Angel Wings Sequin Hoodie

Two Sequin Angel Wings, From Nape to Lower Back

From the front, it's a plain hoodie with no words and no logo. Then you turn around, and two full wings appear, feather by feather, in sequins.

The wings start at the top of the shoulder blades and run down to the lower back. They're folded, tips pointing down, with a few inches between them. Each feather is built from tightly stitched rows of sequins: small ones at the top near the shoulders, long ones at the bottom. In any light, the whole thing catches fire. When you walk, the reflections travel along the feathers.

This motif is one of the great emblems of 2000s fashion. Angel wings on the back showed up on velour tracksuits, on rhinestone tank tops, on embroidered jeans. It was the McBling era: anything that could sparkle had to sparkle, and the back of a garment was a blank screen. The angel wing meant innocence and show-off at the same time, which sums up the period pretty well.

The hoodie comes in four colors: black, white, heather gray and dark gray. On the black and the two grays, the wings are silver. On the white, they're a dark, metallic black and stand out like an ink drawing. Black with silver wings is the most dramatic version; heather gray is the softest.

The cut is short and roomy. The hoodie stops at the waist with a wide ribbed hem. Shoulders drop, and the sleeves bunch slightly above the cuff. It's a pull-on style with a hood and a kangaroo pocket.

One thing to know: when the hood is down, it falls right above the wings without covering them. Long hair, on the other hand, will cover them partly. A ponytail or a bun fixes that.

How you style it depends on the effect you want. With low-rise baggy jeans, a rhinestone belt and a small metallic half-moon bag, you're in a faithful 2004 reenactment. With gray joggers and white sneakers, the wings become the only fun detail in a lounge outfit. With a black pleated skirt and boots, the sequin hoodie goes a little more gothic, especially in black.

Don't wear anything over it that rubs: a backpack, for example, wears down the sequins and hides them.

The size range is wide, XS to XXXL. For a short, close fit, order your usual size. For more room, size up. Sequins need some care: hand wash or delicate cycle, cold, turned inside out and placed in a mesh bag. Never tumble dry, never iron over the design.