Women's French Terry Cardigan - Tapenade

Fit depends on which cut you pick: the Classic line is slim, tapered, and reads small on average builds, the Relaxed line is much roomier, and the all-cotton fleece shrinks a size's worth in a hot dryer.

Owners and testers split along the brand's two fit lines rather than one direction. The Classic fleece is cut athletic — broad shoulders tapering to the waist — and one hands-on tester found several pieces "ran small" against the brand's own size charts, with pants also running short in the leg. Meanwhile hoodie reviewers report the opposite out of the box — one called it "larger than its true size" and baggy in the arms — but the 100% cotton shrinks roughly 3-5% in the dryer, and another reviewer's slightly-large medium settled to a proper fit after one wash-and-dry. Reviewers note the Relaxed fit runs about 5 inches bigger in the chest than Classic at the same marked size, so the label alone doesn't tell you the fit.

Sizing advice: Keep your usual size in the Classic fleece and dry on low to let the 3-5% shrinkage dial in the fit; choose the Relaxed cut (not a size up) if you want room, and expect pant inseams to run short.

Per owner & reviewer reports: American Giant Review: Are the made-in-America clothes wo… · American Giant Review — The Adult Man · American Giant Hoodie Review — How Comfy · American Giant Hoodie Review — Stridewise

The sweatshirt line is the brand's flagship and draws detailed reviews. Reviewers report heavy 13-oz-per-square-yard combed ringspun cotton fleece, reinforced double-needle stitching, elbow patches, double-lined hoods, and metal zippers, sewn in North Carolina. Long-term owners report no fraying, seam failures, or zipper problems after months to years of regular wear. The recurring gripes are practical: the fabric is heavier and less breathable than buyers expect, it shrinks somewhat in the dryer, and the price is well above mass-market hoodies.

Strengths

Owners consistently report the heavyweight construction holds up — no fraying, warped zippers, or seam failures over extended wear.

Watch out for

The most repeated complaints are heat and heft — the thick cotton is not very breathable — plus some dryer shrinkage and a price several times that of a basic mass-market hoodie.

Sizing

The Classic fit is tapered at the waist and long in the body with an athletic cut, and the fleece shrinks a bit in the dryer — reviewers point buyers who want more room to the roomier Relaxed fit rather than relying on the taper relaxing.

About American Giant's sweatshirts line as a whole. Sources: American Giant Hoodie Review: Really the World's Greatest? — Stridewise · American Giant Review: Are Premium Basics Worth It? — The Adult Man · What is the best hoodie? American Giant Classic Full Zip Hoodie — Mike Gorman