If you’d told me five years ago that I’d wear a hoodie to a creative briefing with a fashion brand in Surry Hills, I would’ve laughed. I was all about boots, leather jackets, and “looking the part.” That was before burnout, before moving to Sydney full-time, and way before I discovered the power of comfort dressing.
Now? I show up in my black Essentials Hoodie, with my laptop, a notebook, and no anxiety. It’s not just a hoodie — it’s part of my rhythm now. A small act of self-respect I wear on my back.
How It Started
I found the Essentials Hoodie by accident. It was during a long weekend in Melbourne — I’d spilled flat white down the front of my shirt and popped into a shop off Brunswick Street looking for a clean top. They had this display: neutrals, minimal branding, oversized fits.
I pulled one over my head in the change room and said out loud, “Oh. This feels like home.”
Bought it. Wore it every day that weekend. Got compliments from three strangers, including one at a tram stop in Fitzroy. That never happens to me
The Tracksuit That Works Harder Than I Do
A couple of months later, I grabbed the matching Essentials Tracksuit bottoms. I didn’t plan to wear them outside. But… I did. A lot.
Here’s the thing: they’re clean-looking. They don’t scream “I gave up.” They say, “I know what I like.” When I’m working from home in Newtown, ducking out for coffee or heading into the studio in Marrickville, the whole set just works.
It’s one outfit. No decision fatigue. I grab it, put it on, get moving. Some days, that’s the win.
It’s the Details
You know how some clothes look good online, but feel cheap when you wear them? This set isn’t like that.
- The hood is double-lined, so it actually sits right
- The cuffs stay fitted — no weird stretching after a wash
- Pockets are deep enough for your phone, keys, and half a snack
- The inside is soft but doesn’t go thin over time
- It doesn’t lose its shape, even if I wear it three days in a row (don’t judge)
From Cafés to Deadlines
If you freelance like I do, your wardrobe has to do everything: early mornings, late nights, sometimes full-on pitch meetings with 15 people staring at your slides. My Essentials set has followed me into every one of those situations.
I’ve pitched in it. Failed in it. Nailed projects in it. Written entire campaigns at 2am in Bondi, hoodie up, AirPods in, coffee going cold.
It’s not about fashion. It’s about not wasting energy on what I wear — and showing up as myself. That’s where the confidence comes from.
I See It Everywhere Now
At the airport in Brisbane, I saw a guy in the exact same hoodie. We nodded. Same tribe.
In Adelaide, a girl at a co-working space wore the tracksuit set with vintage boots and gold hoops. Effortless.
Even my mate in Perth, who works FIFO, wears his Essentials gear when he’s back home and needs to actually relax for the first time in two weeks.
Final Thought
I used to think clothes had to speak for me — make a statement. Now I just want them to shut up and let me think.
My Essentials Hoodie and Essentials Tracksuit don’t make me cool. But they make me calm, focused, and ready to work — or rest — without changing outfits three times.
That’s a win, in my books.
