Matcha lattes, Stanley cups, Labubus… The list of oddly specific things that we, the perennially online, are obsessing over is weird and varied. The newest addition? Meet-cute hoodies inspired by Heated Rivalry. In the show, rivals-turned-lovers Shane and Ilya’s initial meeting is established with a Yin-and-Yang visual: Shane in a white hoodie and Ilya in black. This monochromatic setup has sparked a clothing swap trend on social media, as fans track the couple’s wardrobe exchange from the tuna melt to the campfire scene, from rivals to an “old couple“.
But even before Heated Rivalry, there was already a consensus that having the right sweatshirt was a flex. From Silicon Valley bros choosing five-figure Loro Piana cashmere versions, to Tweens obsessed with an ₹8,000 Pink Palm Puff sweatshirt, or Rihanna in a newly released Dior men’s hoodie in Paris, the cosy layer is a cornerstone of high-low dressing. After all, in a room of suits, there is no greater flex than the person in a sweatshirt. It is a sartorial signal of autonomy, even in 2026. As Angela McRobbie, a professor of Communications at Goldsmiths College, once told The Guardian, adopting leisurewear for everyday use suggests a “distance from the world of office or school”.
From utility to couture
The sweatshirt emerged in 1926 as a practical fix by Alabama quarterback Benjamin Russell Jr to replace itchy wool jumpers, especially for athletes. But fast forward to 2026, the cosy layer has been stripped of its gym-only DNA as everyone from Prada to Supreme to Dior has a version that’s being sold as a high-fashion staple.
So, when did the hoodie become a sign of the truly wealthy? The blueprint for “wealthy and incognito” was established by Princess Diana, who paired oversized university crewnecks with cycling shorts to dissuade paparazzi. That survival tactic is now the uniform of the hyper-visible. Think Ariana Grande “lampshading”—that sweatshirt and thigh-high-boot combo every Gen Z girl has unsuccessfully attempted to recreate for a night out—or Justin Bieber in his “Swag” era. Bieber launched his brand Skylrk last year and as part of the early drops he included cavernous hoodies that prove clearly that if you make a piece of jersey voluminous enough, it ceases to be clothing and becomes a personality trait.
Cool moms love hoodies
Some celebrities are even taking the sweatshirt to the red carpet. Jennifer Lawrence, in October 2025 at the Die, My Love premiere in Rome, epitomised casual chic in a loose Jonathan Anderson-designed Dior sweatshirt French-tucked into a bubble skirt.
Even Victoria Beckham, the high priestess of the stiletto, has conceded to the grey hoodie. In scenes from her new documentary, Beckham is filmed in a plush charcoal number before her Paris fashion week show. Cruz Beckham recently posted a cute video of his mum doing a very typical mum dance in a cosy grey hoodie. If Posh Spice is opting for fleece, the “is it bougie?” debate is officially over.
The new-generation hoodie
For those who find oversized too easy, the hoodie is being structurally reinvented. Lola Young, who was spotted in 2024 wearing the Mike Kelley x Supreme hoodie, has moved into a grey Sinead Gorey corseted hoodie. With built-in boning, it proves that even fleece can be snatched. K-pop Demon Hunters singer Audrey Nuna took this further at iHeartRadio, appearing in a red latex hoodie by Bent Kahina paired with a corset handcrafted by Vietnamese artisans at Fancì Club.
Dhruv Khurana of Delhi-based label Almost Gods sells hoodies that come with kantha-embroidered elbow patches or prints inspired by the artist Cy Twombly. He views these pieces as “personality builders” rather than generic basics. In his own wardrobe he says, “I would want a baggy Raf Simons, a strangely cut Undercover, or a highly constructed Post Archive Faction [sweatshirt].” For him, the real flex is the discerning choice of a “strangely cut” silhouette over a mass-produced one.
In Mumbai, Jay Mehta of Stamp Duty is reconciling heavyweight fleece with tropical humidity by adding raglan sleeves to create “trans-seasonal” pieces that remove the “sweat” from the sweatshirt. His advice? Prioritise purpose. “If I want to wear something to the gym, a round neck fits perfectly. A quarter zip is a great travel piece, and if you’re a little younger, a hoodie works great.” All in all, bougie is a state of mind; sometimes it just happens to come in fleece.
Below, The Nod’s guide on the cosiest sweatshirts and hoodies to cop.
