Without a hood, with a hood, without a zip, with a zip, for men, women, children, in the most varied colours... we didn't say we had personalised sweatshirts for all tastes and made by chance, did we?
Sweatshirts, as they are more commonly known, have been part of our daily lives for so many decades that it's almost as if we can't imagine living without them, because they invariably form part of everyone's wardrobe.
Why? We can think of several reasons, but the fact that they are ultra-versatile and the perfect choice for the most diverse environments and purposes is in itself more than enough reason to justify their success.
Add to that the fact that they are ultra-comfortable and warm, and it's not hard to see why they are such an attractive garment for everyday use in less formal and relaxed environments.
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It's not difficult to look cool in a sweatshirt... Just combine it with shorts or jeans and you've got it; and if we're talking about personalised shirts like the ones Maudlin Merchandise produces, even cooler!
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But before we dive into the more technical aspects of the production itself, we'd like to share some of the brief history of sweatshirts. Shall we?
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A Brief History of the Sweatshirt
1) The Origin
According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, the term "sweatshirt" was originally "coined" in 1925 and referred to a collarless, long-sleeved shirt with generous dimensions, made from thick, fluffy cotton.
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The first jerseys were essentially garments that were mostly worn by athletes during their training sessions. Why. Because in addition to preserving heat and as the name suggests (sweatshirt), they had the ability to absorb perspiration during exercise.
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Their design would evolve to include not only a hoodie but also a zip at the front, and they were first marketed by Champion Atletic to be worn by footballers during the warm-up.
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Later, trousers also appeared to match the sweatshirt and voila, the tracksuit was created, which became immensely popular around the 1970s with the fever around jogging.
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Nowadays there is no shortage of derivations around the basic sweatshirt, including short-sleeved and sleeveless shirts, and thanks to constant development in terms of materials with better insulation and comfort, it is more than guaranteed that sweatshirts will continue to be part of our history!
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2) The Sweater as a Symbol
The sweatshirt's potential as a "portable advertising tool" was discovered in the 1960s, when American universities began personalising them with their brands, and they immediately became a hit with students and parents, as they were a symbol of pride.
As with the T-shirt, the sweatshirt was a cheap way of getting your message across on a large scale, becoming a "vehicle" of personal expression not only for the designers, but also for the people who wore them.
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3) SubCultural Appropriation
The emergence of extreme sports in the 1980s, such as surfing or skateboarding, and the establishment of "hip-hop" as a cultural phenomenon, were a breath of fresh air for the reinvention of the sweatshirt.
In the case of surfers, it was obvious why they were so popular. They were an ultra-practical garment and the obvious solution for getting warm quickly when out of the water, while making it easier to dry as they were absorbent.
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Of course, all this versatility, combined with the popularity of the sport, would be utilised by brands such as Stussy or Quicksilver in the 1990s, earning them a prominent place in any collection they marketed.
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In the case of skaters, the reason for the choice was also obvious. Its functionality, combined with the fact that the heavier cotton acts as an extra protective layer between your skin and the cement, meant it was bound to be a hit!
In addition to the surf and skate tribes, at the end of the 1970s the hip-hop movement was born in the South Bronx in New York, as a "movement" to combat the disco style.
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Rap, breakdance and graffiti were the ideal playground for the production of a truly global artistic phenomenon, which later became a billion-dollar industry!
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4) Intersection with Fashion
Despite its humble origins as a sportswear garment, the sweatshirt reached unprecedented levels of popularity with its appropriation by the fashion industry in the 1980s and the "birth" of logomania.
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Designers such as Vivienne Westwood and the undeniable example of Calvin Klein have used the sweatshirt to promote and disseminate their brands, making it an accessible version of designer clothing, but this time aimed at the masses.
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There is no shortage of examples of the sweatshirt being used by other, more contemporary designers, but what is important to remember is this: the sweatshirt's ability to transcend its origins and become an indispensable part of the wardrobe of countless subcultures is the main reason behind the true global success it enjoys today!
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We've tried to be as synthetic as possible, but the sweatshirt really is an old lady, so let's talk about the more technical aspects of Maudlin Merchandise's customised sweatshirt production 😉
As we already mentioned in the introduction, at Maudlin Merchandise we have and produce personalised sweatshirts for all tastes and shapes, whether with or without a hood, with or without a zip, for men, women, children or unisex!
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If we combine this with the diversity of stamping techniques we use, including the screen printing, the direct printing, the Vinyl Printing and the embroidery And if we include the guarantee of one of the best quality/price ratios on the market with the ability to deliver in very short timeframes, your choice is made, don't you agree?
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As far as decoration sizes are concerned, we have 5 options:
1) A7 | Up to 5x10cm or 10x5cm
2) A6 | Up to 10x15cm or 15x10cm
3) A5 | Up to 20x15cm or 15x20cm
4) A4 | Up to 20x30cm or 30x20cm
5) A3 | Up to 30x40cm
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Once again, there really are many options, so our recommendation for the production of decorated shirtsAlways consult our price lists to get a better idea of the values practised, as well as by garmenting a personalised quote, which we will be happy to answer.
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We have no doubt that we are currently one of the main players in the market and that you'll be hard pressed to find options with a price/quality/professionalism ratio like ours, so the question is, when and in what quantities!
Shall we work together? We look forward to hearing from you contact🙂
