Hugh Jackman's Dogwalking Sweatshirt Is Accidental Gold

It doesn't require much thought. You, and man's best friend, trudging through horizontal rain at 6am, this daily routine a heady contraceptive in itself. Dog rearing has its rewards, yes, plenty actually. Pre-work walkies aren't one of them. And, in this semi-conscious zombie state, your gear isn't front of mind. Getting back to bed is. Just ask the man you see each and every morning in a pair of tracksuit bottoms, loafers and a back-to-front sweatshirt.

Raymond Hall

The same sweatshirt! Another time! With dogs!

It could be worse. Imagine facing not only neighbours, and a small energetic ball of fur that demands affection 24/7, but a small legion of paparazzi, specifically there to document you looking like shit, and, likely, picking up shit too. Hugh Jackman suffers this more than most. In each morning's digital dump of celebrity images, the Logan star is there, hiding behind sunglasses, and probably finding a thin silver lining in 2020 for the normalisation of face masks. But it seems his dog walk is better-dressed than most. That's because his go-to sweatshirt is better than most.

For several weeks now, the 52-year-old has grabbed the 'East Hampton Gym' merch, and stepped towards menswear's big fixation with big preppy boys. Rather than join the Ivy Leaguers of Ralph Lauren, though, or the primary shades of art prep, Jackman sits firmly within the varsity track and team: no-fuss simple menswear lifted by block lettering and low-key branding. It's grey, which means versatility, and it hints at a trend, though not so much as to not see life past next month.

What's more, it's an example of gym kit that isn't all WITNESS THE FITNESS. There's breathing room in this stuff. We don't need to see every lump and bump of creatine-addled muscle.

Jackman has lots of that, too. He's Wolverine! He's saved the world! But on the daily dog walk, he's just your slightly-less-average Joe. He isn't there to show off. He's there to tend to two over-loved, entitled pooches that think nothing of debasing their owners to a bent over hunchback, pooper scooper in hand. It's not becoming. He wants it over with – and we want the sweatshirt off his back.