Collection: Vintage American College Sweatshirts

Vintage American College Sweatshirts imported from the thrift bins of America to your doorstep in Australia

What Style Are College Sweatshirts?

Mostly found in CollegeCore, PreppyCore and ComfortCore, college sweatshirts have become a staple piece in wardrobes not only in America but across the world. Embracing themes of the midwest fraternity lifestyle and the notoriety of the collegiate sporting world, college sweatshirts are an understated statement piece. Generally featuring heavy branding and logos yet disappearing seamlessly into an outfit, college sweatshirts can be integrated into most modern outfits.

The two main reasons people love to integrate university hoodies into their wardrobe seem to be the nostalgic effect they conjure or the affiliation with the widely revered athletic programs these universities often boast. The nostalgic effect stemming from an idolised midwestern fantasy spawned by movies such as Grease, Project X, Superbad and more. The idolised keg-centric party culture is a vibe Australians have been attempting to import for years. Whereas on the other hand the sporting aesthetic creates an almost opposite image that truly embodies the unisex versatility of this clothing item. Australian fanatics of basketball, American football (Gridiron) and ice hockey love to sport college sweatshirts to show their affiliation with their NCAA sports teams.

Where Do We Source Our American Hoodies?

We take full responsibility for our supply chain and thus we source exclusively from American wholesalers. Generally our suppliers find the hoodies in 100% American charity bins. This model does mean we cannot ensure the authenticity of any item as we (or anyone really) are not experts in authenticating collegiate sportswear. However, we strive to be as transparent as we can be, we provide information about the college, the manufacturer/brand that produced it and measurements of every piece. We understand this sets us behind some competitors who source fresh college hoodies, but we think it’s a worthy sacrifice in the pursuit of sustainable fashion. American charity bins offer three utilities as an ethical supply chain:

1. They support sustainable fashion. By sourcing second hand clothing we’re preventing new clothing from being manufactured and we’re preventing existing clothing from reaching landfill.
2. They support local charities. When our suppliers source from thrift bins, they often contribute to the charities the clothing has been donated to, it really is a win-win.
3. Our supply chain provides fair wages. All our clothing is selected and curated by American workers, meaning all our staff are being compensated without exploitation.

Just because the accountability for choosing quality hoodies is on the buyer when it comes to online thrift, doesn’t mean we’re not here to help. If you’re looking to buy quality garments we recommend searching our collection for: Champion, Lee, Galt Crew and NU Sportswear. Whereas we would be weary of our Gildan line, which can traditionally be lower quality.

Our Range of Hoodies and Sweatshirts

So we call them all sweatshirts for ease but we actually boast a range of sweatshirts, hoodies, jumpers, pullovers and more. We have an extensive collection of hoodies ranging from extra small to extra extra large. So you can achieve a snug fit or an oversized look. In a whole range of styles such as simple logos, championship game graphics and mascot features, there’s a whole lot of looks on our store. Additionally, we feature a whole range of universities in our collection, of course we have pieces from esteemed college sporting programs such as Duke, University of Wisconsin and GSU. But the real grails are our pieces from smaller regional community colleges such as Bristol University, Canisius College and Sacred Heart University.

The Story Behind A Vintage Piece

Here at American Thrift Online, we see vintage pieces like adopted dogs. Every piece has a story behind it, has lived another life and has it’s own character. Which is why we believe that holes and blemishes don’t decrease value but instead increase story. Unlike the awful trend of ripped jeans, that became so exaggerated that manufacturers would pre tear the holes. We see the hole in a vintage sweatshirt as a piece of personal history, something that makes the item unique, without explanation. Whether the hoodie got torn while storming the field of an incredible sporting win, or ripped while jumping a fence to evacuate a party, we firmly believe this is what makes vintage fashion such a statement of personal identity.

Styling Tips and Outfit Ideas For College Sweatshirts and Hoodies

If you’re not following our Pinterest, you might not have an idea how these pieces fit into your wardrobe. Which is why we recommend styling in the following way:

• The jumper under jacket look: Combining two contrasting colours with your outerwear is a huge fashion trend in 2023. Consider a green or grey jumper with a white jacket for a classic minimalist look. A white jumper under a black jacket also creates a striking effect or a shades effect with beige and browns or black and grey.
• The white high neck under look: Consider either a high crew neck white tee or a white turtleneck underneath your hoodie to create a subtle but smokin look with darker hoodies. Bonus points if you combine this with a necklace, gold and silvers will look amazing with this look.
• Tennis skirt + college sweatshirt look: If you really want to embrace your preppy collegecore side, then you should really consider this look. A white tennis skirt with a blue/navy college sweatshirt has such a clean and seamless look that will turn heads.

If none of our current pieces tempt your fancy, maybe consider signing up for our email list, to be one of the first to see what comes in on our next order.