Jacket Fashion From Lacoste

An Overview of the Sweatshirt

We have got to journey back to mid-1920s Alabama to find the birth date and place of the sweatshirt. The sweatshirt was invented by the Russell company, which started life in 1902 as a producer of male and female under-garments.

Benjamin had a son, Bertie, who began playing football at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa. Bertie complained to his father about the football shirts They were made from wool and caused itchiness when they became damp making them very uncomfortable for the players.

Bertie came-up with the idea of using the underwear garment material as football shirts. Knowing well the garments produced at his father’s factory Bertie told his father that this would make excellent football shirts. Benjamin decided to give it a go and history was in the making.

Football players loved the new material - it had many benefits for them, not least of which was comfort. Bertie sold the concept to other clubs and the new shirts quickly became very popular.

Benjamin saw the promise of the new shirt and encouraged Bertie to identify other markets for the lighter, softer material. Bertie found willing customers in athletics clubs and the baseball world and production expanded to satisfy the new orders.

{The Russell company graduallybecame the preferred sports shirt supply company by forming Russell Athletic in 1932.|This success led to Russell to form the athletics association Russell Athletic in 1932 firmly establishing the Russell brand in a wide range of sports markets.

Fast forward in time and the sweatshirt style has since become a very popular casual wear item being made by many fashion brands for example G Star Sweat.