In 2012, San Francisco clothing store American Giant launched its very first product, a zip-up hooded sweatshirt that put the company on the map. Officially called the Classic Full Zip, most people know it as “the best hoodie ever made,” thanks to the headline of a Slate article touting its charms.
After this story, things took off for American Giant. Over the next 13 years, the company sold 1 million hoodies. She also expanded her brand and added a line of casual tops and bottoms, all sourced and made in the United States. But one thing that hasn’t changed much is the design of this Classic Full Zip Hoodie. Until today.
The Classic Full Zip has just been relaunched as a softer, more breathable piece, thanks to an overall refresh centered around a new cotton fleece construction. The design features remain: the double-lined hood, stretchy side panels and elbow patches. But put it on and zip it up, and you’ll notice that it’s not as snug around the waist or around the shoulders.
For me, a person with big shoulders, the fit of the cotton around the shoulders was one of my gripes with the AG hoodie. I always liked the piece overall, but the fit wasn’t as relaxed as I’d like, and even after years of wearing it still felt a little stiff. The new design simply gives you more room to move. The slightly more forgiving elastic at the cuffs and waist is also something I consider an improvement.
The biggest improvement, however, is in the cotton batting itself. The fabric is softer and more breathable. This can be attributed to a change in the cotton fibers of the hoodie.
If you have a cheap, heavy cotton t-shirt in your collection – probably something with a heavy metal band’s logo screen-printed on it – then you know that it’s a little scratchy and the shirt isn’t that breathable. These less expensive shirts use short cotton fibers. The longer the fiber, the softer and more breathable the cotton. For this new fleece, AG uses the type of longer-staple cotton fibers found in soft, cottony things like dress shirts and expensive linens.
At launch, the original Classic Full Zip Hoodie cost $138. The price jumped to $168 last year due to changes in American Giant’s supply chain, the biggest of which was the closure of its main supplier, Carolina Cotton Works, in May 2024. The good news is that there is no additional price increase for the new hoodie. It’s still $168 and it’s available today.
The original hoodie is our team’s current favorite and ranks as the “Best Overall” in WIRED’s Best Hoodies Guide. We’ll test the new one and see if it can maintain that top spot.
