The zip on a sweatshirt is one of those details that either earns its place or ruins everything. A cheap zipper with a plasticky pull, a collar that buckles when you do it up halfway, a chest that bags out around the hardware. These are the things that separate a sweatshirt worth wearing from one that spends most of its life on a chair. We’ve been looking specifically at half zips and full zips that get the construction right, where the zip sits flush, the placket lies flat, and the whole thing holds its shape after repeated wear. The half zip in particular has had a serious moment and we think the interest is deserved. Worn over a collar it looks considered. Worn alone it looks clean. The ones we’ve pulled together work in both directions and don’t ask you to sacrifice comfort for the sake of looking put together. That should always be the standard.