Waldenbooks Youth Hoodie / Sweatshirt
| S | M | L | XL | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Width, in | 16.93 | 18.11 | 18.90 | 20.08 |
| Length, in | 21.26 | 22.44 | 24.02 | 25.59 |
| Sleeve length (from center back), in | 26.50 | 27.76 | 30.24 | 32.99 |
| Size tolerance, in | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 |
Share a lasting bookstore memory with a youth hoodie or sweatshirt inspired by Waldenbooks. What began in 1933 as a low-cost rental library in Bridgeport grew into a nationwide chain associated with paperbacks, shopping malls, and family browsing trips. Its story offers young readers a way to connect with literary culture and with the retail history remembered by parents, grandparents, collectors, and former Waldenbooks shoppers.
Walden Book Company began on March 4, 1933, when Lawrence Hoyt, a former Simon & Schuster sales manager, and Melvin T. Kafka opened a rental library inside a department store in Bridgeport, Connecticut. Named after Henry David Thoreau’s Walden, the business rented books for three cents per day during the Great Depression. By 1948, it had 250 rental locations. Lawrence Hoyt opened the first Walden bookstore in Pittsburgh in 1962, as affordable paperbacks helped shift the company from rentals to retail selling. Broadway Hale Stores acquired the company in 1969 and later became Carter Hawley Hale. During the 1970s, Walden Books gradually became Waldenbooks. Kmart acquired Waldenbooks in 1984. The company expanded into software, educational toys, larger book formats, and related brands, acquired U.S. Coles Book Stores locations in 1987, and operated Basset Book Shop stores before they became Borders locations. In 1994, Kmart combined Waldenbooks, Brentano’s, and Borders into the Borders-Walden Group. Many stores became Borders Express locations beginning in 2004. Borders Group entered liquidation in 2011, closing the remaining Waldenbooks stores.
| S | M | L | XL | |
| Width, in | 16.93 | 18.11 | 18.90 | 20.08 |
| Length, in | 21.26 | 22.44 | 24.02 | 25.59 |
| Sleeve length (from center back), in | 26.50 | 27.76 | 30.24 | 32.99 |
| Size tolerance, in | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 |
Product features
- 50/50 cotton-poly midweight fleece (8 oz/yd²) — durable, smooth fabric for lasting prints
- Twill necktape and sewn-in label for added comfort and stability
- Kangaroo pouch pocket for warmth and convenient storage
- Embroidery available on left or center chest; DTF wrist prints with DTG body printing
- Meets children’s safety and compliance standards; runs true to size
Care instructions
- Machine wash: warm (max 40C or 105F)
- Bleach as needed
- Tumble dry: medium heat
- Do not dry clean
- Do not iron
EU representative: HONSON VENTURES LIMITED, gpsr@honsonventures.com, 3, Gnaftis House flat 102, Limassol, Mesa Geitonia, 4003, CY
Product information: Gildan 18500B, 2 year warranty in EU and Northern Ireland as per Directive 1999/44/EC
Warnings, Hazard: For children, Made in Honduras
Care instructions: Machine wash: warm (max 40C or 105F), Bleach as needed, Tumble dry: medium heat, Do not iron, Do not dry clean