Welcome to EN’s Product Review series! Who doesn’t love shopping, especially when the object of your search is new gear for yourself or your horse? As an enthusiast of all products equine, I LOVE trying out new gear. Please join me as I narrate my personal journey of trying out all of the products featured. While I will make no recommendations, I hope you have fun reading about my many adventures of trying new products, and that hearing about my personal experiences helps you on your own quest for new gear. Go Shopping.
The Clarksburg is long enough for me, as it hits around mid-hip length - so it's not too long and baggy, but it also doesn't make me feel like I need to keep pulling it down - Photo by Lorraine Peachey
Finding the perfect…well, anything is a bit of a challenge. That’s probably in part because I feel like the concept of perfect is just always (slightly) out of reach. But I also have to consider the fact that I tend to be super particular–because that certainly factors in to me being so choosy when I’m out on the prowl during a shopping trip.
So maybe instead, I change up my lingo to say that it’s hard to find just the right anything. Finding “the right” anything varies from person to person as well–because different styles, fits, colors, materials (and so on and so forth) work best for different people. Something that falls into the category of a staple item for me is a hoodie.
And the “perfect” hoodie has been a bit of an elusive sort of something for me to find. To me, a hoodie is something that is universal. I wear them year round, and that’s no exaggeration. They are great to layer up with during cooler weather, most certainly. But then, I also always find myself reaching for a cozy hoodie if I’m spending an evening at the beach–that ocean air gets a little nippy!
Carhartt logo embroidered in a lovely script font on the front of the Clarksburg Sweatshirt – Photo by Lorraine Peachey
But finding a hoodie that is just right to wear everywhere is really tough. The color has to look great with most things. And the length of the hoodie (and lets not forget the length of the sleeves) must be long enough. Also, the fit should preferably be on the relaxed side, and it must work with my taller and curvy frame.
Not to mention the fabric – which I’d prefer be soft and comfy enough that it makes me feel like hugging myself while I’m wearing it. Plus I always (kind of prefer) a hoodie with a full zip front – because it makes it easier to pull it on or take it off (and without even messing up my hair). A full front zip, while preferred, is something that is open for negotiation.
So I was pretty excited to have to the chance to start wearing the Clarksburg Full Zip Sweatshirt from Carhartt. I’ve had many great experiences wearing Carhartt brand apparel, and have found them to be able to keep up with my active lifestyle–both around the barn and farm, and everywhere else too.
The first time I picked up Clarksburg Sweatshirt to check it out, I was (very) happy to feel the soft and cozy fabric that the hoodie is crafted out of. The fabric is a 10.5-oz blend of 80% cotton and 20% polyester that has been garment washed. The process of garment washing helps to reduce shrinkage, and also helps to make the fabric extra snuggly feeling.
I do find that the three piece hood of the Clarksburg fits and contours to my head nicely when I pull it up. And, it is also lined on the inside with a nice and soft cotton – the fit of the hood, along with the fabric help to make it functional, as well as comfortable – Photo by Lorraine Peachey
I also am (of course) an a fan of the full length zipper that runs down the front of the hoodie – since that fits well with my personal preference. The Clarksburg sweatshirt is also available in a quarter zip version as well, which makes it versatile enough to serve different preferences, specifically for anyone who prefers a pullover sweatshirt.
The full length zipper running up the front of the Clarksburg Sweatshirt feels heavy duty and durable. Plus, I also like that the zipper pull tab is large and sturdy feeling, and that it also features the Carhartt logo imprinted onto it. I do also want to draw attention to the triple stitched main seams of the hoodie, which go a step further towards making it feel more durable for me.
I do find that the three piece hood of the Clarksburg fits and contours to my head nicely when I pull it up. And, it is also lined on the inside with a nice and soft cotton – the fit of the hood, along with the fabric help to make it functional, as well as comfortable. There are also drawstrings built into the hood, so that the opening can be adjusted smaller, as desired.
I’ve found that the two front pockets of the Clarksburg are large enough to comfortably fit my hands – and in fact, there is a soft lining, which feels nice against my hands if I stick them in my pockets – Photo by Lorraine Peachey
The front of the Clarksburg Sweatshirt also has two handy pockets on the front, near the bottom hem. I’ve found that they are large enough to comfortably fit my hands – and in fact, there is a soft lining, which feels nice against my hands if I stick them in my pockets to help to warm them up.
Finally, the front of the Clarksburg Sweatshirt features an attractively subtle Carhartt logo that runs across the front in the center of the chest area. The logo has been embroidered on the hoodie in an elegant looking script front, and it appears in a color slightly darker then the color of the sweatshirt itself – which nicely compliments it.
I’ve really enjoyed wearing the Clarksburg Front Zip Sweatshirt – one of the things that attract me to pull out the hoodie to pull on over and over again (you know, like that Nelly song that features Tim McGraw – come on, you remember!), is how well the fit works for me. Going by Carhartt’s sizing chart, my normal size works really nicely for me.
The Clarksburg is long enough for me, as it hits around mid-hip length – so it’s not too long and baggy, but it also doesn’t make me feel like I need to keep pulling it down. The sleeves are also a very nice length for even my long arms, and I like that the last several inches at the end are stretchy cuffs that stay in place nicely.
The Clarksburg Sweatshirt has been really versatile for me also – I like that it works really nicely layered. Or, it wears just as nicely thrown on over a tee as well – Photo by Lorraine Peachey
And I like that the fit really is ‘slightly fitted’, as described on the product page on Carhartt’s website. The bottom hemline of the hoodie is slightly fitted around my hips, and I also feel like I have a nice contoured fit around the chest as well. But also, I feel like there is more of a relaxed fit through the waist area, and I definitely have freedom of movement through my arms and shoulders.
The Clarksburg Sweatshirt has been really versatile for me also – I like that it works really nicely layered (in fact, it layers quite nicely under the El Paso Utility Vest that I also tried recently). Or, it wears just as nicely thrown on over a tee as well – which is also nice because then the logo is more visible on the front.
I’ve found the Clarksburg to be a great sweatshirt to work around the barn in – the fit is very comfortable, as it gives me the freedom of movement to get the job done. Plus, I really like the purple sage heather color, because it does a nice job at hiding dirt and horse slobber as well (and we all know, there is always plenty of that to go around when doing barn chores).
The Clarksburg Zip-Front Sweatshirt is available in a number of colors, including Lapis Blue Heather, Purple Sage Heather, Wild Pink Heather, and Black Heather – all colors have an attractive ‘brushed’ appearance to them. The Clarksburg has a retail price of $49.99, and you can find it here. The Quarter Zip version also retails for $49.99, and you can find it here.
Go Comfort, Fit AND Function. Go Carhartt. Go Eventing.
