We understand that each wardrobe is as different as the person wearing it, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t a few things that find a place in every closet. Regardless of how you view your personal style, the guidance outlined in this series should help set the bedrock for every closet. With classic design and ageless appeal, garments featured in "The Foundation" are easy to assimilate style staples that are sure to be worn on a regular basis. Advice found in this column should become tenets to dress by—no matter where you are in your style journey.

We know you get it—”streetwear” is everywhere. The combination of eye-catching graphics and the all-too-common canvases of T-shirts and hoodies has trickled down to the point where we’re all influenced by streetwear’s aesthetics when we get dressed—even if we’d never be caught dead standing in line outside Supreme. But while hyped-up hoodies and tees are rapidly becoming a dime a dozen (even with their unique graphics and logo prints), there’s something poignant in the sheer accessible simplicity of a product that—with or without a logo placed on top—sets the standard of excellence. One such item has to be the Champion Hoodie.

Found in virtually every sporting goods store across the United States—if not, around the world—Champion’s nearly anonymous sportswear blanks are icons in their own right; while many brands use the brand’s blanks to host their own designs, Champion hoodies always make their presence known, thanks to the subtle-yet-instantly-recognizable “C” logo on the right sleeve. Champion’s name isn’t just a nod to athletic excellence, it’s rapidly come to symbolize its position in the overstuffed world of sweats and hoodies.

With a century’s worth (Champion was founded as the Knickerbocker Knitting Company in 1919) of product excellence, including professional team and league sponsorships, it’s unsurprising that the brand has established itself as a household name. This ubiquity has made it a desirable partner for nostalgia-tinged collaborations too; Champion collabs span the gamut from Supreme and BAPE, to Todd Snyder and Vetements. The beauty of the Champion hoodie—as its diverse roster of collaborators proves—is how flexible it can be regardless of brand or style. Logoed-out, oversized, or clean and classic, the Champion hoodie is the quintessential hoodie. Even better? While Champion’s collaborations can come with some added cost for their added clout, the clean, unbranded OG shouldn’t put someone out more than $30 or $40.

You know the value of a great hoodie—it’s easily one of the few things that’s going to have use during any season or any day of the week. But with so many over-the-top styles and overpriced designer iterations, we recommend keeping things simple: Why wouldn’t you wear the hoodie of champions?

Scaling up your sweatshirts? Study up on Canada’s Reigning Champ here.

Interested in more Champion? Shop Grailed’s selection of Champion collabs here.

Tags: the-foundation, hoodies, bape, todd-snyder, vetements, supreme, champion