Let me start with a confession: I used to be the person who’d wear the same hoodie for years until it basically fell apart. The elbows would go first, then the pockets, and eventually I’d admit defeat and buy another one, usually cheap, thin, and barely worth the twenty bucks I paid. It wasn’t fashion. It was just covering up.
Then I found the Essentials Hoodie. Or maybe, it found me.
It was a gift — an unexpected one — from a friend who lives in Melbourne and always seems to be ten steps ahead in life and wardrobe. “This will last you,” she said, handing it over during a weekend trip when I’d shown up without layers. That was three years ago. I’ve worn it in every Australian state since.
What started as a borrowed extra became something else entirely. I didn’t realise how much a hoodie could matter until I began noticing where I wore it — and how I felt in it.
Sydney: Where Style Looks Effortless (But Isn’t)
If you’ve spent any time walking around inner Sydney — particularly spots like Surry Hills, Paddington, or even the quieter corners of Marrickville — you’ve seen the people who somehow look perfectly relaxed and perfectly styled at the same time.
It’s the land of quiet fashion flexes. Not in-your-face branding or loud logos, just clean silhouettes and well-cut basics that hint, not shout. My Essentials Hoodie made sense here. Tossed over a white tee with some relaxed cargos and New Balance kicks, it felt… right.
And then there’s the Essentials Tracksuit — mine’s an earthy tone that feels like eucalyptus leaves. On a crisp Sunday morning walk to grab a coffee near Coogee, I had someone stop me to ask what brand it was. That’s rare here. Sydney doesn’t usually ask.
Melbourne: Where Everyone’s Layered and Literary
Melbourne’s fashion game? Intimidating, honestly. Black-on-black. Big coats over bigger ideas. I once saw someone wear a leather trench coat with Crocs — and it worked.
I thought my Essentials Tracksuit would feel too simple there, too “basics only,” but strangely enough, it fit in better than expected. I threw on a blazer over it one night before heading to a jazz bar in Collingwood. Nobody batted an eye.
The Essentials Hoodie, in contrast, was my go-to while hopping between tram stops, bookstores, and late breakfasts. There’s a kind of lived-in feeling to Melbourne’s weather — chilly enough that you need layers, but unpredictable enough that you end up carrying half of them in your bag by midday. The hoodie adapted. It was warm but never bulky. I started to think maybe I’d underestimated how useful good fabric is.
Brisbane: Easy Air, Lighter Fits
Brisbane isn’t about what you wear — it’s how you wear it. People up here move differently. They laugh more in public. The sky’s bigger. The clothes are looser.
If I’m being honest, the Essentials Tracksuit wasn’t my first choice for the Brisbane heat, but evenings by the river or late nights hanging out in West End gave it a chance to shine. Especially on quieter nights, heading out for a drink with mates — no need to “dress up” in the traditional sense, but you still want to feel put together. That tracksuit hit the mark. Light, but stylish. Minimal effort. Maximum outcome.
As for the hoodie? It stayed rolled up in my backpack most days, but when the rain came down suddenly — and it always does in Brisbane — it saved me more than once.
Adelaide: Slower Streets, Clearer Choices
Adelaide’s underrated. Everyone says that, and they’re right. It’s where you start to breathe again after the bigger cities. And fashion-wise? It’s refreshingly unpretentious.
I wore my Essentials Hoodie nearly every day in Adelaide. Morning walks through the hills. Wandering around the Art Gallery. Sitting outside a café in Norwood with the paper, people-watching. It felt like the city had slowed down just enough for me to catch up to myself.
The Essentials Tracksuit came out for a day trip to McLaren Vale. I paired it with clean trainers and a white tee, and I’ll be honest — I felt more stylish than I had in weeks. It didn’t scream “look at me,” but it whispered something nice. Something put-together.
Perth: The Easy Ending
Perth was the last stop on that long, loose journey. I stayed in Fremantle, caught sunsets over the ocean, and spent more time barefoot than I had in years. But even in that sunlit calm, I kept wearing the same two pieces. The hoodie. The tracksuit.
The Essentials Hoodie, by now, had seen it all — city grime, beach wind, spilled wine, bad decisions. Still looked new. Still felt right. I wore it in the evenings when the coastal air turned cool, sitting by a firepit with friends, passing around music and stories like wine.
The Essentials Tracksuit, somehow, worked just as well on beach walks as it did sitting inside a modern art gallery in the city center. Perth’s the kind of place where everything blends — beach and city, relaxed and sharp. Essentials made sense here too.
In the End… It Was Never About the Clothes
Look, I’m not here to sell you anything. I’m not trying to convince you that wearing an Essentials Hoodie will magically make your life better, solve your packing problems, or change how strangers look at you. That’s not how it works.
But I can tell you this: when you find something that travels with you — that works just as well in Sydney as it does in Perth, that feels good at the airport and even better around the dinner table — you hold onto it.
The Essentials Tracksuit and that hoodie? They’re still the most worn things in my wardrobe. Not because I’m lazy. But because they work.
And maybe, if you’re lucky, yours will too.
