Men's Sweatwear

How to choose a hoodie that lasts

Hoodies are bought on look and kept on comfort. Three things predict which ones survive.

• Check the weight. Heavier fleece (around 300gsm and up) holds its shape and warmth; thin jersey hoodies stretch out at the hem and cuffs within months.
• Ribbed cuffs and hem should spring back when stretched. Once they've gone slack the hoodie looks tired whatever else survives.
• Zip quality decides the lifespan of a zip-up. A metal zip with a solid pull outlasts moulded plastic, and a broken zip usually ends the garment.
• Look for a lined hood. Double-layer hoods hold their shape rather than collapsing flat after a few washes.

Zip-up or pullover

Zip-ups work as a layer: on and off without disturbing what's underneath, and adjustable as you warm up. The practical choice for a British day that changes.

Pullovers are warmer, with no zip letting air through the front, and they hold their shape longer because there's less hardware to fail. Better if it's the only thing you're wearing on top.

How to choose a tracksuit set

• Size for the larger half. If you're bigger on the bottom, take the size that fits the joggers, a roomy hoodie works, tight joggers don't.
• Check the leg finish. Cuffed joggers are forgiving on length and read as deliberate; straight open hems need to be the right length or they drag.
• Look for a drawstring inside an elasticated waist, not elastic alone. It lets you adjust as the elastic softens, which is what fails first.
• Pockets in both halves. Joggers without pockets are considerably less useful than they look.

How to stop fleece going flat and bobbly

Pilling is the main reason loungewear starts looking tired, and it's caused almost entirely by friction in the wash rather than by wear.

• Wash inside out, which puts the abrasion on the lining rather than the outer face
• Wash with similar fabrics only. Washing fleece with towels, denim or anything with zips is the main cause of pilling
• Cold wash, gentle cycle, lower spin
• Never use fabric conditioner. It coats the fleece pile and flattens it permanently, the most common mistake with sweatwear
• Line dry or tumble low. High heat is what turns soft fleece scratchy and shrinks cotton hoodies out of size
• A fabric shaver takes five minutes and restores a hoodie that looks past it

How to wear it without looking like you've given up

• Fit matters more than price. An oversized hoodie that's meant to be oversized reads differently from one that's simply too big
• Plain over printed for the piece you'll wear most, prints date and read more casually
• Tapered joggers with trainers read as sportswear; straight-legged joggers with slippers read as pyjamas
• Keep one set strictly for indoors. It stays clean and comfortable, and the others take the outdoor wear