Product DevelopmentAugust 22, 2026Updated September 9, 202611 min read

Parts of a Hoodie: What Each Component Is Called

Most problems with a first hoodie order trace back to vocabulary. A buyer knows exactly what they want, describes it in ordinary language, and receives something technically correct and completely wrong. This is the vocabulary — every component on a hoodie, what it is called, what it does, and what you need to state about it.

By Raj Rahman, Founder & Managing Director

Close-up of a raglan seam on loopback terry

Every part of a hoodie, at a glance

Each component is explained in full below. If you came here to put a name to one part, it is on the diagram or in the table.

Scroll horizontally to see the full diagram

Every part of a pullover hoodie, named. The left sleeve shows a set-in shoulder seam; the dashed orange line on the right is where a raglan seam would run instead.

Scroll horizontally to see all columns

Parts of a hoodie: names, alternative names, and what each part does
Part	Also called	What it does
Hood	Two-panel or three-panel hood	Covers the head; the panel count decides how it sits when down
Drawcord	Drawstring, hood cord	Tightens the hood opening — flat or round, tipped or knotted
Eyelets	Grommets	The reinforced holes the drawcord passes through
Kangaroo pocket	Front pouch, muff pocket	The single pocket across the front, open at both sides
Rib cuffs	Sleeve cuffs	Grip the wrist so the sleeve does not ride up
Hem rib	Waistband, bottom band	The band at the bottom of the body that holds the hem to shape
Shoulder seam	Raglan or set-in sleeve	How the sleeve joins the body, and what the shoulder line looks like
Body fabric	Loopback terry, brushed fleece	The main fabric; its GSM sets the weight, drape and warmth

The styles: how hooded clothing varies

Before the components, the silhouette. Hooded clothing covers a wide range of styles and the style decides which parts are present at all — a sleeveless hoodie has no cuffs to specify, and a zip up hoodie cannot carry a kangaroo pocket. Naming the style first removes half the confusion in a first brief.

It also helps to place the garment in a range. A hoodie is the long sleeved layer that sits between t-shirts and a sweater: warmer and more structured than a tee, softer and less formal than knitwear, and worn over both.

Two labels cut across all of them and describe decoration or purpose rather than construction. Graphic hoodies are defined by what is printed on them, which makes them a fashion decision rather than a construction one, so a graphic hoodie can be a pullover, a zip up or a crop. Athletic hoodies, performance hoodies and tech hoodies describe intent: lighter fabrics, moisture wicking finishes and a cut made for movement rather than for casual streetwear.

Pullover hooded sweatshirt

The default: a hooded sweatshirt with no front opening, a kangaroo pocket, ribbed cuffs and a ribbed hem. It is the warmest of the styles because no zipper breaks the front panel, and the cheapest to make for the same reason.

Zip up hoodie

A full length zipper from hem to collar. That one change cascades: the pouch becomes two separate lower pockets, the hood needs a finished front edge on both sides, and the hem rib is cut in two pieces. Zip up hoodies are the more versatile garment because they work as an outer or an inner layer and open as the day warms.

Half zip hoodies

Half zip hoodies stop the zipper around the sternum, so the unbroken lower front survives and the pouch pocket with it. Specify the zip length in centimetres from the collar seam — half zip means anything from 15 cm to 30 cm depending on who is reading it.

Cropped hoodie

A cropped hoodie shortens the body so the hem sits at or above the natural waist. Cropped hoodies are a pattern change, not a shortened side seam: the pocket moves up with the hem or it lands on the ribbing.

Sleeveless hoodie

The sleeves come off and the armhole is finished with a binding or a rib. A sleeveless hoodie wears closer to tank tops than to a sweatshirt, and it is a gym and layering piece rather than winter wear. State the armhole depth, because no sleeve is there to disguise a bad one.

Hooded tunic

A hooded tunic runs the body longer, typically to mid thigh, and often drops the ribbed hem for a straight or curved sweep. It reads as a layering piece worn over leggings or jeans rather than as a sweatshirt, and fabric choice matters more because the extra length shows drape.

Rib cuffs and waistband — what they are and why they fail

The cuff is the band at the end of each sleeve; the waistband — sometimes called the hem rib — is the band at the bottom of the body. Both are made from ribbed knit fabric, which is a different fabric from the body fleece: knitted with alternating raised and recessed columns so it stretches across its width and recovers.

Their job is to grip. The cuff stops the sleeve riding up and keeps warmth in; the waistband holds the hem against the body so the hoodie keeps its shape rather than hanging like a sack. Rib is described as 1x1 or 2x2 — the number of knit and purl columns alternating — with 2x2 giving a deeper, more pronounced texture and generally more recovery.

Rib fails in one specific way, and it is the most common complaint about a cheap hoodie: after a few wears and washes the cuffs go slack and stop gripping. That is almost always missing elastane. Rib with a small percentage of elastane recovers its shape; rib with none relaxes permanently. It is a line on a spec sheet and it is the difference between a garment that lasts a season and one that lasts years.

Cuff and hem depth

Both bands are specified as a finished depth in centimetres — commonly 5 to 7 cm on a cuff and 5 to 8 cm on the hem — plus the rib gauge and the elastane percentage. A deep band reads heavier and more athletic; a shallow one reads cleaner. Neither is a default, so state the number.

Ribbed hem, straight hem, and when to drop the rib

Not every hoodie has a ribbed hem. A hooded tunic and many cropped hoodies finish with a plain turned-and-stitched hem instead, because a gripping band at that length pulls the silhouette in where it is meant to hang. Say which you want, because a factory with no instruction will fit the rib.

The kangaroo pocket, and the alternatives

A kangaroo pocket — also called a muff or pouch pocket — is the single large pocket across the front of a pullover hoodie, open at both sides, forming a continuous pouch you can put both hands into. It is the default on pullover hoodies and the reason the silhouette reads as a hoodie at a glance.

Three things are worth specifying about it. Its dimensions and its distance from the hem, because a pocket set too low looks wrong and cannot be fixed after cutting. Whether the openings are reinforced with a bar tack, which is a small dense stitch at each stress point — without them the pocket corners tear first. And whether it is a true pouch or a split pocket, which looks similar from the front but has a seam down the centre.

The alternatives: split-seam pockets sit in the side seams and disappear visually, which suits a minimal design. A zip hoodie normally takes two separate lower-front pockets instead, because a continuous pouch cannot cross the zip.

Zippered pockets and side-seam pockets

Zippered pockets are the usual answer on performance and tech hoodies, where the wearer is moving and does not want a phone leaving the garment. Each one costs more than an open pocket because it needs a zip, a facing and a bar tack at both ends of the tape. Specify the zip length, the tape colour and whether the pull is exposed or hidden.

Depth, angle and keeping hands warm

A pouch that is too shallow does not keep hands warm, and one whose openings are cut too vertically spills whatever is inside when the wearer sits down. Give the pocket a finished width, a depth and a distance from the hem, and the opening angle if it is anything other than square to the side seam.

Two-panel and three-panel hoods

A two-panel hood is made from two mirrored pieces joined by a single seam running over the crown. It sits flatter against the head and against the back when down, and it is the more common and slightly cheaper construction.

A three-panel hood adds a centre gusset between the two side panels. It gives the hood more volume, a rounder shape on the head, and a more structured stand when worn up. On heavyweight fleece it is usually worth the small extra cost, because a two-panel hood in a 450 GSM fabric can collapse awkwardly.

Also specify whether the hood is single-layer, self-lined — lined in the same fleece, which is warmer and much more substantial — or lined in a contrast fabric such as jersey. And say where the drawcord eyelets sit, and whether they are metal or stitched.

The drawcord, eyelets and cord ends

The drawcord is specified by width, cross-section (flat or round), fibre and finish at the ends — a metal tip, a knot, or a heat seal. On many hoodies it is there for aesthetic purposes as much as adjustment. On childrenswear the drawcord is frequently removed entirely for safety reasons, and that is a decision to make before the pattern is cut rather than at inspection.

Detachable hoods

Detachable hoods attach with a zip, a button placket or snaps at the neckline, turning one garment into two. They add cost and a visible hardware line at the collar, and they are far more common on outerwear than on a hooded sweatshirt — but they are worth asking about where the same body has to serve both cooler weather and a warm spell.

Raglan vs set-in sleeves

A set-in sleeve joins the body at a seam that runs around the armhole, roughly where your arm meets your shoulder. It is the standard construction, it gives a defined shoulder line, and it is what most hoodies use.

A raglan sleeve runs in one piece from the underarm diagonally up to the neckline, so there is no shoulder seam — the seam runs from armpit to collar instead. It gives more freedom of movement, a softer and more athletic look, and it is the classic construction on vintage sweatshirts. It also creates two large diagonal panels that are excellent for colour-blocking and awkward for large chest prints, because the print has to cross a seam.

Neither is better. Set-in reads more structured and more premium; raglan reads sportier and more relaxed. Choose deliberately and state it, because a factory given no instruction will build to whatever its standard block is.

Once you can name the parts, briefing a factory gets much easier — here is how a run works with us, on hoodie manufacturing from 50 pieces.

Common materials, and what each one does

The parts are the same on every hoodie. What the garment feels like, and which weather it belongs in, is decided by the fabric they are cut from — and the difference is the inside face of the knit rather than the fibre content.

French terry

Knitted with uncut loops on the inside face: lighter, smoother and more breathable than fleece, and typically 240 to 380 GSM. French terry drapes rather than stands, which makes it right for everyday wear and cooler days rather than for genuine cold weather.

Brushed fleece

The same loopback structure, brushed until the loops break open into a soft nap that traps air. That nap is where the extra warmth comes from, at the same fabric weight. This is winter wear fabric — 320 to 500 GSM, with the body to hold a relaxed fit or an oversized shape without collapsing.

Cotton, polyester and blends

Fibre content is the second axis. Cotton breathes and takes print cleanly but is heavy when wet; polyester is stronger, holds colour and shape, and is what makes a moisture wicking finish possible. Most hoodies are a blend, and an 80/20 cotton-polyester fleece is the workhorse — while athletic hoodies push the polyester share up for training and outdoor activities, where drying speed beats hand feel on a long day of outdoor adventures.

How the parts add up to a fit

Fit is not a separate specification from the components; it is what happens when you set their dimensions. A relaxed fit is a wider body with a dropped shoulder and a shorter sleeve to compensate. A hooded tunic is the same garment with the length run out to mid thigh. There is no fit field on a tech pack — there are measurements, and the fit is the result.

Layering is the other half. Worn as an inner layer under a jacket, a hoodie needs a trimmer body and a hood flat enough to sit under a collar; worn as the outer piece it can carry a deeper hood, a heavier fleece and an extra layer of ease. That is how to choose hoodies based on more than a photograph: the style name gives the silhouette, the fabric weight gives the season, the measurements give the fit. The right hoodie is the one where all three agree.

The details that separate good from cheap

Everything above is visible in a photograph. These are the things that are not, and they are where cost is quietly removed from a garment.

Shoulder taping — a narrow strip stabilising the shoulder seams so they do not stretch out. Cheap hoodies omit it and the shoulders go wavy.
Bar tacks at the pocket openings and the base of the placket, which are the highest-stress points on the garment.
Flatlock or covered seams inside, rather than a raw overlock that abrades against skin.
A herringbone or twill tape at the back neck, covering the seam and stopping it stretching.
Thread quality and stitch density — the least visible saving a factory can make, and the one that shows up as seams failing after a season.

Naming the parts when you brief a factory

Everything above exists to make one document possible. A factory does not need your reference images interpreted — it needs each component named and given a number. Work down the garment in the order the parts appear and you will not leave a gap.

Style and closure: pullover, zip up, half zip, cropped or sleeveless — and for a zip, the length, tape colour and puller finish
Hood: panel count, lining, whether detachable hoods are wanted, eyelet type and drawcord width
Body: chest width, length from the high point of the shoulder, and the hem rib depth
Sleeve: raglan or set-in, length, and the cuff rib depth and stretch
Pocket: kangaroo, split-seam or zippered pockets, positioned from the hem
Fabric: French terry or brushed fleece, GSM, fibre blend, and the elastane percentage in the rib