I bought a hoodie from American Eagle for like $40 way back around 2014. I bought it because I was poor and needed something warm to layer up with a fall jacket to wear in the winter. It ended up being the best clothing purchase I've ever made.
This hoodie was pile lined throughout both the body and the arms, and it was very thick and warm and cozy. It was perfect to wear in fall and spring on its own, and layered up for winter. 9 months out of the year I wore it, but over the last decade it wore down, slowly but surely. Here it is in all it's glory today.
I loved this hoodie.
So, I started to look for a replacement. Of course American Eagle's quality had long since tanked and they no longer carried anything resembling this beautiful, perfect hoodie. I bought the fleece lined LL Bean hoodie, which was high quality and warm. However, the arms were lined with thinsulate, not fleece, so wearing a T-shirt (which is my daily standard) was chilly in the arm. So, I kept wearing my old hoodie when the weather got cold.
I loved this hoodie.
By last year, the elastic cuffs and waistband ribbing had totally given out. They had no spring left in them and looked floppy and sad. So, I bought material, brought it to a tailor and spent more than the original cost of the hoodie to have them replaced. The tailor frankly did not do the best job but it was passable, I told myself, because...
I loved this hoodie.
But now the zipper has snapped off, and I struggle to rationalize sinking more money into this old dog. I can't ship-of-theseus this hoodie anymore; it deserves to rest, finally.
And so I have renewed my search for a fleece/pile/flannel lined hoodie. But I can't find anything that is lined throughout the body AND the sleeves. And I need soft warm lined sleeves.
I have looked seemingly everywhere:
Uniqlo
LL Bean
Carhartt
Legendary Whitetails
Lands End
Dickies
Eddie Bauer
REI
Patagonia
Costco (has lined sleeves but is a downright horrible fit)
all the department stores
Please, can someone help me find a replacement?
I loved this hoodie.
Edit: best options found so far:
Picture Organic Clothing BASEMENT PLUSH ZIP HOODIE -- not quite as versatile a look as I hoped for, but I may have to just go for it
Camber 445 Industrial Double Thick Hooded Jacket -- it is not fleece/pile/flannel lined, though it is double layered
LL Bean Men's Fleece-Lined Flannel Shirt, Hooded Snap Front, Slightly Fitted -- I don't love buttons instead of a zipper, but I might have to settle
Verdict
Picture Organic Clothing BASEMENT PLUSH ZIP HOODIE
Pros
I ended up getting a large, which looked huge out of the box but shrunk to fit well after washing cool and drying on low. It is comfortable and exceptionally warm for a hoodie. The outer shell material is mostly cotton and feels robust, while the inner lining is plush, soft, and cozy.
Cons
My only objective complaint is about the zipper: it's not flimsy per se, but it is plastic and seems likely to be the first point of failure. (Take this worry with a grain of salt, as it's coming from a guy who's held onto his hoodie for 10 years.)
Also, the zipper is on the left rather than the right, which I personally find annoying. But I concede that might just be a pet peeve of mine.