Where did your hoodie come from and where is it going?

The history of the hood is long and vast.  Individuals all around the world from the Egyptians to present day have used hoods as a symbol of status whether religious or adornment, anonymity for nefarious deeds, protection from the elements and battle, and decoration.

When I think of the Hood my initial thoughts run to the present day "hoodie" however the genealogy of the hood dates back to the Egyptian head dresses which were not only a symbol of status but practical protection from the heat and sun.

In 600 b.c. - 100 a.d. the Celtics wore cloaks and tunics with hoods made out of wool to keep them warm and protected from the elements.

During the Medieval times Hoods were prevalent as a symbol of Monk hood, as well as warn on cloaks giving the wearer anonymity.

The decoration on the cloaks were an indication of class level.  Also, during this time chain mail hoods worn in battle for protection .  

The Gable Hood is an English woman's headdress circa 1500-1500 called so because of it's pointed shape resembling a gable.

 The French Hood is a type of head woman's head gear which was introduced to England by Anne Bolelyn who grew up in France.   An earlier version of the French Hood was worn by Catherine of Aragon which was also called "round hood".

The Chaperon is another version of the hood worn in All parts of Western Europe in the middle ages.  It was initially a utalitarian versitile, complex and expensive headgear.  You can see them mostly worn by men in early Netherlandish paintings such as the portriat to the right by Jan Van Eyck made in the 1940's.

 The hood has not only been decoration for both men and women and stood for religous stature but it has also carried the shadow of death and misguided deads.

 In the Medieval times executionars wore hoods.

In these old and superstitious times people believed that when a person was being led to be executed they could give a curse by their facial expression thus the reason of the executioner hood. 

Following in that tradition...

The Ku Klux Klan as stated in Wikipedia was "Informally known as The Klan, is the name of several past and present hate group organizations in the United States whose avowed purpose was to protect the rights of and further the interests of white Americans by violence and intimidation." They were founded in 1865 by Tennesee Veterans of the Confederate Army who developed the iconic white hoods to hide the identity of the member.

and last but not least the Hoodie...  My favorite accessorie was developed in the 1930's by Champion for Laborers in the frozen warehouses in New York. 

The Hoodies popularity grew in the 1970's as the hip hop culture emerged in New York.  During this time high fashion (ie Norma Kamili etc.) and the movie industry (the Rocky movie) also contributed to the popularity of this garment.

 

The hoodie has a long assocition with the hip hop culture as well as the surfers and skate boarders.  Unfortianately the hoodie also became associated with individuals with "criminal intent" because the hood on the jacket provided instant anonymity.

Hoodies by Champion

Presently the Hoodie is like a good pair of jeans;

necessary. 

From children wear, sports wear, RTW to high fashion hoodies are everywhere.  Hoods can be made out of almost any fabric from fleace to silk and enter into all parts of our society.

Givenchy Fall '09