The sweatshirt
Released in January 2019
Released in January 2022
- New Collar Style
- Thicker elastic at the sleeves and hips
Coming in June 2023
- Switch to GOTS-certified organic cotton
- Switch to “open-end” yarn for a more “vintage” feel on the outside and a very soft feel on the inside
- Scraped interior for added softness and warmth
- Redesigned collar: less open, more durable, and fits better around the neck
- New ribbed fabrics that lose less of their shape, thanks to the incorporation of spandex yarn in the “jersey” weave
- A slightly less fitted cut for a more modern look
This sweatshirt is made of 100% organic cotton (with 2% spandex in the ribbing). We use organic cotton because so-called “conventional” cotton is a disaster for insects, birds, and farmers. Read more in this article.
A typical sweatshirt fabric that's slightly denser than average.
This sweatshirt is made in Portugal at the Eigui factory, with which we have been working since 2022.
Worn, tested, and approved by thousands of customers, this sweatshirt is the result of several years of continuous improvement. We’ve refined it over time to achieve a balance between quality, ethics, and price that we now consider optimal. For example, to improve color fastness during washing, we could add polyester to the fabric, but it would be less comfortable to wear and would retain odors more easily.
Techniques That Ensure Quality
Dense material
One of the main problems with sweatshirts is that they lose their shape over time. One solution could have been to add polyester, but we chose not to do so because there was another option: selecting a 100% cotton fabric that was dense enough to minimize stretching (410 g/m² vs. an average of 350).
Dense material
Spandex reinforcement
Pre-wash
Spandex reinforcement
To figure out how to knit our ribbed edges without them stretching out, we spent nearly €1,000 on lab tests. And bingo—we found the solution: we had to knit the spandex “in stockinette stitch”—check out the diagram at this link if you’re interested in the technique. It might not seem like much, but it reduces stretching by two-thirds (to be precise, the residual elongation after 1 minute is 11.2% vs. 32.3% for a traditional spandex yarn blend). In short, the ribbing at the waistband and cuffs will retain their shape over time.
Dense material
Spandex reinforcement
Pre-wash
Pre-wash
This garment has been pre-washed and stabilized at the factory. As a result, it retains its size when you wash it in the washing machine.
Dense material
Spandex reinforcement
Pre-wash
Tough on the outside, soft on the inside
A sturdy 100% organic cotton sweatshirt, dense enough to hold its shape, with reinforced sleeves to prevent them from stretching out over time. The inside is brushed—which means “super soft”—to keep you warm. And when it comes to style, there’s no risk: the collar sits neatly, the slightly straight cut flatters your shoulders, and it’s super easy to pair—with your everyday jeans and even with your “wedding pants” (yes, we know you have a pair).
In detail
Ribbed edges
Reinforced at the sleeves, hem, and neck.
Scraped interior
The inside is brushed—making it fluffy—to retain heat and provide softness.
"Open-end" yarn
They give the fabric a rough texture on the outside… and a soft feel on the inside.
How to Wear It
A few ideas if you're stuck
Composition
100% cotton
Origin and Certifications
- Spinning, knitting, and garment manufacturing: Portugal
- Cotton: Ongoing Research
...manufacture in Portugal instead of France?** **Of course, manufacturing in Portugal allows us to sell at lower prices. But it’s also easier to produce high-quality items there: in the 1980s, when France outsourced its manufacturing, Portugal strengthened its own. That said, other companies besides ours manage to make very good sweatshirts that are 100% made in France, like ECCLO.
How This Product Will Age
How do we know this? We ask our customers for their feedback on the product one year after purchase. And if the product is less than a year old, we provide our predictions based on some unsolicited feedback and our experience with similar products.
We chose an “open-end” yarn, traditionally used in vintage clothing: over time, the fabric will become softer (especially at the edges) and the colors will fade beautifully. And thanks to this yarn, this sweatshirt will retain its shape very well.
After washing, the fabric feels a little stiff but softens with wear.
Care Instructions
First things first: this sweatshirt may feel stiff and not very soft (on the outside) when you take it out of the washing machine. Don't worry: once you wear it, it will regain its suppleness… and the softness on the inside will still be there.
It can be machine-washed at 40 degrees, but it's better to wash it at 30°C: it's just as effective, much more eco-friendly, and it will extend its lifespan.
Next, be sure to wash it inside out to prevent discoloration and any risk of pilling.
Avoid using the dryer, but if you have no choice (it happens...), select “low heat” (i.e., delicate or synthetic cycle) to prevent the spandex in the collar, sleeves, and waistband from losing its elasticity and to minimize damage to the fibers. Don’t hang it on a hanger to dry either: your damp sweatshirt is heavy and could lose its shape under the weight of the water. The best way to dry it is to lay it flat on a drying rack or a towel.
Of course, it's cotton, not Kevlar: despite our best efforts, there may be a very slight amount of shrinkage after the first wash. Don't worry—this is normal, and it will stabilize after that.
Environmental Cost
This environmental cost is calculated using the official methodology of the French environmental labeling system (to be rolled out starting October 1, 2025).
The label above shows the product’s environmental cost according to the official French environmental labeling methodology. This represents what its production “costs” nature when considering its impact on climate change, ocean acidification, its toxicity to freshwater, and so on. Currently in use in the textile sector, this label should soon appear on many everyday consumer products (food, cosmetics, furniture, etc.) to help you make more eco-friendly purchasing decisions.
The sweatshirt therefore has an environmental cost of 985 impact points*.
By comparison, a garment of equivalent weight, made of 100% polyester, manufactured in Bangladesh, and sold by a fast-fashion brand, has an environmental cost of 3,256 points*.
Why is there this difference? Here are the main reasons:
- Countries of origin: Manufacturing in Portugal or France requires less fossil fuel energy than in Bangladesh (one of the leading producers of low-cost clothing). As a result, this more local manufacturing reduces the impacts on climate change, ocean acidification, and resource depletion.
- The material: Organic cotton has a relatively low environmental impact compared to polyester, particularly because it requires few pesticides (and thus poses a low toxicity risk to freshwater) and is biodegradable (and thus causes fewer issues with microfibers or end-of-life waste).
- Sustainability: Fast-fashion retailers encourage purchasing—in particular by rapidly refreshing their collections and offering a vast number of styles—and they discourage repairs by charging rock-bottom prices. This, in turn, increases the number of garments sold per person and reduces the number of times a garment is worn. In contrast, at Loom, we’ve chosen to adopt business practices that encourage our customers to keep their clothes for as long as possible.
Even though we've done everything we can to minimize it, this product's environmental impact is not insignificant. So before you buy, make sure to get the most use out of your clothes.
*Calculations performed by Loom on August 24, 2026. Click on the links to access the simulations from the official Ecobalyse tool and get more details on the assumptions used. Please note: The number of points is not always exactly the same on Ecobalyse (whose methodology changes regularly) as on the official environmental label (based on Ecobalyse version 7.0).
Reviews of this product
The standard practice is to send review request emails a few days after the purchase. We wait a month—the minimum amount of time needed to form an informed opinion.
Customer Review Policy
When do you ask customers for reviews?
We’ll send you a review request one month after we receive your order. We believe this is the minimum amount of time needed to have worn and washed an item several times and to form a truly informed opinion. After that, all your reviews are published within a week, whether they’re positive or negative.
Do you request reviews for 100% of the products ordered by customers?
We used to do that at first, but then we realized we were starting to send way too many emails to certain customers who shop with us regularly. In short, we were spamming them a bit. Plus, it was starting to take the team way too much time to respond to reviews—since we want to reply individually and privately to almost everyone who leaves us a review. Today, we no longer ask for reviews on products that meet the following two criteria: 1/ There are enough reviews posted on the site for potential buyers to form an informed opinion about the product. 2/ We on the Loom team have read enough reviews to understand how to evolve the product into the next generation.
Just a quick thought: What proof is there that we aren't manipulating reviews by giving 5-star ratings to everything?
Honestly: nothing—we’re just giving you our word. Just like with everything else, actually: where we manufacture our products, where our wool comes from, our lab test results, and so on. The only times we might edit what you write is if your message contains spelling mistakes (and even then, quite a few slip past us) or if it’s racist, homophobic, etc. (but that’s never happened so far).
Asking for feedback after just one month isn't enough to know if the clothes are really durable, is it?
You're right—that's why we send you another email asking for a review one year after your purchase—we even ask for a photo to see how your garment has aged. We use the responses to improve our clothing and to provide information on “how this product will age” on our product pages. To avoid unnecessarily bothering our customers, we don’t ask for reviews on 100% of the products ordered: as soon as we have enough data to understand where we can improve, we stop asking for reviews after one year.