First Class Merino Hoodie | Men

First, let me table-set: I have owned this hoodie (in olive, a great color) for about a year now, and it is superlative in almost every respect. The fabric is supple and yielding; the fit is close but not tight (I'm 6' 1" and 170lbs and wear size 4); the sleeve cuffs are elongated with thumb holes and actually have enough length for my arms; the zippers are metal, but lightweight and durable; the merino makes it breathable and resistant to odor. It is absolutely my favorite outer garment and I feel a subtle delight every time I put it on and zip it up.

There is really only one drawback in my opinion, but it's a doozy: the hood. This is a hood that could only have been designed in LA, the land of perpetually agreeable climate. Take this hoodie anywhere a sudden gust might chill you, and you'll wish you had something functional to cover your ears, as it is way too baggy to help out. You'll likely throw the hood over your head, then continually be adjusting it to keep it from falling over your eyes while walking or falling backwards off of your head. I lived in San Francisco for decades, and the importance of a reliable hood cannot be overstated. Additionally, this hoodie already has a much better solution for travel snoozing: a pocket to keep an eye mask in. The hood falls short both in what it's marketed for (restricting light) and what you naturally expect from it (keeping your head warm). I've tacked the hood tighter with a sewing machine to reduce this problem, but that's…