The Best Women’s Crewneck Sweatshirts, According to People Whose Taste We Trust

Like many Hanes sweatshirt owners, author and senior editor at The Guardian U.S. Lauren Mechling acquired hers by happenstance. Mechling’s is a bright-orange color, a choice inspired by a pricey Rachel Comey Fond sweatshirt in orange (more on that later), which she couldn’t justify paying upward of $200 for. But the traffic-cone orange it came in captivated her, and she purchased the pleasantly affordable Hanes staple as a substitute. “I can’t say it is an heirloom piece that I’m going to give to my granddaughter,” she says, but it’s bright enough to help her stand out when she’s running and mighty comfortable. If you’re looking for a cozy layer that prioritizes affordability over cut (this one is decidedly straight), you’ll be satisfied with the Hanes.

Strategist senior editor Jen Trolio “basically lives in crewneck sweatshirts” and has amassed quite a collection as a result. (She’s staunchly anti-hoodie because of her long hair that she usually wears down.) For times when she’s craving something a bit more roomy, warm, and comfortable, Trolio turns to her Gap crewnecks, which she owns in “the most basic basics,” black and gray. Like a blank sweatshirt at a craft store, “there are a lot of options, but this one comes in better colors and is higher-quality — or maybe I actually mean softer and less stiff — than a Gildan,” she says. And if you’re a fan of a matching set, she recommends looking at the matching sweats, which come in the same wildly large expanse of colors.

Like many a favorite sweatshirt, this one joined artist and writer Jo Rosenthal’s collection when she was cold, out and about, and in need of an extra layer. It features a green horse that’s “beautifully screen-printed on” and allows her to easily dress it up and down since it pairs nicely with jeans, jackets, and more. After years of wear, the crewneck is still in “perfect condition.” (Though Rosenthal says she doesn’t mind a stray stain.) “Whether I’m painting or whether I’m working, I always get various stains on my crewnecks or sweatshirts, and I like that,” she says. “So even if it has a little stain on it, I feel like it’s just more of my personality.”

When it comes to crewneck sweatshirts, devotees are often opinionated about the V-stitch, the triangular stitch colloquially known as the Dorito that sits at the center of the neckline. It’s meant to preserve the sweatshirt’s shape, and the clean, subtle stitching of this crewneck’s Dorito along with the sweatshirt’s “vintage athletic fit” is what draws Pantin to it. For Strategist senior editor Hilary Reid, though, it’s the sweatshirt’s versatility. It’s the “kind of sweatshirt that you could throw on to go to a workout class or feel good wearing with jeans and loafers for a day of running errands,” she says. After four years of owning the sweatshirt, Reid reports, “The fleece lining inside has washed down to a pleasingly soft feel, and the outside of the sweatshirt has remained pretty much intact since when I first got it.” If you’re willing to branch out to some less basic colors, like burnt orange and deep ocean blue, you can get the sweatshirt at a pretty nice markdown. The basic colors, though, are full-price.

Given the supremacy of the Superpuff, it’s no surprise that Aritzia’s crewnecks have attracted quite a fan club. Its members include marketing professional Sydney Claps and stylist Grace Thomas, who both laud the sweatshirt for its quality for the price. “I think their stuff really holds its value over time for the price point,” Thomas says, adding that it fares especially well for folks in colder climates because “it’s one you can easily pair underneath things and be very warm throughout the winter months.” Like the Gap crewneck, the Aritzia crew comes in a variety of colors, but Claps says the Heather Chrome is her favorite because it can survive spills while still feeling nostalgically like a sweatshirt. “You’re wearing a sweatshirt when you’re drinking red wine or coffee and you’re in your relaxation mode,” Claps says, adding that “Aritzia has a different shade of the heather gray where you can still be wearing a light, airy, and happy sweatshirt, but have it not get disgusting.”

Trolio describes this “’80s-tastic sheer shoulder sweatshirt” as a “going-out-top revival, but make it a sweatshirt.” You’ll, of course, have to be conscious of what you wear under it, but that might just be part of the fun. For Trolio, that looks like a strapless bra, but you could also wear a camisole underneath. “It’s not something you throw on as another layer to stay warm just in case you need it unless you have carefully considered what the other layer is,” she says — but it makes a fun top anyway. To preserve the polyester mesh, you’ll want to lay it flat to dry.

Though this crewneck is technically oversize, Thomas says, “It has the waistband that’s a little bit tighter fit, so you can style it with denim and more high-waisted pants.” Since it’s made of French terry, it won’t be as soft as your typical crewneck, but it’ll be lightweight and breathable enough that you can wear it all year round. “I can’t deal with sweaty fabrics,” says Strategist writer Dominique Pariso, and this crewneck is her current favorite. She’s had it for four years and says that it’s very cozy, and thanks to the material, the sweatshirt has a “lovely lived-in quality to it.” Like the Gap crewneck, this one has a pair of matching sweatpants, and Pariso likes to wear the set while traveling.

“What makes a great crewneck sweatshirt is something that I can wear with leggings on a plane, but also something I can dress up a bit,” says artist Lucy Litman. That duality is what makes this crewneck one of Litman’s go-to items when she travels and a layer that she can easily tuck into a skirt or pants. Though it’s roomy, the sweatshirt has lengthy hems on the sleeves and the waistline that Litman says make her feel polished when wearing it and make it easier to tuck into things without any awkward bunching. You’ll notice that the crewneck is on the pricier side, but Litman says it’s worth it because of the quality, fit, and construction. “This one really just hangs perfectly. I feel like it fits how it’s intended to fit, and kind of stays in place, which is really nice,” she says, adding that “the fabric itself is really soft and luxurious.” Just note: This crewneck is dry-clean only.

For those looking for a sustainable option, Thomas also recommends this oversize crewneck, which she describes as lightweight and soft. It’s made of organic cotton that’s certified by the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS), which is a third-party certification that verifies that the cotton is actually sustainable. Along with its selection of cheery colors, like a baby pink and yet another butter yellow, the crewneck is available in your more basic basics, like heather gray and navy blue. To prevent pilling and maintain the quality of this crewneck and all the sweatshirts she stands by, Thomas says, “I always recommend hang-drying, just to keep the shape of it and keep the softness of the material as well.”

Thomas compares the texture of this crewneck to butter (“They’re the softest thing ever,” she adds) and describes its weight as akin to “the lightweightness of a performance top, but they don’t look like a performance top by any means.” During her styling work, she typically recommends it to clients who “maybe have a little bit more of a professional job, they work from home, and they want to look nice on-camera, but they don’t want to be dressed up all the time.” While Thomas’s favorite style is the Betsy crewneck, which has a “cowl-neck feel,” Varley makes a variety of other elevated crewnecks, including a classic silhouette with zippered accents and an oversize version that is effortlessly cozy.

Though Mechling satisfied her itch for a traffic-cone-colored sweatshirt with the classic Hanes crewneck, she went to the Rachel Comey sample sale with the hope that she would find her much-desired sweatshirt at a fraction of the price. She did, in fact, find the sweatshirt at the sample sale and bought two — a “popcorn-butter yellow” and black (the orange was not available). Compared to the Hanes, “the Rachel Comey one is softer and there’s just something more thoughtful and intentional about the cut,” Mechling says. “It’s not straight and hitting you at that weird part of the middle of your hip, which the other one does. This one has something blousy about it.” It’s the kind of sweatshirt that she can wear on a Zoom call and that makes other moms ask, “Did you go to the Rachel Comey sample sale?”

On the other end of Pantin’s navy-crewneck spectrum is this cotton-terry number from Jamie Haller. “It has a sponginess to it that I really like,” says Pantin, adding that the navy color is noticeably saturated. Since you’re paying nearly $300 for this sweatshirt, Pantin assures that “it’s not going to stretch out. It’s not going to get weird holes in it. It’s just more of a higher-quality product.” In terms of fit, it’s shorter, boxier, and specifically designed for women, meaning it’ll hit right at the hip. And as a co-signer, Joanna Goddard just featured it on Cup of Jo, too.