Hug a Hoodie: The Friendly Side of Personalised Hoodies
UK Prime Minister David Cameron’s notorious advice that people should all ‘hug a hoodie’ has been much publicised and discussed. After the London riots it has come under scrutiny again. Hoodies, certainly among the older generation, have evolved all sorts of negative connotations. Many teenagers, however, don’t realize why this will be so.
For many totally law-abiding young people, the humble hoodie is a warm, comfortable clothing choice and nothing more. Personalised hoodies have grown to be especially popular amonst the younger generation, being a smart way to show your support for a club, team, group or cause. Plenty of youngsters get hooded sweatshirts composed as a keepsake from old schools, or fun group holidays. Hoodies are generally used as a way to remember positive experiences. Why do hoodie-wearers have this type of bad reputation?
One possibility is that, even though the greater part of youngsters wear hoodies, the only real ones who make it into the media are those that are up to no good. This may lead older people to assume that it’s young thugs and criminals alone who wear hoodies. This may imply that all hoodies, even friendly personalised hoodies, get unfairly judged and maligned.
Contact with perfectly nice youngsters who wear personalised hoodies, or hoodies in general, may help the older generations to realise that the image of the dangerous, out-of-control youngsters in hoodies, isn’t the norm.
Another element which might make people wary of hoodie wearers, if they wear personalised hoodies or elsewhere, is the physical shape and design of hoodies and promotional hoodies. You will no doubt have seen signs in shop windows which read: ‘NO HOODS IN STORE’. The truth that hoodies have an, eponymous, hood may appear obvious but it is something can make people nervous since it obscures the faces of wearers.
The images in the media of faceless gangs of youths in hoodies, even in personalised hoodies, can look particularly menacing, simply because their faces are hidden. While you are unable to start to see the faces of large groups it can seem scary because of the lack of human connection. Mostly, however, this prejudice contrary to the humble hoodie is really a media construct, mixed with just a little little bit of class snobbery and fear of the young…a distressing cocktail once you think about it.
You will want to show that personalised hoodies are just as fun, lovable, stylish and friendly as the next item of clothing. Since personalised hoodies are fully customisable you can spread any message you like with them. Use personalised hoodies to demonstrate school pride, university affiliation and club membership.