I saw this piece about a year ago and it always stuck with me. Maybe it was how it looked so comfortable, or how the price tag was $400? I had an insta-DIY moment where I knew right away I was going to make one of these. Just like it and WAY cheaper.
So, I finally found a hoodie with a color that looked super close to the Gryphon one! Guess how much this one was? $1.
If their baja hoodie was weaved of cashmere, then $400 makes sense, but for a piece you can literally get on the Venice Beach boardwalk, in Mexico, or at a garage sale, this was a no-brainer. Sidenote - the materials (thread/embroidery floss/yarn) might even be in your craft stash already, making this project cost whatever you snag the hoodie for.
I began by cutting the neck. I wanted to match the super deep scoop, so I took my scissors and began to trim.
I trimmed a few inches and stopped right under my boobs. Yep, I used my chestal area as a measurement tool, as you would in this sitch to get just the right spot :)
I grabbed thread - yellow, lime, pink, turquoise - to match the colors on Gryphon's hoodie as well a big embroidery needle.
I had to put it next to my scissors for you to get an idea of how big it is!
The Gryphon hoodie had thread stitched around the neck, hood, and pockets, so I began to make stitches in matching areas on my piece.
I started with pink, added yellow next, and kept going with the other colors.
The turquoise was a bit too matchy with the blue on the piece already, so I mainly stuck to the yellow, pink, and lime shades.
After hitting all the major areas, I had a replica hoodie that cost me a buck.
The cool thing about this piece is that it totally feels chic - taking a staple piece that many surfer friends wear on the regular and giving it a little sass. I put a tank underneath, but this is a piece you can toss on top of a bathing suit as the day gets chillier or even on top of a sundress.
I'm a total fan of front pouches too, aka the "hoodie purse." It fits the phone, keys, a mini wallet... I love having the essentials actually on me!
The model went with nothing underneath, but I'm not that trusting of double sided tape to keep this thick cotton in place!
Also, use whatever thread colors float your boat and put them wherever you'd like to see them. If you want colored trim to go completely around the neck, go for it. If you want the hood to be all green, knock yourself out. This is a piece that you can really get super creative with - use Gryphon's version as your starting point and go from there!
PS, this will be getting lots of wear this summer. Apologies in advance if you see this on top of multiple new outfits over the next few months! I'm totally going to be channeling my inner Dylan McKay.
