In the past, I have had nothing but praise for the products of American Giant. From their limited edition San Francisco Giants Baseball Tee to their outstanding sweatpants and tee-shirts, each new product plots a mark along the stratospheric trajectory of this fledgling sportswear company. With that in mind, it was difficult to be anything but extra critical when it came time to check out their latest offering: The Midweight Sweatshirt.
Fashioned from 100% American cotton yarn, this densely woven French terry cloth full zip hooded sweatshirt is just like every other hoodie on the market today except for the fact that it is about a million times better. What makes it better? Glad you asked. Firstly, it is made in America from American materials. That alone sets it apart from just about everything else on the shelf at your local clothing store. Secondly, instead of cotton fleece which tends to pill and can leave everything it comes into contact with covered lint, this sweatshirt is made with French terry which does not pill or cover everything with lint. This is an important distinction because the less lint a fabric leaves behind, the longer that fabric will last.
In addition to these two main features, which alone would make this sweatshirt better than most, American Giant spared no expense in kitting this thing out. This somewhat trim-fit sweatshirt has stretchy side panels and raglan sleeves to accommodate your every move. Every seam is joined with double needle stitching, and the kanga pockets are reinforced with bartacks at the stress points to make sure this shirt never comes apart. Add to that a color matched zipper, double-lined hood, and wide, ribbed cuffs and you have a sweatshirt that is as comfortable as it is durable, and it is really comfortable.
If you want to sign up to get one of these for yourself (yes, they are almost entirely out of stock), you can do so by clicking through to the American Giant website. You’ll be glad you did and, believe me, it’s worth the wait.
**Full disclosure: This sweatshirt was provided at no cost for the purpose of testing/reviewing. To think otherwise would be silly.
