Sweater

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A jumper from Marks & Spencer.

A sweater, jumper, pullover, sweatshirt, jersey or guernsey is a garment intended to
cover the torso and arms. They are often worn over a shirt, blouse, T-shirt, or other top,
or as for women, worn alone with only a bra underneath. Sweaters tend to be, and in
earlier times always were, made from wool; however, they can be made of cotton,
synthetic fibers, or some combination thereof. Sweaters are maintained by washing, and
the use of a lint roller.
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• 1 Types and design

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[edit] Types and design

"Hot dog" Sweater

Look up sweater in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

The term "sweater" is a catch-all for various types of garments. A fundamental division is
between a cardigan (which opens in front) and a pullover (which does not). If the sweater
has no sleeves, it is generally called a sweater vest or tank top; a "vest" in British English
refers to the same item as "undershirt" in American English.
A garment of this type was originally named a sweater either because it was designed to
absorb sweat,[citation needed] or the garment was designed to promote a sweat during
exercise. It has now become a household name, and other styles of garment (as named
above) have kept the original term. A thermal t-shirt is not considered a sweater.

[edit] Sweater

Navy "Wooly Pully" (woolen pullover), rib-knit.

Even within these groups, there is a great variety of design. All the various types of
necklines are found, although the V-neck, turtleneck and the crew neck are the most
popular. The waistline is typically at hip height, but can vary significantly. A typical
sweater for woman is waist length, slightly overlapping the waist of the pants or skirt. In
contrast to the more "skin revealing tops" for women that can be seen today, the sweater
remains a conservative garment. A normal waist-length sweater, worn alone, will only
show the arms if short sleeved. Although some sweaters are cropped by design and
expose the midriff (in more modern styles), the hip height sweater is modest, typically
only revealing a slight amount of skin in the back, near the waist, if the wearer is sitting
or bending. The sleeve length is likewise variable, ranging from small cap sleeves to
short sleeves to three-quarter sleeves to full-length sleeves. The front seam of a cardigan
allows for further possibilities, such as a surplice or a bolero jacket. All the hems may
have various types of borders, such as picots, ribbing (knitting) and frills.
One advantage of sweaters is that they conform well to the body without requiring the
tailoring as woven garments. For example, shaping such as darts, flares and gores —
commonly found in woven blouses, a comparable garment — are rarely needed in
sweaters, thanks to the Elasticity and drape of knitted fabrics. Even when such shaping is
needed, it can be knit into the fabric itself, without requiring seams. However, this very
elasticity makes it necessary to use more care when washing.

[edit] Nomenclature
If a sweater has a zipper that runs from the bottom to the top, it is usually known as a
sweatshirt[citation needed]. A hooded sweatshirt is commonly known as a hoodie. A
jumper with an open front fastened by buttons or a zipper, is called a cardigan. A hockey
sweater was, in the early days of ice hockey, recognisable as what people in the 2000s
would call a sweater, but has since evolved into a sort of jersey. Thus, in modern-day
North American usage, the shirt of an ice-hockey player's uniform is traditionally called a
sweater, regardless of the style.
In British English, a sweater is called a jersey, pullover or jumper, the last two terms
being the most common name in British English and Australian English. In South African
English, a sweater is always called a jersey. Sleeveless pullovers are known in American
English and Australian English as vests or sweater vests. In British English they are
known as tank tops or slipovers.
A particularly loud, colorful, or decorative sweater has been known in America the past
twenty years as a "Cosby Sweater", being named after comedian Bill Cosby's penchant
for wearing them during the run of The Cosby Show.

[edit] Customary wear

Seaman's jumper, woolen, hand-knitted.

Thin sweaters may be worn tucked in to the waistband of trousers; but otherwise, men's
sweaters are to be worn untucked. Nonetheless, some individuals, including some
television and film actors, have been known for wearing tucked-in sweaters.[1]
Sweaters are a versatile item of clothing and can be worn on top of almost any outfit.
Sports sweaters, especially hoodies, are often worn on tops of sports kit while traveling to
or from a sports ground. Sweaters can be worn with a dress shirt underneath (and
optionally a tie), which has the advantage of allowing the wearer to have the option of
removing the sweater when it is uncomfortably warm and still looking presentable in
many situations. In the late 20th century the sweater increasingly came to be worn as an
alternative to a shirt when finer materials made them more comfortable next to the skin.
Some women's sweaters are meant to be worn belted; a belt or drawstring is sometimes
knitted into the sweater itself. Leggings are commonly worn with long sweaters or
sweater dresses.
[edit] Ice hockey
The uniforms that present day ice hockey players wear are sometimes referred to as
"sweaters," although they more closely resemble the jerseys worn in other sports. This is
because original uniforms were simply sweaters with the team's logo stitched on the
front. However, as technology changed, so did the uniforms as actual sweaters absorbed
too much moisture and became weighed down and bulky throughout the course of a
game.