The Hurricane Top: CHUMS's One-of-a-Kind Sweatshirt, Unchanged Since the 1980s

The brand with the booby bird mascot, CHUMS. We're taking a deep dive into the brand by focusing on its most quintessential item: the "Hurricane Top" sweatshirt. We sat down with Daisuke Akatsuka from LANDWELL Co., Ltd., who walked us through everything from the brand's history to the finer details of the Hurricane Top.

The Origin of CHUMS: The "Original Standard End"

"CHUMS got its start in Utah, USA, back in 1983. The founder was a river guide on the Colorado River who was tired of his sunglasses falling into the water while rafting. His solution was to develop a sunglass strap. That first product was called the 'Original Standard End,' and it marked the very beginning of the brand. The item quickly became a hit, and CHUMS's popularity spread across the United States."

"This 'Original Standard End' has remained unchanged and is still proudly Made in the USA. While many different versions have been released over the years, the one made from sweatshirt material has been the classic model from the very beginning.

Since the founder was a river guide, a retainer to keep sunglasses from getting lost in the great outdoors was a game-changing invention. It’s convenient for hanging around your neck, and with a huge variety of colors, patterns, and materials available, it’s also a fun fashion accessory."

The "Hurricane Top": An Innovative Sweatshirt

Now that we've explored the roots of CHUMS, let's dive into the details of our featured item: the "Hurricane Top."

"The Hurricane Top was born in 1986. The name is said to come from the factory's location in a town called Hurricane, Utah. In the early days, the tag was marked with 'Hello,' and the apparel line at the time was marketed as 'Hello Wear from Chums.' By the 1990s, the apparel branding was unified under the CHUMS name, just like the Original Standard End.

The design is a fusion of the best qualities of a sweatshirt and a rugby shirt. It’s a pullover featuring a twill fabric collar with three snap buttons. It also intentionally omits the ribbed hem found on typical sweatshirts, a design choice that prevents it from riding up. This made it a popular piece of loungewear for relaxing after a day of rafting or surfing."

Spin-Offs from the Hurricane Top

The "Hurricane Top" thus became an iconic piece, symbolic of the brand, leading to the release of various spin-off items based on its design. Let's have Akatsuka introduce a few.

"The Hurricane Top has been a beloved staple for years, with no major changes to its core design. In the early days, color variations were achieved through garment dyeing, but since 2001, we've switched to dyeing the fabric before construction. Either way, the result is a characteristically soft and lightweight feel. We've also released numerous spin-off items based on the Hurricane Top's signature details and fabric.

Over the years, the lineup has expanded to include many new variations. These include the Hurricane Riders pants we saw in the earlier catalog, the 'Hello Beret' made from the same material, a hooded 'Hurricane Hooded Top' model, and a short-sleeved version for spring and summer, the 'Short Sleeve Hurricane Top.'

Among these, the 'Full Snap Hurricane Top' has been particularly well-received. Its full-snap design makes it easy to put on and take off, and it's versatile enough to be worn as an inner layer in winter or as a light jacket during transitional seasons. It has now become even more popular than the original classic."

CHUMS kickstarted its bag production in 1998 by creating a custom bag in collaboration with the American brand "OverLand." Later, in 2006, they launched a backpack made from sweatshirt material. This item was a massive hit, and the story goes that it took the brand's public recognition to a whole new level. They also ventured into children's apparel early in their history, establishing CHUMS as a brand the entire family can enjoy today.

In recent years, their lineup has expanded significantly to include camping gear, rainwear, and even pop-up shops at music festivals. The brand is constantly evolving to cater to a wide variety of lifestyles and situations. Yet, through all this evolution, the "Hurricane Top" has remained an enduringly popular item and is set to celebrate its 40th anniversary next year. This beautiful balance of innovation and timeless classics is arguably the very essence of what makes the CHUMS brand so appealing.