Ichigo Hoodie

An ichigo hoodie whose checkerboard anchors the whole outfit

A pink-haired girl holding a tall strawberry parfait, ICHIGO stacked vertically with LOVE beneath, a black and white checkerboard filling the right side of the panel. The ichigo hoodie carries the one pattern that lets everything else in a coord be soft.

That rule explains a lot of Harajuku dressing. A coord built entirely from pastels gives the eye nothing to fix on and reads as a blur. Introduce one area of hard high contrast — a checkered bag, a striped sock, a black and white panel — and every soft colour around it becomes legible. Decora has used checkerboard for this job since the eighties and has never needed to replace it.

On a hoodie the effect is stronger than on a tee, simply because the panel is larger and sits at a height where it is seen. If your coord leans heavily pastel, this is the garment that will hold it together. If your outfit is already high contrast, choose a quieter piece from the run instead.

It comes in black only, which suits the artwork: black lets the checkerboard run off the edge of the printed panel and into the garment itself, so the pattern appears to continue rather than stop at a border.

Sewn in brushed fleece at 300 to 380 gsm, with a lined hood, ribbed cuffs and hem and a kangaroo pocket. Hard black and white edges are the first place a distorted garment shows, so wash cold and skip the dryer — heat is what pulls a knit permanently out of true.

Take your usual size for the intended oversized drop, or size down for a closer fit. Checkered socks if you want to answer the graphic, plain ones if you would rather let it lead — and a chunky sole either way, since a pastel coord needs weight at the feet to stop it floating.

• Type: Oversized graphic hoodie
• Material: Brushed fleece, 300–380 gsm
• Print: Back print — girl with strawberry parfait and checkerboard, 'ICHIGO LOVE'
• Fit: Oversized, drop shoulder, lined hood, kangaroo pocket
• Sizing: True to size for an oversized look — size down for a closer fit
• Colours: Black
• Wear it with: Checkered socks, a chunky sole