Oversized Sweatshirt with Embroidered LA California Lettering

An oversized sweatshirt with LA stitched across the chest

This oversized sweatshirt from Rue Paris has two big letters on the front, LA, with CALIFORNIA written underneath. The lettering is embroidered. It has a round neck, long sleeves and ribbed edges, and you pull it on over your head.

It comes in one size. The maker gives a length of 70 cm and a chest of 140 cm, so it is wide on purpose. The fabric is 90% cotton with 10% spandex.

At a glance

The piece: five colours, five letter combinations

Rue Paris sells this style in five colours, each with its own model number. The maker's text describes a casual top for everyday wear with embroidered inscriptions on the front, a standard length, long sleeves and a classic round neckline.

The photos show how the lettering is done. The LA is raised and has a towelling-like surface, so it stands off the fabric. CALIFORNIA is stitched in flat thread below it. Each colour gets its own pairing: burgundy letters on light grey, dark brown on black and on white, black on burgundy red, pink on dark brown.

The back is plain.

Who it's for

For you if you like the borrowed-from-the-boys fit: shoulders that drop, sleeves you can pull over your hands, a hem that covers the hips. With a 140 cm chest there is room for almost everyone, and it will look more or less oversized depending on your build.

It is also for you if you would rather have embroidery than a print. Thread does not crack the way a printed logo can after a year of washing.

Closer look: what the maker's data and the photos show

• Embroidered lettering on the front (maker's data)
• Raised LA letters with a towelling-like texture, CALIFORNIA in flat stitching (photos)
• Classic round neckline with a ribbed band (maker's data and photos)
• Long sleeves with ribbed cuffs (maker's data and photos)
• Dropped shoulders and a ribbed hem (photos)
• Pull-on, without fastening (maker's data)
• One size: 70 cm long, 140 cm chest, 118 cm hips (size table)

The maker lists the colours as grey, black, red, beige and brown. In the photos the red is a deep burgundy and the beige is white, so we use those names.

Fabric and feel: cotton with stretch

The maker describes a blend of cotton and elastane that makes the top soft, flexible and pleasant to wear. The size table puts numbers on it: 90% cotton, 10% spandex.

In the photos the fabric looks thick. It holds its shape at the shoulders and the ribbed hem pulls the body in slightly. The maker does not say whether the inside is brushed, so we can't promise a fleecy lining. Count on a proper sweatshirt weight and layer a T-shirt under it when it gets cold.

Fit and silhouette: one size, cut wide

There is one size: 70 cm long, 140 cm around the chest and 118 cm around the hips. The hem is narrower than the chest because the ribbed band gathers it.

To picture it on yourself, measure a sweatshirt you own flat across the chest and double the number. A regular women's M usually ends up well under 140 cm, so expect a lot of room. On the model the hem covers the hips and the shoulder seams sit on the upper arm.

Size chart (cm)

Source: the maker's size table, the same for all five colours. The numbers read as the full width around the sweatshirt, which matches the wide fit in the photos, but the table does not say so.

Styling: wide jeans and a cap

The photos keep it simple. Wide-leg jeans in washed grey or light blue, sneakers, and a cap or sunglasses. In one shot the model pulls the neckline off one shoulder, which works because the neck is wide enough.

If wide on wide is too much for you, try it with leggings or a short skirt and let the sweatshirt be the only big piece. The white and the light grey look fresh with blue jeans. The burgundy is the one for autumn.

Occasions

The maker calls it a top for everyday wear and casual outfits. We agree. It belongs to weekends, lecture halls, travel days and evenings on the sofa.

It is a sweatshirt with big letters, so it is less suited to a formal office. On a day working from home nobody will mind.

Care: follow the label

The maker's data has no care instructions, so follow the label sewn into the sweatshirt.

Embroidery lasts longer when you wash the garment inside out and keep it away from Velcro and zips. Press around the letters and never straight over the raised LA.

The wow detail: letters you can feel

Run a hand over the front and the LA is soft and raised, like a towel. It catches the light differently from the smooth fabric around it. On the dark brown version the pink letters almost glow. It is a college sweatshirt idea, done with texture.

Fashion that gives back

5% of each sale goes to a cause you choose. We matched the causes to 11 of the 17 SDGs, the United Nations goals, so you can see what your share supports before you pick.

Our promise

Ships from the maker's wholesale partner in Poland, inside the EU, with tracking. The wholesaler lists up to 3 days to prepare an order; within the EU delivery usually takes 2–7 business days after dispatch. Delivery is free within the EU on orders from €69; below that it costs €4.95 in the Netherlands and €6.95 elsewhere in the EU.

You have 14 days after delivery to ask for a return, as long as the sweatshirt is unworn and still has its tags. Our promise is plain: if what arrives does not match what this page says, send it back within 14 days and we refund you.

More casual tops are in our sweatshirts and hoodies collection.