For Nike, outerwear is nearly as big a deal as sneakers. It doesn't make sense to have next-level shoes and basic jackets, does it? Yet, it's a relatively lo-fi jacket that's captured the hearts of many a young shopper, and Nike is moving to capitalize.
I'm speaking of the Big Swoosh Fleece — or "boa" — jacket, of course, and it's finally returning in its original form for Fall/Winter 2022.
It oughta go without saying that anything with an oversized Nike logo is as hot as anything with, well, a tiny Swoosh. For some reason, these larger-than-life logos become extra desirable when they're toyed with, as if recognizable branding becomes more desirable when slightly abstracted.
Perhaps that's why the Big Swoosh Fleece jacket is so covetable, because it wraps a giant version of Nike's unmistakable checkmark around the wearer's torso, from front to back.
Or maybe the Big Swoosh Fleece is just a hot ticket because it's fleece and everyone loves a fleece. Doesn't hurt that the jacket is also reversible, too.
It's quite hard to find the Big Swoosh Fleece outside of Japan, normally, which also adds to its mystique. A few colors can be had on resale sites but mostly it's a Japanese thing.
So it goes this season, with stockists like atmos and UNDEFEATED Japan hosting the drop for the Fall/Winter 2022 season, introducing both classic colorways and new beige and cream hues at the same approachable price of ¥12,000 (about $85).
This international adoration of oversized Swoosh outerwear has throughlines that go back to Nike's faux fur blankets and jackets, the latter designed by AMBUSH.
We've gotten a few Big Swoosh fleeces over here but they're few and far between compared to retro-obsessed Nike Japan.
Nike USA, meanwhile, is pushing its Forward tech, its next-gen knits. Understated and high-tech, they're everything the Big Swoosh Fleece isn't, for better or worse.
