When was sweater invented

The original sweatshirt was invented by Benjamin Russell Jr. It began with the new idea for an all-cotton practice football jersey. Tired of itchy wool jerseys, the son of founder Benjamin Russell thought to swap out the chafing uniforms with something cooler and more comfortable.

As you can imagine, itchy wool jerseys were extremely uncomfortable. He set out to put an end to the constant chafing and itching caused by woolen uniforms, changing the face of fashion forever.

Working with his father Benjamin Russell, who happened to own a clothing manufacturing company , BR Jr. It was made of thick cotton, which can breathe, as we all know. The Russell Manufacturing Company just so happened to specialize in such materials and designs. The new jerseys were essentially loose, collarless pullovers — the sweatshirt had been born. BR Sr. So, what is a sweatshirt used for today?

Puffed sleeves first made their appearance in fashion in a big way during the Renaissance, making the look centuries older than the Edwardian era.

The look became particularly trendy again in the s and made another reappearance in the s. Puffed sleeves have become very trendy again in the fashion world. Many different styles of blouses are being made with puffed sleeves. Sweaters are no exception. The pullover sweater was the first type of sweater to be called a sweater, a name that was given to it in the U.

When you think of a sweater, you probably imagine a pullover. This is a sweater with a simple collar and no buttons or zippers. These sweaters are not always chunky sweaters but they are mostly made to be somewhat loose around the torso. Knitwear was being made in the islands of the English Channel as far back as the s. Knit tops were first made in the islands of Guernsey and Jersey. This is why the first sweaters were called guernseys or jerseys.

When the knit tops found their way to the U. Athletes were the first to wear sweaters and the look quickly caught on from there. The half zip and quarter-zip sweater is a pullover sweater with a short collar that zips to the chest, in half zip designs, and to the collarbone in quarter zip designs. Raglan sweaters are made with no shoulder seams. Rather, the shoulder seam runs across the front of the chest. The sleeves are attached to the sweater at the collar to create one long seam all the way down the length of the arm.

This is a very comfortable style with a nice, somewhat loose drape on the body. Raglan sleeve styles are used often in cropped sweaters because it creates a loose, almost seamless fit. You can find these sweaters in various thicknesses and colors. Ribbed sweaters give you great texture without all of the bulk that a regular sweater has. Meant to be worn mostly for casual occasions, it is essentially a combination of a crew neck and a turtleneck. It does have a high collar, but it is not normally as high as a turtleneck, and it has an edge that is rolled a little.

The scoop neck sweater, or scooped neck , has a wide, rounded neck. This design exposes the entire neck and some of the collar bone. Scoop neck sweater styles are often made in cardigan and cropped styles, though many different types of sweaters can be made with a scooped neck. You can always wear a scoop neck sweater with a collared shirt to show off a pretty blouse instead of your neck. In set-in sleeve sweater designs, the sleeves are actually sewn onto the body of the sweater, meaning the sweater has two separate pieces of fabric that were sewn together.

Because of the extra stitching and the seams usually used, set-in sleeves look very professional and are, therefore, frequently worn by business professionals and those aiming for a dressier look. According to Thread , the shawl collar became popular in the s. Clearly, it has been a favorite choice in style ever since. The shawl collar is usually only seen in cardigan and V-neck designs. This is because the design of the collar needs a little room.

A shawl collar cardigan is a great additional layer for any outfit. Shawl collar styles are so named because the tops of the sweaters look like shawls. There is extra fabric sewn around the neck area to keep you warm and comfortable. Shawl collars are good for both casual and formal wear, or even if you need a replacement for your hoodie. They are also worn by both men and women, so they are not only attractive sweaters, but they can be fashionable as well.

Knit clothing dates to at least So far, this is the oldest piece of knitwear ever found. By the s, many articles of clothing were knitted.

Fisherman sweaters appeared in England and various items of clothing were made out of sweater material. But it was none other than Coco Chanel who made the sweater dress a thing. Chanel gave the term sweater weather a whole new, fashionable meaning.

Coco Chanel debuted dresses made in jersey wool in the s, setting the stage for the sweater dress as we know it today.

Sweater dresses are made in all sorts of different styles but typically these dresses are form-fitting. Sweater vests are sleeveless and meant to be worn over some type of shirt. They can have round necks or V-necks, and they make a perfect accompaniment to a business suit or become a casual outfit when paired with jeans. Sweater vests look great over dress shirt styles. The sweater vest is a fashion staple. This sleeveless sweater has been worn by Presidents and First Ladies, A-list celebrities and trendsetters everywhere.

The sweater vest can look nerdy chic, preppy cute or professional and polished. It looks great on a college professor or a fashion model. Best of all, sweater vests pretty much never go out of style. The sweater vest can be made in roomy, loose styles, close-fitting designs or cropped looks. The tennis sweater is a truly classic look. By strict definition , a tennis sweater is either white, off-white, ivory or cream in color.

It has a V-neck and it is knit in a cable knit pattern. To be a proper tennis sweater, it must also have colored bands along the neckline.

Sometimes, additional bands of color are added at the sleeves and the waist. However, this part is optional. The tennis sweater was on the fashion scene in the s and has never faded from popular style since. Every year, many designers unveil their newest tennis sweater looks.

The classic white sweater design is still worn by tennis players and style enthusiasts around the world. The turtleneck sweater is a style classic that provides extra warmth for the coldest days. Turtlenecks first appeared in fashion in the s. Because the look became popular with polo players, turtlenecks also became known as polo neck shirts.

Some of the earliest sweater styles featured turtlenecks, extra-long necks that are typically folded down. The fold-down design allows the turtleneck to be customized so it looks good on all necks. Since those early sweater days, the turtleneck sweater has been worn by Hollywood celebrities and style gurus of all types. Turtleneck sweaters are extremely popular and with good reason. Not only do turtleneck sweaters come in a variety of fabrics and colors, but they can also be appropriate for both casual and more formal occasions.

If you wear them under a blazer, you can wear them almost anywhere. A twinset is really two types of sweaters. This is a cardigan that is paired with a pullover. Both are made in the same material, color and pattern.

This is why this look is called a twinset. If it lights up or has doodads hanging off it somewhere, even better. The ugly Christmas sweater is a pretty new fashion trend when compared to some others on this list.

The first mass-produced, Christmas-themed sweaters seem to be the jingle bell sweaters of the s. The only trouble is, the bright, holiday-themed sweaters were meant to be fashionable, if a little cheesy.

But soon enough, people embraced the over-the-top, brightly-colored designs. Vancouver, Canada claims that it was the city where the first-ever ugly sweater party was held, back in Either way, Vancouver now hosts a yearly Ugly Christmas Sweater party.

Any sweater can be an ugly Christmas sweater, though the loud designs are perhaps best displayed in pullover and cardigan styles. The trend of wearing ugly winter holiday-themed sweaters has spread beyond Christmas. You can also find ugly Hannukah sweaters and non-denominational winter-themed ugly sweaters that contain no specific references to any particular holidays.

One of the most famous and romantic figures of the 20th century, the Duke of Windsor made history when he abdicated the throne of England to be with the woman he loved. He is only slightly less well-known as a trendsetter. Pretty much everything the Duke of Windsor wore became a huge fashion trend that everybody had to have.

The v neck sweater is no different. The Duke of Windsor popularized the V-neck sweater in the s. After he was given a Fair Isle sweater vest, he was seen often wearing Fair Isle and other sweater styles, including the V-neck.

Soon, everyone was wearing V-neck sweaters to emulate his elegant, effortless style. These sweaters have a collar shaped like a V, hence the name. There are many advantages to wearing a V-neck sweater.

Not only are they very attractive and trendy, but they can elongate your body and make you look taller, which women in particular love.

They can be made out of many different fabrics and colors. Also known as the commando sweater , the woolly pully is a military sweater. The sweater soon spread to other military personnel and then to everyone. The woolly pully is distinct for the leather patches on the shoulders and the elbows. The wooly pully typically has a crew neck collar and ribbed cuffs. This sweater is made to have a nice, straight drape and falls below the waist, with no cinching at the bottom.

It can be a serious or a cute sweater, depending on how you style it. Sweaters are distinct for being knitted garments but they can be knitted from a huge variety of materials. What your sweater is knitted from and how it is knitted will determine its thickness, warmth level, drape and softness. Like wool, hair is harvested from animals to make sweaters.

In fact, cashmere is a type of hair, though it is often marketed as and thought of as a type of wool. Other animal hair used to make sweaters include alpaca, made from alpacas. Angora is made from rabbit hair. Mohair is another type of goat hair. Mohair is distinct for its somewhat stiff, short fibers. Angora is extremely soft and used to make the finest animal hair sweaters. Cashmere is the most expensive type of wool.

Until the 19th century, sweaters had not been worn by English gentlemen yet. However, the structure of the Guernsey led Lord Nelson to recommend it to the army ministry due to its durability.

This paved the way for the Royal Navy of Britain to adopt Guernseys, and then, these sweaters became one of the most important piece of garments of mariners. Last but not least, there are some specific sweater models which have their own history such as the Aran Sweater and the Scottish Shetlands. It is good to cover each of them in a separate article as it is useful to learn specific details about each model.

Ultimately, I covered some knitwear producers below which you may find helpful in learning some of the iconic manufacturers related to the industry. It was Alan Paine, the son of William Paine, who renamed the company as what we know today. The brand is one of the first manufacturers of cable-knitting sweaters in the United Kingdom. In addition to making knitwear garments at the highest quality, Alan Paine launched its country wear collection in Being a quite new brand, the company used to be a shirtmaker in the early years of its establishment.

However, Charles Tyrwhitt transformed its business into selling knitwear, suits, casual wear, accessories, and any other specific garments related to the industry. Its knitwear collections include sweaters, jumpers, and cardigans, and all garments are made from merino wool and pure cashmere at the highest quality.

Lastly, it is possible to find a store of Charles Tyrwhitt on Jermyn Street — a well-known street for its iconic shirt and shoe makers located in the heart of London. Its knitwear collections are made from hundred per cent cashmere.

It is possible to find the same or similar garments at its stores every season as Eric Bompard produces timeless sweaters, jumpers, cardigans, and turtlenecks. Gran Sasso: Gran Sasso was founded in in a small town in Italy by four brothers.

The company makes knitwear garments and casual wear in its own production facility in Italy, and is still managed by the founding family. Its knitwear collections are made from Mongolian cashmere, Australian and New Zealand merino wool, Egyptian cotton, and silk. Lastly, knitwear collections of Gran Sasso are partially made by hand.

Being one of the oldest knitwear manufacturers in Britain, John Smedley produces its finest knitwear from merino wool at the highest quality, and the company still makes its collections in its own factory where it was established.