Stylish. Comfortable. Warm. We love the hoodie. But over the last few years, the wardrobe staple has gotten a bad rap.
Hooded sweats are now so linked to all things nefarious that last week, retired federal judge James T. Giles recommended banning them from South Philadelphia High School in response to the racial violence that occurred there in December between Asian and African-American students.
The word hoodie was used five times in his 31-page report, which suggested outlawing the apparel because it hides kids' faces, making it hard to identify them. Philadelphia School Superintendent Arlene Ackerman later said she agreed with the suggestion, and would consider banning the hooded sweatshirts districtwide.
When there's violence on, or off, school property, somebody should be punished. Giles' report doesn't place blame on either faction, but it's clear that trouble had been brewing at the high school for longer than that day.
So my question is: Are hoodies in more hot water than the hoodlums?
Fernando Gallard, school district spokesman, says banning hoodies is more about safety than fashion choices.
"We have cameras in the schools and there are occasions that the students will put their hoodies up when they don't want to be identified," Gallard said. "It's not too much to ask if they want to wear a jacket or shirt with a hood that they take it off when they go to school and wait until they get out of school to put it on."
Philadelphia is not alone. Other districts have banned the sweatshirt for the same reason. But does it work?
"I think it's stupid to try to ban hoodies," said Chuck Williams, director of Temple University's Center for the Prevention of School-Aged Violence. "They are a practical, versatile piece of apparel that's very utilitarian. You can't blame clothing for inappropriate behavior."
Baggy jeans. The white T. Now the hoodie. It seems a constant indictment of hip-hop culture.
There was a time when hoodies were simply a sweatshirt we wore when we wanted to work out, run errands, or — before the Snuggie — curl up on our couch.
After all, the hoodie first crossed paths with pop culture in "Rocky," the down-and-out fighter sparring in the rain, jogging, his gray hoodie over his head. In addition to looking masculine, the hoodie symbolized the fighter retreating into himself, focusing on his work, blending into the background.
Later, hoodies made a cultural comeback when rap trio Run-DMC made them popular in the early 1980s. The Queens-based rappers rhymed about their Shell Top adidas, Lee jeans, and gold chains, but their quiet fashion constant was the black hoodie — then, hood down.
In 1990, the hip-hop style met boxing garb when rapper LL Cool J wore a hoodie in his video for the hit single "Mama Said Knock You Out." With his hoodie over his head, Cool J grabbed the mike and reestablished his role as a hard-core rapper.
After that, the hoodie was pretty much the hip-hop uniform. From Tribe Called Quest to Snoop Dogg to the Notorious B.I.G. to Digable Planets — everybody wore (and rapped about) hoodies. A search of the word hoodie on lyrics007.com resulted in at least 10 full pages of songs that reference the sweatshirt.
"I mean everybody was rocking hoodies," said James Peterson, an assistant professor of English at Bucknell University.
For a while, hoodies were just a friendly hip-hop accessory — that was, until Staten Island-based rappers Wu-Tang Clan, who, in their lyrics, described putting on their hoodies before embarking on less-than-role-model behavior. They were the first to look like the Grim Reaper, hoods up and smoke clouds looming over their heads.
But that evil vibe didn't spread into the mainstream. Fashion wasn't focused on the hoodie — yet.
Later in the 1990s, hoodies made way for sports jerseys. In winter, however, they were paired with — what else? — the beloved hoodie.
And then early in the new millennium, hoodies got their fashion due. They weren't an accessory but the main part of the ensemble, largely because of hip-hop renaissance man Pharrell Williams and designer Nigo's Bathing Ape hoodies. These sweatshirts came in bold shades, and although they were popular with urban youth, they bordered on tacky. Knockoffs multiplied.
At the same time, hip-hop culture was continuing to expand into the skateboarding community and the goth kids. It didn't matter if you were black or white or male or female. With the rise of Juicy Couture, sweats became the most accepted form of sportswear, and eventually we saw a revival of '80s brands, including the infamous adidas track suits. Heads were covered everywhere.
And why not? Pulling your hood up isn't any different from wearing a baseball hat, donning sunglasses, or plugging in earphones. It covers, it comforts, and it hides — pretty standard teenage behavior.
Unfortunately, the advantage of the hoodie, especially for black men, has also been its downfall.
As hoodie became a household word and a wardrobe must, it was inevitable that any crime involving a kid might also involve the sweatshirt. It hasn't helped that Philadelphia police officers have been killed by men wearing hoodies.
"It became the uniform," Williams said. "People are assuming that a young black man dressed in baggy jeans, sneakers, and a hoodie is synonymous with crimes, so the clothing becomes criminalized."
What's sadder is that for many of the city's most disadvantaged kids, hoodies aren't a fashion statement but their winter coat. Williams has seen some of his students layer hoodie over hoodie this brutal winter because they didn't have anything else to wear. Take that away, and many teens will have less for bundling up. You also strip away their sense of protection.
Of course, in school hallways, they'll find something else under which to hide.
(c) 2010, The Philadelphia Inquirer. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.