Gym Class Style Heroes — Sweatshirts Get A Luxurious Makeover This Season
Though typically associated with high school jocks, disheveled college kids, gym rats, and bummy couch potato types, sweatshirts will no longer be relegated to the bottom of the fashion pyramid. This season, sweatshirts beckon to be noticed — and admired — as designers reinvent the loungewear staple with flashy prints, luxurious animal skins, glitzy embellishments, and intricate embroideries. Whether paired with jeans, skinny pants, roomy trousers, or black leather skirts, this season’s sweatshirts will want you to do anything except break a sweat.
Below, you’ll find some of the most attention-grabbing sweatshirts on the market!
Reed Krakoff Reed Alligator Sweatshirt, $1190. Available at ReedKrakoff.com
Though it has a sporty silhouette, this mixed material number incorporates the finest fabrics, blending a reptile-themed silk cashmere front with merino wool along the back and arms, then topping off the design with black leather patches on the arms.
Clover Canyon Accordion Sweatshirt, $220. Available at CloverCanyon.com
This polyester-and-spandex number will prove to be instrumental to your winter wardrobe — pun intended. Channeling the flamboyance of Gianni Versace’s early ’90s fashions, this sweatshirt features a kaleidoscopic accordion print meant to make sweet style music.
Wes Gordon Filigree Printed Sweatshirt, $1095. Available at FarFetch.com
Tapping into the elaborate metalwork style popularized in Europe in the 17th century, this navy sweatshirt features a filigree print but in a modern, near-fluorescent pink hue that makes the design feel youthful and contemporary.
MSGM Flower Sweatshirt, $437. Available at OtteNY.com
You’ll have your own walking winter garden with this 100% cotton crew-neck sweatshirt, featuring an all-over floral print and contrasting edges.
Givenchy Patchwork Sweatshirt, $1440. Available at Net-a-Porter.com
It’s hard not to have a spiritual awakening when one regards this stunning cotton-jersey Givenchy sweatshirt, featuring multiple vertical panels — the middle one featuring an image of the Madonna and the outer panels incorporating birds of paradise blossoms in psychedelic hues and jewel-like motifs.
Kenzo Eye Sweatshirt, 195 €. Available at Kenzo.com
The streets are watching — or they will be when you slip on this 100% cotton sweatshirt, featuring an embroidered eye motif, along with a ribbon-like trim along the top of the long sleeves.
IRO Daina Sweatshirt, $249. Available at ShopLesNouvelles.com
You don’t need to be a pro surfer to appreciate the beauty of the tidal wave pictured on this photorealistic sweatshirt.
Preen by Thornto Bregazzi Printed Sweatshirt, $789.13. Available at Farfetch.com
You’ll feel as inspired as Van Gogh was when he painted his poppy fields series when you wear this fetching sweatshirt, featuring gray sleeves and a matching gray neckline that contrast the robustness of the red poppy print along the piece’s center.
Clover Canyon Gold Panther Sweatshirt, $242. Available at CloverCanyon.com
Welcome to the jungle! This flamboyant Clover Canyon sweatshirt features a mirrored print incorporating ferocious panthers in a surrealistic realm that fuses wilderness elements with Art Deco flourishes.
TIBI Printed Jaguar Sweatshirt, $789. Available at ShopLesNouvelles.com
Everything about this TIBI sweatshirt is perfectly on trend: the cobalt blue front panel, the jaguar print, the boxy silhouette, and the pony hair texture of the front panel. Featuring neoprene sleeves for a slick, city-ready feel and a snugger fit, this sweatshirt will have you ready to go on the prowl.
Zara Velour Floral Sweatshirt, $29.50. Available at Zara.com
Want in on the upscale sweatshirt trend but don’t want to spend a bundle? Consider this artful velour number from Zara, featuring a washed-out, rainbow rose print.
Nili Lotan Black Leather Sweatshirt, $795. Available at NiliLotan.com
The quickest way to make a sweatshirt look so badass you can imagine Aeon Flux or the Avengers’ Black Widow wearing it: craft it out of supple, premium black leather.
athé Vanessa Bruno Gold Sweatshirt, $283. Available at ShopLesNouvelles.com
‘Tis the season for all things sparkly and shiny. Get into a festive mood with this party-ready black knit sweatshirt, painted with metallic gold so that it looks like it was dipped in glitter.
H&M Sweatshirt, $39.95. Available at H&M stores and HM.com
Make the streets your kingdom in this sweatshirt, featuring 3/4-length cuffed sleeves and a crown motif at the center of the front panel featuring multi-colored rhinestones for a cheeky heft of glitz. It’s quite the take on the notion of “crown jewels”!
Emma Cook Paneled Jersey Sweatshirt, $410. Available at Net-a-Porter.com
All the elements of this Emma Cook sweatshirt work harmoniously together: from the color-blocked black, blush pink, and bright coral pink sleeves, to the star print satin panels decorating the lower part of the sleeves and placed in a triangular shape below the rounded collar. The sweatshirt’s fleece interior meanwhile adds the necessary warmth, making the garment as functional as it is fabulous.
Topshop Floral Embroidered Sweatshirt, $58. Available at US.Topshop.com
Could this be the sweatshirt version of the “ugly sweater”? A piece so seemingly gaudy and crafty that it somehow manages to feel charming and hip? We think so! This 100% cotton black sweatshirt features an intricate embroidered floral print. Every time we look at it, we picture Bridget Jones wearing it to a turkey dinner — and actually being happy about it.
Christopher Kane Brain Sweatshirt, $395. Available at MatchesFashion.com
Fascinated by gray matter? Apparently, so is designer Christopher Kane, whose AW13 collection featured this brain print sweatshirt.
Clover Canyon Instrumental Stripe Sweatshirt, $246. Available at CloverCanyon.com
You don’t need to be a classical music buff to appreciate the symphonic quality of this fleece Clover Canyon sweatshirt, featuring a kaleidoscopic trumpet print juxtaposed against a striped backdrop. It’s music to our eyes!
Matthew Williamson Embellished Sweatshirt, $825. Available at Net-a-Porter.com
Known for his glamorous take on Bohemian style, Matthew Williamson has infused a free-spirited charm to this gray cotton-jersey sweatshirt by incorporating an ombré turquoise-to-teal dip-dye effect along the top of the front panel and embellishing this area with multicolored cords and plenty of gypsy-esque silver and turquoise beading.
Velvet Print Sweatshirt, $118. Available at ScoopNYC.com
Featuring a distressed velvet patterned front, this piece elevates the classiness of the sweatshirt without losing its versatility or its innate sense of ease.
AIKO Front Leather Panel Sweatshirt, $298. Available at IntermixOnline.com
Edgy and slick, this cotton sweatshirt features a croc-embossed leather panel along the front for a added exoticism, and side zippers along the sides of the bodice that act as gussets, adapting to your shape for a slim-fitting look.
H&M Melange Sweatshirt, $29.95. Available at H&M stores and HM.com
Though it resembles a traditional heather gray sweatshirt with ribbed cuffs and a ribbed hemline, the front of this H&M number boasts a stretch jacquard knit print for a bit of a Victorian flavor.
J.Crew Crystal Embellished Sweatshirt, $100. Available at Net-a-Porter.com
A feminine and dainty take on the sporty sweatshirt, this mint-colored, cotton-blend terry piece features jade crystals rimming the neckline and creating a statement collar effect.
Topshop Quilted Leather Look Sweatshirt, $80. Available at US.Topshop.com
There’s a hip-hop charm to this faux leather Topshop sweatshirt, featuring all-over diamond quilting, cinched cuffs and an elasticized waist band.
Givenchy Doberman Sweatshirt, $1375. Available at KirnZibete.com
It’s a dog-eat-dog world. Tap into your inner canine with this crew-neck sweatshirt, featuring a watercolor rendition of a Doberman dog.
