In a fresh take on the classic cotton hoody, Black Diamond updates the format to take it into the 21st Century and onto your favorite project. The Deployment series from BD uses a blend of 60 percent merino wool and 40 percent nylon for the best of both worlds: the classy look and lush feel of fine wool and the technical stretch and performance of nylon.
The Deployment Hoody has a snug fit overall, a little more so in the arms with ribbed elastic cuffs that bunch just right at the wrist. You have full freedom of movement in this piece, with the option of pulling up the drawstring hood when warming up between sets or just lounging around the campfire after a hard day's play.
Two open handwarmer pockets and an interior open elastic cell phone pocket down low on the round out the feature set, and are our only ding on the Deployment Hoody: none are zipped, and the outside pockets are shallow enough that they can only serve as handwarmers. The elastic on the inside pocket does not make it secure enough to trust your phone to for anything more than sitting around.
The price is also an obstacle: two hundred clams for a sweatshirt is really pushing the red face test. That said, if you're looking for a unique mix of casual and classy without regard to overall practicality the Deployment Hoody may just lighten your mood along with your wallet.