidery and printing trade.
So, if you have a pantone reference to match with a Sherbert lemon Hoodie, embroidered with a vibrant green thread, then the AWDIS
hoodie is for you.
In the early years of the Leavers hoodie, there were few size options, but now the size extends from 3/4 to 5 XL. Also the school leavers hoodies often just had the year printed on the back and the school logo embroidered on the front. Now we see many different ways, for example, we see all the names of the pupils enclosed in the year. And above the year, the persons name is printed.
The front of the hoodie always looks better with an embroidered logo on the left hand breast side, with their initials on the right hand breast side.
The sleeve is now a great place to print the school house the pupil belongs to.
One of the most important points, in purchasing a hoodie is not only value for money, but good quality. Very often it will become one of the most best loved items of clothing, as it is worn in June, July and August of that year, only to be replaced at the end of the day, by a comfy hoodie, acting like a comfort blanket!
How is the school leavers hoodie developing?
In the last five years, more and more year 6 pupils want a school leavers hoodie for when they leave junior school. For the embroiderer and garment decorator this brings its own challenges, as smaller sizes are required, so obtaining a competitive price can be a challenge.
Here at Whittakers Embroidery we have helped many schools in choosing their school leavers hoodie. For 2023 school leavers it is good to start planning now, on possible numbers, colours and, importantly, the design of the number 23.
With over 20 years of experience our design team will help and advise, and provide a free mock up for you of the logo.
Whittakers Embroidery have chosen the GILDAN range of hooded sweatshirt for their Leavers 2023 hoodie.
Reason one, it is very good value for money at £13.95. This includes the embroidered logo on the front and printed year on the back, making it very affordable in these stressful times.
Reason two, it has proven to be of high quality due to the repeat orders we obtain every year from our customers.
Reason three, the GILDAN brand is a well respected American company who pride themselves on their ethical way of trading.
Reason four, although the colour range does not include sherbert lemon, it has a wide range of colours and sizes.
Hopefully, when you are considering ordering 2023 school leavers hoodies, this information has been helpful to you.
