This article is the first in a series sponsored by XCVI. 

XCVI is offering NextTribe readers a 25% discount on all full-priced merchandise from now until the end of the year. Type in the code: NEXTTRIBE25 at check out. One use per customer. Thanks XCVI.

I love hoodies. Not in the way that Mark Zuckerberg loves hoodies. His are drab and made of sweatshirt material. I love hoodies that have personality and convey a certain chic nonchalance. I have many hoodie sweaters in my closet, but this hoodie, by XCVI, is now officially my favorite. Why? Because it’s a soft boucle that feels as comfortable as Zuck’s sweatshirt material but looks a whole lot better. It’s longer in the back, which means it nicely covers up my bum (always important in these days of leggings), and it’s multi-colored, so it will go with anything. There are flecks of olive, rust and gray, and as you can see here I’ve paired them with XCVI olive leggings and a pair of rust-red booties. And let me tell you a bit more about the leggings, which aren’t like the leggings I wear to run on the track or in my power yoga class. These are leggings that have the comfort of athleisure wear, but the fabric and feel of real pants. These here are a super luscious corduroy with stretchy panels because we all need a bit of give.

The Whole Package

This outfit is emblematic of the XCVI ethos. XCVI is a family-owned company (how often do you see that these days) that believes you don’t have to give up comfort to be chic and vice versa. The company’s motto is “Fashion you can live in.” The idea is that the clothes are beyond “fashion,” the styles that come off the runway. They’re supposed to be worn without a lot of fussing or primping. These are the kinds of clothes you can throw on and go–and still feel good about how you look. This is what I related to on the company’s website: “Your clothing shouldn’t burden you. It should effortlessly complement your journey through the maze of life.”

Built to Last

NextTribe has written about the problem of fast fashion–the obsessive pursuit of the new and trendy, at the expense of common sense–and the environment. I love clothes that are made to be staples in your wardrobe for the long-run. I still wear a beloved sweater–boxy and V-necked–that I bought when my kids were toddlers. I wouldn’t think of retiring it, and I’m always on the look out for pieces like this, that resist our natural fickleness. So don’t be surprised to see me years from now in a relaxed boucle hoodie with multi-color flecks and a pair of olive corduroy leggings. All I can say is I’m glad the leggings have plenty of stretch.

This article is the first in a series sponsored by XCVI.