The soft fuzzy feeling of a sweater comforted many a lady and her beau in the backseat of Dad’s car in the 1950s. Female sex symbols of the silver screen like Rita Hayworth were dubbed ‘sweater girls’ for the incredible fit of their sweaters over the pointed cones of their bullet bras.
A tight, fuzzy sweater and a bullet bra made a lethal combination in the hormone-crazy days of teenagerdom.
The 50s new financial prosperity saw a surge in the production of luxury fabric furs like cashmere and angora, which made super-soft sweaters.
Pringle, the biggest manufacturer of cashmere cardigans and sweaters, became one of the first label lustings of the teen years.
The advent of artificial fibres like Orlon acrylic imitated the feel of wool and cashmere (or at least tried to), with a ‘wash and wear’ ease of cleaning and a more affordable price.
Sweaters were everywhere: twin sets, cardigans, v-neck, sweater vests, pullovers, letterman’s sweaters, Ban-Lon, Orlon, acrylic, cotton, wool, angora, cashmere. In numerous styles, colours and patterns, the 50s were all about sweaters, sweaters and more sweaters.
Famed fashion designer Coco Chanel conceived of the beloved 50s twinset: a matching cardigan sweater over a simple pullover.
Special accessories, called sweater clips, helped to keep a sweater secure when thrown over the shoulders.
