The hooded sweatshirt is a utilitarian garment that originated in the 1930s in the US for workers in cold New York warehouses. The modern clothing style was first produced by Champion in the 1930s and marketed to laborers working in freezing temperatures in upstate New York. The home of the hoodie, origin of the sweatshirt, pioneer of the Reverse Weave, Champion has always had innovation at its core. Rochester, NY, U.S.A. 1970s: Rebellion In the 70s, hip-hop culture emerged in the Bronx, inspiring rap music, graffiti and break dancing. Wearing a hoodie at this time meant you were keeping a low profile, and with a design like a cobra hood it was worn to intimidate others. The hoody allowed unrestricted movement for the dance routines and concealed the identities for graffiti artists on the street. In California, skaters rejected the mainstream culture, and with the closure of many skates parks skaters maintained their lifestyle however they could, legal or not. To feed the rebellion, music in the area gravitated towards hard core punk and hoodies became a staple of the culture. In 1976, the release of “Rocky” added another layer of symbolism to the hoodie. The grey marl silhouette became a symbol of his hard knocks, work ethic, and reestablished the hoodie’s connection to its working class roots, reaffirming its look into today’s mainstream society.