Knit hoodies are a far cry from their classic Champion-like counterparts. Where those sweatshirts are usually made from loop terry or just good ol’ fashioned cotton-jersey, knit hoodies are rendered in thicker-gauge cottons, wools, and cashmeres that are knitted together like a sweater. (Think of them as sweaters with hoods and not sweatshirts with hoods, y’know?) I’m fully aware that it sounds like a microscopic distinction in theory, but in practice it’s like the difference between Snoopy and Snoop Dogg.
Plus, compared to fleece or French terry alternatives, knit hoodies boast loads more texture, instantly adding to the complexity of your cold-weather outfits. Opt for one in luscious cashmere and you’ve got a hoodie with more sheen—and a bouncier drape—than half the suits on the market. Slip into one rendered in a hairier fabric like brushed mohair and with the hood up you’ll look like the swaggiest yeti ever captured on camera.
Zipping up a knit hoodie feels less lazy than reaching for more pedestrian athleisure, too, even if you got dressed in a hungover stupor. The best of them look a little more put together than whatever ratty fleece you’ve been rocking to the gym—and the transitive property says that you will, too, simply by association. There’s a reason they were a mainstay of devil-may-care ’90s-era style icons, and unlike, say, crop tops or frosted tips, they can look as safe or as daring as you want them to. So to help you bench the fleece, we pulled together a bangin’ list of our favorites.