Hoodie

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A hoodie (also spelled hoody) is a shirt or sweatshirt with a hood and sometimes a zipper up front. Some hoodies also have strings that can be pulled to tighten or loosen the hood.

Hoodies can be any colour and represent very different subcultures in different locales. In California, Australia and New Zealand, hoodies are often worn by surfers and skateboarders. Many male 20-somethings in the Northern Hemisphere wear hoodies as a fashion statement even when the weather is not cold outside, partly because they are considered comfortable. The hoodie has become a durable fashion staple, especially amongst younger generations. Its popularity has increased in recent years, mostly through their association with other trends like surfing and skateboarding. Many other sub-cultures also wear hoodies, these include goths, emos, grungers and ravers.^{[citation needed]}

Contents 1 Moral Panic in the United Kingdom 2 Popular culture 3 See also 4 References

[edit] Moral Panic in the United Kingdom

In the U.K., hoodies have recently been the subject of much criticism: some shoplifters have used the hood to conceal their identities from CCTV cameras in shopping centres. The hat has become a trademark of "chavs", in fact it has been called the 'chav-style' in an Oxfam report.^[1] A baseball cap is sometimes also worn underneath the hood.^{[citation needed]} Groups of hoodie-clad youth who loiter in public places are sometimes known as "hood rats" or just "hoodies" in England.^{[citation needed]} Many people wear hoodies simply to keep warm.

Angela McRobbie, professor of communications at Goldsmiths College in the UK, says the appeal of the hoodie is because of its promise of anonymity and mystery and anxiety. "The point of origin is obviously black American hip-hop culture, now thoroughly mainstream and a key part of the global economy of music through Eminem and others. Leisure- and sportswear adopted for everyday wear suggests a distance from the world of office suit or school uniform. Rap culture celebrates defiance, as it narrates the experience of social exclusion. Musically and stylistically, it projects menace and danger as well as anger and rage. The hooded top is one in a long line of garments chosen by young people, usually boys, and inscribed with meanings suggesting that they are 'up to no good.' In the past, such appropriation was usually restricted to membership of specific youth cultures - leather jackets, bondage trousers - but nowadays it is the norm among young people to flag up their music and cultural preferences in this way, hence the adoption of the hoodie by boys across the boundaries of age, ethnicity and class."^[2]

In May 2005, the largest shopping centre in the UK, Bluewater in Kent, caused outrage by launching a Code of Conduct which bans its shoppers from sporting hoodies or baseball caps. Hoodies and baseball caps are still on sale there, however. John Prescott welcomed the move, citing that he had felt threatened by the presence of hooded teenagers at a motorway service station.^[2] Prime Minister Tony Blair has openly supported this stance and vowed to clamp down on the anti-social behaviour with which hoody wearers are sometimes associated. In February 2006, a 58-year-old teacher who was wearing a hooded top was asked to remove it when entering a Tesco store in Swindon. According to the teacher, he was wearing the hood because "my hair's a mess". The shop apologised and said it was taking action to "make sure this doesn't happen again."^[3]

However, in 2005, Coombeshead College in the south-west of England, allowed the hoodie to become part of the boys school uniform. The principal, Richard Haigh stated that the move would help to calm some of what he called the 'hysteria', surrounding the issue of hoodie wearing.^[4]

Hoodie is also a record released by Lady Sovereign to back the Save The Hoodie Campaign.

In July 2006, David Cameron, leader of the Conservative Party, made a speech suggesting that the hoodie was worn more for defensive than offensive purposes.^[5] The speech was derided in a number of sources^{[weasel words]} and was referred to as "hug a hoodie" by the Labour Party.^[6]

[edit] Popular culture

Because of their association with various social stereotypes, hoodies have received mentions in popular culture.

In the Doctor Who episode "School Reunion" the Doctor comments on the exceptionally good behaviour of the children at Deffry Vale school, saying that he expected them to be "happy slapping hoodies with ASBOs and ringtones", referencing the typical image of a chav.

[edit] See also

• Anorak
• Definition for "bunny hug"
• Moral panic

[edit] References

1. ^ Oxfam (2005-05-31). Oxfam survey points to the end of the 'chav'. Press release.
2. ^ ^{a b} "In the hood", The Guardian, 2005-05-13.
3. ^ "Shop regrets 'hoodie' humiliation", BBC, 2006-02-21.
4. ^ "School adopts 'hoodie' as uniform", BBC, 2005-05-19.
5. ^ "Cameron 'hoodie' speech in full", BBC, 2006-07-10.
6. ^ "Cameron defends 'hoodie' speech", BBC, 2006-07-10.