There was a time, along with balaclavas, swag bags and black-and-white striped tops, when a hoodie was something that would instantly mark you out as a would-be robber and all-around wrong’un.

But, as much as this humble sportswear staple has the potential to send passers-by straight to the other side of the street, right now we’re urging you to take style tips from David Cameron (remember him?) and learn how to wear hoodies the right way.

Why? Well, practicality aside, thanks to a designer overhaul the hoodie has gone from defacto uniform of angry adolescents to the item most likely to be covering the backs of well-dressed men.

The only loser here is Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg, whose normcore hoodie has just gone full #menswear. Bad luck, Mark.

The History Of The Hoodie

Long before it found itself a witness to dodgy deals in darkened alleys, the hoodie was the uniform of champions. OK, so that’s over-egging it a little, but sports apparel company Champion Products does lay claim to creating the world’s first hooded sweatshirt in the 1930s.

It doesn’t take a genius to work out that — lo and behold — the hoodie was designed to keep athletes warm and dry in miserable weather. Since then it’s been adopted by hip-hop culture, skaters, snowboarders, angry young adults, stag parties, university students and (the reason we’re here) the runway.

The Return Of The Hoodie

Even though come fashion week, many news outlets delight in ridiculing the most outrageous runway looks they can find, in truth most menswear pieces were born out of practicality. And that’s exactly what learning how to wear hoodies offers: comfort, comfort and more comfort.

The return of the hoodie signals that we’re now at peak athleisure. Having successfully broached upscale sportswear in its various forms, it was only a matter of time before menswear got its mitts on the near-century-old staple.