Acid wash is a garment finishing process that uses bleach-soaked pumice stones to create a faded, mottled appearance on fabric. For brands, specifying this finish typically adds 30% to 40% to the per-unit cost, requires 100% cotton or heavy cotton-rich fleece (300+ GSM), and stretches lead times because the shop has to do batch-wash tests before they commit your bulk run to the machine.

400+ GSM is the fabric weight where a hoodie stops behaving like a sweatshirt and starts behaving like a piece of outerwear. Below it, fleece drapes on the body. Above it, fleece holds its own shape. The shift came out of post-2018 streetwear chasing a garment-as-armor look, and it pulled the industry baseline well past the old 280 GSM standard most mall brands used to spec.

French terry is best for breathable, midweight, premium-feeling hoodies, while fleece is best for warm, cozy, cold-weather hoodies. Hoodie brands should choose French terry for year-round streetwear, athleisure, and garment-dyed styles, and fleece for winter drops, loungewear, merch, and customers who prioritize softness and warmth.

Cotton fibers have a hollow internal structure that absorbs sweat and breathes. Synthetics don’t. That’s most of the story. Cotton dries slow and shrinks, so the spec sheet matters more than the “100% cotton” tag — aim for 300+ GSM, ringspun yarn, and a combed finish.

Pullovers run warmer, cost less, and hold their shape longer. Zip-ups give you temperature control, easier layering, and the obvious convenience of not having to pull anything over your head. Pick based on your daily environment more than your aesthetic preference. Pullover if you want maximum insulation and a clean streetwear line; zip-up if you’re constantly moving between heated buildings and cold streets, or if you live in structured jackets.

Hoodies were invented in the 1930s, became culturally visible in the 1970s, reached broad mainstream popularity in the 1990s, and became a universal wardrobe staple in the 2000s and 2010s. Champion designed the first hooded sweatshirt for laborers in upstate New York around 1930. Today, the garment sits inside a global hoodies and sweatshirt market reaching an estimated $224.77 billion in 2025.