Not perfect, but unique design and surprisingly great quality
I tend to wear hoodies year-round so I'm always in search of my next favorite hoodie. My priorities, in descending order, tends to be comfort, durability, aesthetics, and then price.
From that perspective, my rating, which I need to emphasize is obviously very biased towards my body & needs, after 3 weeks of daily wear and weekly washes breaks down to:
Comfort: 3/5 - It runs a little bit warmer than most of my hoodies despite what should be similar construction. The tight forearms and slight layer of overlap over the chest probably contribute to this. This probably won't be a problem for most people that aren't sensitive to overheating, or intend to only wear it during cooler months. And because of how the hoodie is closed, in contrast to a uniform pull-over or a zip-hoodie with the zipper straight down the center, the weight distribution and feel on my shoulders required some getting used to. Sometimes with new clothing it's a bit frustrating because the sizes tend to measure for chest and waist, but it ignores length of torso vs leg, length of arms, etc. It'd be nice if Ky Lan included those measurements with the different sizes.
Durability: 4/5 (so far) - I hate having to baby my clothes, so every time I do laundry everything goes into the wash together on Delicate, Warm. And then it all goes into the dryer on Delicate, Low Heat. After daily wear for 3 weeks and 3 wash/dry cycles, the only issue I've noticed is some deformity along the zipper and fabric that should otherwise cover the zipped and what feels like general slight shrinkage. No crazy pilling, no loose fabric, or anything falling a part. You never know with new retail brands online, so that was a great relief to see that the construction of the hoodie has been holding up. I will also note that I am of course also going against the recommended care instructions, but I will note I do this for all of my clothing and it's how I measure each of their durability.
Aesthetics: 5/5 - It's great, exactly as sold. I was interested because I wanted a different form factor from my standard hoodies, and that's what I got. To me it feels like a nod to the asian aesthetic, but also could fall under the DND / fantasy look.
Price: 4/5 - I mean folks can judge for themselves what is and isn't worth it. I'll say I've paid up to $115 for a hoodie, so this is now the most expensive. I also know there are brands that charge significantly higher for their hoodies despite them looking just like any other and lasting, at best, like any other. I think at Ky Lan's price point, it's definitely on the pricier side, but is good value in that it doesn't feel like you're paying double it's worth purely for namesake or exclusivity. That the hoodie in it's unique form and nice construction, actually does make for most of it's value.
Overall, it's unfortunately not going to be the perfect hoodie for me, but I do really like it and hope the creator continues iterating and improving. In the meantime, I am going to buy a second one to have in a different color.
