A sweatshirt is a fleece backed pullover, a hoodie is the same garment with a hood and usually a front pocket, and a sweater is knitted from yarn, not cut from looped fabric.
The hood is the obvious difference and the least interesting one. The real split is between fleece and knit, because that decides how the garment holds shape and how warm it is for its weight.
| Sweatshirt | Hoodie | Sweater | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Construction | Looped fleece fabric | Looped fleece fabric | Knitted yarn |
| Hood | No | Yes | Rarely |
| Front pocket | Rarely | Usually | No |
| Holds shape | Yes | Yes | Stretches over time |
| Formality | Casual | Casual | Can be smart |
How to tell them apart in a photo
Look at the surface. Fleece is smooth on the outside and brushed inside, with no visible stitch pattern. A knit shows its stitches.
Which one should you pick
Hoodie
Outdoors, layering, or when you want the pocket.
Sweatshirt
The same warmth with a cleaner neckline under a jacket.
Sweater
Anywhere that needs to look deliberate instead of comfortable.
Examples from the blog
Try both on your own photo
Classic black
Pale grey, the cardigan sweater features an open
Charcoal grey
Forest green
Midnight blue
A black and white striped sweatshirt
Deep burgundy
A pastel yellow crop sweatshirt
A rich emerald green sweatshirt
A vibrant electric blue fleece sweatshirt
Electric blue
Dusty pink, this hoodie blouse offers a soft
Tap any look to open it in the app on your own photo.
Related
Hoodies · Cardigans and Sweaters · Knitwear and Hoodies · Fabric Types
Questions people actually ask
Is a jumper a sweater or a sweatshirt?
A sweater. Jumper is the British word for a knitted pullover.
Is a zip hoodie as warm as a pullover?
Not quite. A full length zip is a cold seam down the front and it stops the fabric forming one unbroken layer over your chest. Zips win on ventilation and on getting changed without wrecking your hair. For pure warmth per gram, the pullover wins.
What is loopback fleece?
Loopback leaves the inside of the fabric as visible loops, unbrushed. Brushed fleece rubs those loops into a soft fuzzy nap that traps more air. Loopback is lighter, holds shape longer and suits warm weather; brushed is warmer and pills sooner. Both are sweatshirt fabric.
Does gsm tell you how good a hoodie is?
It tells you how heavy the fabric is per square metre, nothing more. Heavier usually means warmer and more durable, and it also means slower drying and more bulk under a coat. Light cotton done well beats heavy cotton done badly, so treat gsm as one spec among several.