I've never been a fan of hoodies because I hate how little flexibility you have with them - you either have it on or off, but there's no middle-of-the-road option for people who run hot but still want to wear a sweater with the convenience of a kangaroo pocket. Enter the Ampersand Ave Half-Zip hoodies. You get the hood, you get the kangaroo pocket, you get the thumb holes (holla, millennials!), and you get a partial zip which allows you to crack the sweater open if you're hot or just wanna show off your collarbone tat while you're at it. The sleeves are long and my thumbs fit in the holes with ease and aren't being pulled by inadequately fitting sleeves. The fabric is soft and stretchy but doesn't stretch out and get misshapen and saggy during the day. And let's just talk about these fabric combos for a second - Just for Kicks is SO cute. I get so many compliments on it, it's the perfect sage-y, olive shade - and the floral pattern is to die for. I love how the patterned and solid fabric is combined; I was mildly worried about how the fabrics were combined - worried that it would make me look frumpy or pregnant, just based on how the seam runs over the midsection, but that couldn't be any further from the truth. In some odd twist, I find that it actually gives me the allusion of a waist (in a hoodie, can you believe it!?).
I found a couple of patterns I wanted to give a try and decided to purchase through Ivory Lane. The process was easy and quick, they had my size in stock, and I got to use the newbie discount code which made the purchase even more sweet! Just for Kicks is fabulous - the only thing I'd be careful of is that I've heard that some of the Ampersand Ave half-zips are made with different fabrics that don't have the same amount of stretch. Just do your research first, but this one is stretchy and comfortable and I'm wearing it daily unashamed.
So as you can see this is a hardcore 5 star review and I have (and will continue) to keep telling everyone I know about the wonders of the half-zip hoodie life. I will definitely purchase from Ivory Lane again, and will absolutely be purchasing more Ampersand Ave Half-Zips to add to my wardrobe.