Today we are introducing the FREEWHEELERS “AFTER HOODED SWEAT SHIRT SET-IN SLEEVE” DOUBLE FACE.
Based on a 1930s-style after-attached hooded sweatshirt, this is an exceptionally substantial double-face sweatshirt with a strong vintage character.
Vintage hooded sweatshirts with an after-attached hood are extremely rare in today’s vintage market.
Examples in good condition, especially those with two-tone color schemes or double-face construction, have become increasingly difficult to find at prices that make them easy to wear casually.
Of course, there is a unique appeal to original vintage garments that have survived for decades.
Faded fabric, wear along the seams, slightly distorted silhouettes, and the soft texture created through years of washing and use.
That atmosphere, which simply cannot be reproduced in a brand-new garment, is one of the greatest attractions of vintage clothing.
At the same time, when a vintage piece becomes extremely rare and valuable, it can sometimes be difficult to enjoy it freely as everyday clothing.
Sweatshirts and hoodies were originally much more casual garments, made to be worn regularly and without hesitation.
The “AFTER HOODED SWEAT SHIRT” uses FREEWHEELERS’ vintage-style medium-weight fleece, the same quality of sweatshirt fabric used throughout the brand’s regular lineup.
The fabric is layered on both the outer and inner sides to create a full DOUBLE FACE construction.
Not only the body, but also the sleeves and hood are fully double layered, giving the sweatshirt a weight and substance that is immediately different from an ordinary sweatshirt.
Even with that substantial construction, it is still fundamentally a sweatshirt.
As it is worn, the fabric gradually softens and begins to conform naturally to the body.
Its warmth also makes it useful almost like a light outer layer during the colder months, which is another distinctive quality of this model.
Looking more closely, the construction incorporates many details associated with 1930s vintage sweatshirts.
Double V gussets, set-in sleeves, and a generously sized after-attached hood.
The kangaroo pocket is positioned slightly above the hem rib, while the cuffs and hem use relatively long ribbed sections, creating a very classic overall appearance.
The color combination is another particularly striking feature.
The main body is a beige-toned Medium Gray, while the hood, gussets, kangaroo pocket, and ribbed sections are finished in Old Navy.
The interior is then lined throughout with Dry Cream-colored sweatshirt fabric.
Together with the thickness of the double-face construction, these three colors give the sweatshirt a great deal of depth and character.
While the details remain firmly rooted in vintage garments, the silhouette and overall balance are carefully refined so that the sweatshirt feels natural to wear today rather than simply functioning as a reproduction.
One of the most useful references for this model is the aged sample shown below, which has been worn and washed over time.
The originally restrained colors gradually fade, wear begins to appear around the seams and ribbed sections, and the fabric itself becomes softer with repeated use.
The resulting appearance begins to resemble that of a genuine vintage sweatshirt that has been worn for many years.
But this is not an artificially distressed finish created from the beginning.
Wear it. Wash it. Wear it again.
The changes develop slowly through that simple repetition.
For that reason, no two pieces will ultimately develop in exactly the same way.
The way the owner wears the garment, and the life it is worn through, gradually become part of its appearance.
That, to us, is one of the greatest pleasures of owning a sweatshirt like this for many years.
There is, of course, something special about owning original vintage clothing.
But there is also a different kind of enjoyment in starting with a high-quality new garment and allowing it to develop naturally through your own wear.
That may be one of the most fundamental pleasures of clothing itself.
With a sweatshirt you have worn yourself, fading and signs of wear no longer feel like imperfections.
Instead, those changes become part of the attachment you develop to the garment.
Years later, when you compare it with photographs from when it was new, it may have become an entirely different piece — one shaped by your own time and use.
FREEWHEELERS is not simply about reproducing the details of vintage garments.
There is also the question of how the garment will look after years of actual wear.
This sweatshirt already has a strong presence when new, but much of its appeal becomes even deeper as it continues to age.
The more it is worn, the more character it develops, eventually taking on an atmosphere reminiscent of genuine vintage clothing.
We hope the aging sample shown here helps you imagine how this sweatshirt may continue to change over the years.
View the product page for the FREEWHEELERS “AFTER HOODED SWEAT SHIRT SET-IN SLEEVE” DOUBLE FACE below.