Hoodies are comforting but they are selling at crazy prices, but that has not stopped teenagers from purchasing them.

Some of our generation’s top brands sell hoodies that are raved on for their comfort, warmth, and hoodie-ness (referring to the shape). These hoodies from brands like Alo, Lululemon, Parke, and Abercrombie are cute and cozy, but are they worth the price tag that comes along with them?

A hoodie in 2010 cost an average amount of $20, according to Apparel Price Calculator, but now the most popular brands are selling these hoodies for around eight times that price. The sweatshirt epidemic has hit almost every teen in the U.S. Personally, I own twenty-three hoodies, all ranging in price, color, and brand. I have many that are low lost being in between the price of $40-$50 but on the higher end I have multiple which cost significantly more that around $120. It seems strange that comfortable, everyday clothes like hoodies should cost more than $150.

Audrey Capshaw, a junior from Southampton, Mass, was wearing an Alo “Accolade” hoodie on Oct. 9 and was not aware of how expensive it was until I told her the price.

“This is my mom’s sweatshirt, and I didn’t know she paid so much for it,” she said.

Audrey Capshaw usually gets her hoodies from cheaper places and even thinks the quality is better.

“I get most of my hoodies from Hollister and it’s better than this one (Alo),” she said. “The Hollister one is usually around $50.”

Audrey thinks she gets more complements on the Alo one because of the brand and its recognition.

“More people have complemented me on this one, only because of the brand,” she said.

Alo, a brand based out of Los Angeles has goals of having comfort, versatility, and style in their products. According to their website, their most popular product is the “Accolade hoodie” which goes for a high price of $148. Most people who have bought these hoodies have been happy with the product, mostly highlighting features of the oversized fit, big hood, and the variety of unisex sizes. Although some reviews on their website criticize the non- heavy weight aspect of the hoodie and the thinness of the fabric, most people seem happy with their purchases.

Kristi Stefanoni, the head varsity softball coach, known as the queen of Lululemon, loves the hoods and comfortable fit of the Scuba Sweatshirt.

“I think the sleeves can be kind of long but overall, they are pretty comfortable, plus I love the hoods because they are so big,” she said.

Kristi Stefanoni says that the quality of the Lululemon sweatshirts is good as long as you take care of them.

“Some of the scubas can take a while to dry because I don’t put them in the dryer,” she said. To take care of them and keep the quality good you have to hang them, but the hoods do take a while sometimes to dry.”

Kristi Stefanoni agrees that you are paying for the name of the Lululemon sweatshirt, just as a bunch of other brands she listed.

“You are paying for the brand, lets be real” she said. “Just like any other high-end brand you pay for the name, not just in clothing. In makeup, you pay more for Charlotte Tilbury, just because it has that high name.”

Stefanoni thinks that brands charging higher prices helps the brands become better in quality.

“Lulu does the thing when they upcharge a bit because you are paying for the brand, but at the same time you’re getting a good quality sweatshirt,” she said. “But the more they charge you, the more money they can put into the quality of the sweatshirt.”

Lululemon, a brand based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, is known for their comfortable, yoga and lounge clothes. Based on the Lululemon App, one of their most popular items, the Lululemon Scuba Half-Zip Hoodie goes for $138. Many people buying the hoodies are happy with their purchase with 4.6 stars. Most reviews highlight the “gorgeous color options,” the “flattering fit,” or the “fit of the large hood”. Although most reviews are positive, some reveal anger with the “cheap material they are paying high prices for” and it “not worthy of the price.” Most of the lower-scale reviews say they asked for a refund.

Mia Shaw, a sophomore, owns the Parke “Mockneck” hoodie, and was not satisfied when she got her package in the mail, but still decided to keep it.

“When it came, I felt the quality of the inside of the hoodie, and I just expected it to be softer,” she said. “Even though the quality isn’t great I thought it was cute, so I kept it anyways.”

Mia saw the hoodie on TikTok over the summer was easily influenced to purchase.

“In July, I saw it on TikTok, and it was the owner of the brand wearing the light gray color and I was like ‘that is cute,’ so I got it,” she said.

Mia partly regrets her decision to pay so much for a low-quality hoodie.

“I just thought that since I heard such good things about it that the inside of it would be softer and that the material would be better quality,” she said.

Parke is a newer brand based out of New York City. It is a newer brand founded in 2022, by Chelsea Parke Kramer. The brand recently has become popular on TikTok for their crewneck style hoodies called “Parke Mockneck”. According to the official Parke website, The Parke “Mockneck” hoodie goes for $135- $160. The brand uses limited edition hoodies and small batch releases to keep people waiting for them to restock, causing large amounts of excitement and feelings of exclusiveness if they do get it.

Although most people are happy with their purchase, some people think the price of around $150 is steep for a sweatshirt. One review left on their website says, “Cute, yes. Worth $160? That’s up for debate.” Some other people are annoyed that when they wait months for the hoodies to finally restock, they either end up sold out again or waiting a long chunk of time to actually have it delivered because it’s not a mass-produced brand.

Based on the Williston Campus store website, the Williston Campus store sells their custom printed Williston Nike “Club Fleece” hoodie for $70, which is the most expensive option but still one of the most popular. Their cheapest Williston hoodie, which is the “Soft style pink hoodie” is $35. These hoodies are relatively cheap compared to many other hoodies that teenagers at Williston are buying.