If you are buying one Samoan hoodie, three things decide whether you still wear it in three years: the fabric weight, the shoulder fit, and whether the print is on the front or all over. Get those right and the rest is taste. This is the long version of how to choose, including the plus sizing question, which is the one most Pacific shoppers care about and most size guides handle badly.
In this article
- Weight and blend
- Plus sizing
- Front print or all over
- Which print first
- Measuring yourself
- Frequently asked questions
What fabric weight and blend should you look for?
8oz with a brushed interior for winter. 50/50 cotton and polyester is the blend that holds shape longest, and it is the reason a hoodie you bought four years ago still fits across the shoulders while the all cotton one has gone baggy.
| Blend | Warmth | Shape after 2 years | Dries |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50/50 cotton poly, 8oz | High | Holds | Fast |
| 100% cotton, 8oz | High | Stretches at the cuffs and hem | Slow |
| Cotton poly, 6oz | Medium | Holds | Fast |
| Thin fashion fleece | Low | Pills in one season | Fast |
The trade is real but small. All cotton feels better on day one. The blend still looks right on day one thousand.
Do Samoan hoodies come in plus sizes?
This is the question that matters most and it is the one most brands answer badly. Pacific bodies are broader through the shoulders and chest than a standard size chart assumes, so a shirt that fits the chest is often tight across the back.
Two things to check on any hoodie before you buy. First, does the size run actually go past 2XL, or does it stop there and call 2XL plus size? Second, is the larger size graded properly, meaning the shoulders and sleeves grow with the chest, or is it just a longer version of the same cut?
The hoodies here run to 5XL and the grading goes with it. If you have spent years buying 3XL to get shoulders that fit, that is the reason.
A hoodie and a heavy sweatshirt, sold together for less than the two separately. The two layers most people end up owning anyway.
See the Winter Warm-Up shelf →Front print or all over print, which lasts?
A front print is printed into a finished garment. An all over print is printed onto the fabric before it is cut and sewn, which is why the pattern runs unbroken across the seams.
All over looks more impressive and costs more to make. A front print is more versatile, because it can be worn to more places without being the loudest thing in the room. If this is your first, buy the front print. If it is your third, buy the all over.
Which Samoan print should you buy first?
Buy the one that says something you would say out loud. That sounds soft and it is actually the most practical filter there is, because the hoodies that stay in rotation are the ones the owner agrees with.
- 685, the calling code. Read instantly by Samoans, invisible to everybody else
- Ula Fala, the pandanus necklace worn by an orator. The reds, and the most recognised print in the range
- Afakasi, if you are half and have spent your life explaining it
- Elei or Warrior, if you want the pattern without the statement
There is a full explainer on what the prints mean in Samoan patterns and what they mean, and on what ula fala is.
How do you measure yourself for a hoodie properly?
Two measurements and a tape. It takes ninety seconds and it removes the entire guessing game.
- Chest. Around the fullest part, under the arms, tape flat and level. Do not pull it tight and do not hold your breath
- Body length. From the highest point of the shoulder straight down to where you want the hem to sit
Then compare those to the garment measurements rather than to a size letter. A size chart that lists chest width flat is giving you half the circumference, so double it before comparing. That one step is where most people go wrong and it is why a 2XL in one brand is a 4XL in another.
The better method, if you own a hoodie that fits: lay it flat and measure it armpit to armpit, then find the size on the chart with the same number. You are matching a garment you already trust rather than trusting a chart.
Add two to four centimetres if you intend to layer underneath, and add nothing at all if you want it fitted, because these are already cut generously through the body.
Nothing here is sitting in a warehouse. Each piece is printed and sewn after the order is placed, which has two consequences worth planning around. The good one is that there is no dead stock, so a print does not get discounted into landfill at the end of a season and sizes that sell slowly still exist. The inconvenient one is the production window: there are several days between you paying and anything being handed to a courier.
The practical rule is three weeks from order to door for Australia and New Zealand, and closer to four if it is crossing an ocean. Work backwards from the date you need it, not forwards from today. There is more on why the model works this way in why made to order is the future of sustainable fashion.
Frequently asked questions
What size hoodie should a Samoan man buy?
Usually one size up from a standard chart, because most fleece is cut with narrow shoulders. If you have been buying 3XL to get the shoulders right, look for a range that grades properly to 4XL and 5XL instead.
Do Samoan hoodies come in 4XL and 5XL?
Yes. The hoodie range runs to 5XL with the shoulders and sleeves graded up with the chest, rather than simply being made longer.
What is the difference between a front print and an all over print?
A front print is applied to a finished garment. An all over print is printed on the fabric before cutting, so the pattern runs unbroken across seams. All over looks louder, front print goes more places.
What fabric blend lasts longest in a hoodie?
A 50/50 cotton and polyester blend at around 8oz. It holds its shape at the cuffs and hem for far longer than all cotton and dries much faster.
Which Samoan print should I buy first?
The one you would say out loud. 685 for the calling code, Ula Fala for the reds, Afakasi if you are mixed, or Elei and Warrior if you want the pattern without a statement.
Everything warm we make
Hoodies and sweatshirts to 5XL, in the prints people actually recognise.
Shop the Winter Warm-Up →Made to order. Allow three weeks.
Read next: Samoan Patterns and What They Mean · What Is Ula Fala?
