So, some of you might not know this, but I am very particular (peculiar?) about my hooded sweat shirts. I usually buy 2-3 new hoodies per year, and end up not liking most of them due to shoulder-area fit, color change, sleeve cuff, softness, waist area cinch type, or depth-of-hood. (Yeah, like I said peculiar).

There are two general types of hooded sweat shirts, flat-fronts and zip-ups.

1. Flat-Front Hoodies: These are normal sweat shirt shirts, but with an added pocket in the front and a hood (which makes it the hoodie).
2. Zip-Ups: These have the same hood, but zip up in the front. They sometimes have no pocket but most have have a split front pocket.

Well, this isn't about the criminal nature of hooded sweatshirts, or the fashion, but a zit pick about zip-up hoodies: Zippers!!

Most of the cheaper zip up hoodies come with plastic zippers. They are fine for the first couple months, but if worn in extreme cold (like while snowboarding), plastic zippers have a tendency to break teeth. Plastic zippers also have a tendency to not lye straight: they warp in the direction out of the zipper, causing ungainly bulges in the stomache region. That is the reason I prefer metal zippers.

Generally, higher quality hoodies come with metal zippers. This is because IMO most higher quality 'softgoods' are produced by companies that tend to make heavier outerwear as well, which generally come with metal zippers for the cold-breakage described above.

So I bought a very nice black zip-up Four Square hoodie last year while in New Mexico which has a nice flanel-pattern waterproof mesh lining. It had everything I look for in a hoodie: color, fit, hood shape, warmth, quality metal zipper; everything. The problem was, when I went to bust it out last spring I could not get the zipper to work!

The metal zipper was stuck; it would not connect and link up the teeth as if there was a string jammed in there or something. If anyone knows, most aficionados wear thier zip-up hoodies 3/4 zipped up, and this would just not do. I tried everything all summer long, it seemed like the zipper was bent or something and all my efforts with wrenches, knives, pliers, and assorted tools would not get it to work.

So I tried WD-40. The zipper zipped right up. It had rusted over. I did not know such a thing was possible. The same elements that the metal zipper is to protect against, are prone to cause rust as well. Good thing a little grease made it good, else I would've had to buy another hoodie this fall... as it stands I think I have at least one as we head into the winter months.

Do you people think about hoodies as much as I do? This blog is sweet.