SKULL AND CROSSBONES HOODIE

The Jane Sweatshirt

Thirteen years ago, we went looking for a blank sweatshirt and couldn’t find one we liked. Everything was too thin, too boxy, or felt like it would be done after a few washes. So we made our own.

We started with the sweatshirts we kept coming back to: vintage Army and Navy issue from the ’40s and ’50s. They were built for use, cut simply, and made to take a beating. That became the starting point for our pattern.

We didn’t set out to make the best sweatshirt in the world. But, like everything else, once you start looking, you find the best of the best, and then that’s where you want to be.

Everyone told us to make knits in Portugal or go overseas. We got lucky instead. We found a mill in North Carolina with a guy in the Garment District, and we worked with them to develop a 400 GSM French terry knit from Texas long staple cotton. Long staple means longer fibers, which make a stronger, smoother yarn that holds up and softens over time instead of pilling out.

We still wear the ones we made 13 years ago. They’ve faded, softened, and taken the shape of the people wearing them. When you work with people who care about what they do, that’s what you get: something that looks better the older it gets.

This year we went back to the pattern and made a few changes:

• Tighter neck at the base of the hood. It sits closer and holds its shape.
• No drawstrings. We loved the red ones for years, but eventually they started to bother us. They weren’t doing anything, so they’re gone.
• Shorter body. It sits right at the waist instead of hanging past it.
• Looser ribbing at the waist and sleeves. You can push the sleeves up without a fight.
• Shorter cuff. It’s cleaner and easier to wear.

It’s a sweatshirt you’ll grab without thinking about it, and it’s built to last years. So far, it has.

400 GSM heavyweight French terry · Texas long staple cotton · Woven in North Carolina

Produced in New Jersey