Welcome to the second in a series of Blogs called ‘Vintage Crewoom’, where we showcase some vintage, very loved, very worn (and very washed!) pieces of Crewroom kit – all of which still cut the mustard years after purchase!
This month we’re featuring a six-year-old North West Hoodie, shared with us by Isobel Powell from Leander Club.
Isobel told us:
“The North West Hoodie is a perfect layer for keeping warm on the water, it’s comfortable to row in and dries really quickly.”
Isobel, who also rowed at UL, has accumulated quite a collection of her favourite hoodies over the years and, despite being worn frequently and subjected to the rigours of daily training (with over 150 washes), they’re still in tip-top shape!
The history behind The North West Hoodie
This super-soft, performance hoodie was launched back in 2015 and very quickly became one of our top-selling products. Today, this ‘must-have’ mid-layer is a bit of a collector’s item with many NW Hoodie fans, just like Isobel, buying their favourite hoodie in all the seasonal colours!
When we first designed the hoodie nearly 10 years ago, we had a specific formula in mind: Sustainability + Comfort + Performance
First off, we wanted to make it a sustainable product, meaning a product that would last, could be worn and washed time after time, and would stand the test of time.
Then, of course, there was the comfort. By using a super-soft fabric with four-way stretch and a brushed inner fleece, we wanted to design a product that would feel amazingly soft and comfortable against the skin – something that people would later describe as ‘wearing a hug’!
And finally, creating a piece of performance kit that was fit for purpose was essential. The fabric needed to wick, breathe and dry out quickly. It needed to be a slim-fit garment, which meant it could be worn both as a mid-layer or baselayer beneath a rowing suit, giving extra protection when training out in the elements.
So, with those three vital design boxes ticked, we went on to look at the finer details, adding mesh vent panels, a cuff for contactless cards, an internal headphone port hole, reflective branding and a laser-cut zip pocket with the now-famous mini-compass.
The result was a hoodie that people love to wear both on and off the water and one that will certainly be around for years to come!
To see more Crewroom products that have stood the test of time, stay posted for the next in our series of ‘Vintage Crewroom’.
