Snowboard Hoodies: Fashion, Function and Much More
Snowboard hoodies are a hot item. Literally. They help to insulate the head and ears of snowboarders against the cold. That is one reason they are so popular. Plus they look good too. The popularity of snowboarding and wearing hoodies seemed to have blossomed together. The hoodie is the dominant fashion choice for men 35 and under. This is the generation that has grown up with hip hop and the glorification of thug life. This is not to imply that anyone who wears a hoodie is a thug. Hoodies tend to create an image of mystery and menacing strength in the wearer. It may be a carryover from the hoodie's roots in the refrigerated factories at the turn of the century or it could be the fact that hoodies hide the face of the wearer and obscures their identity. To the under thirty-five crowd this is cool, so hoodies are hot. Figuratively.
Hoodies are a fashion favorite of the young generation and snowboarding is a young man's sport. The combination of the two is natural. But the snowboard hoodie's popularity is based on both function and fashion. Snowboarding is a passion pursued in cold climes. Whizzing down hills at upwards of 20 miles per hour increases the effect of the cold winds on the ears, face, head and neck. People often snowboard while it is snowing. This means snow can fly into the faces and hair. Snowboard hoodies solve both of those problems. Snowboard hoodies cover the ears, face, head and neck. They help keep the snow and other precipitation off the snowboarder's head. If the snowboarder chooses a good brand, the hoodie can also provide a good deal of insulation. This allows them to do hot tricks in cold climates and remain warm the whole time.
The fashion factor of snowboard hoodies cannot be denied. For large
segments of the under thirty-five crowd hoodies represent the hip hop lifestyle
and esthetic with which they have grown up. Hoodies create a sense of mystery,
danger and toughness that is frightening to some older people and cool as
ever to young. Snowboard hoodies obscure facial features and create
a sense of anonymity the young generation finds attractive. With hoodies
one never knows if the wearer is Black, White, Hispanic or Asian. It's the
one world flavor that the young generation favors as they have completely
embraced the concept of the global village. Their music, language, art,
clothing and style all reflect this cultural mash up. It is not unusual
to see a youth of indeterminable racial heritage wearing a snowboard
hoodie adorned with Japanese animation and listening to hip hop music
with Latin beats. A true member of the global village.
Snowboard hoodies are also a fashion statement all on their own.
People who have never snowboarded often wear snowboard hoodies because
they look good. The blurring of the lines between fashion and function is
an art this generation has mastered. Things are often not what they seem.
The thuggish looking kid with the black snowboard hoodies hiding
their face may well be a science whiz and honor student or a world class
athlete. The esthetic of the new generation makes it hard to judge them
by what they wear or how they look. But they do love those snowboard
hoodies!
