sweatshirt
{{Short description|Shirt made from thick cloth material}}
File:Logo HD -1 sweat shirt W.jpg sweatshirt with Harley-Davidson branding]]
A sweatshirt is a long-sleeved pullover shirt or jacket fashioned out of thick, usually cotton, cloth material.{{Cite OED|sweatshirt|2226632976}}{{Cite web |title=sweatshirt |url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sweatshirt |work=Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary |publisher=Merriam-Webster |access-date=18 November 2023}} Sweatshirts are almost exclusively casual attire and hence not as formal as some sweaters. Sweatshirts may or may not have a hood. A sweatshirt with a hood is now usually referred to as a hoodie, although more formal media may still use the term "hooded sweatshirt".
History
In 1920, Benjamin Russell Jr., a quarterback for the Alabama Crimson Tide Football team, was tired of the constant chafing and itching caused by their wool football uniforms.{{Cite news|url=https://www.gq.com/story/dropping-knowledge-the-crewneck-sweatshirt|title=Dropping Knowledge: The Crewneck Sweatshirt|last=Gallagher|first=Jake|date=2013-08-28|work=GQ|access-date=2017-09-19|archive-date=2021-10-20|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211020022928/https://www.gq.com/story/dropping-knowledge-the-crewneck-sweatshirt|url-status=live}} He worked with his father, whose company Russell Manufacturing Company made women's and children's knit garments, to come up with a better option.{{Cite web|url=http://www.russellathletic.com/history|title=Russell Athletic History|publisher=Russell US|access-date=2023-01-07|archive-date=2023-01-30|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230130190624/https://www.russellathletic.com/history|url-status=live}} They created a thick cotton practice jersey that was a modification of a ladies' union suit top.{{Cite news|url=https://blog.queensboro.com/2015/02/11/a-brief-exploration-of-the-evolution-of-the-hoodie/|title=A Brief Exploration of the Evolution of the Hoodie|date=2015-02-11|work=Queensboro: Behind the Seams|access-date=2017-09-19|archive-date=2018-06-08|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180608202430/https://blog.queensboro.com/2015/02/11/a-brief-exploration-of-the-evolution-of-the-hoodie/|url-status=dead}} These loose, collarless pullovers were the first sweatshirts. A new division of the company, focusing solely on the production of sweatshirts, became the Russell Athletic Company.
The sweatshirt's potential as a portable advertising tool was discovered in the 1960s when U.S. universities began printing their names on them to exhibit school pride. The sweatshirt, along with the T-shirt, provided a cheap and effective way of disseminating information on a mass scale. The T-shirt slogan fad of the 1970s inevitably translated to sweatshirts. Due to the relative simplicity of customization and the power of clever graphics combined with catchphrases, sweatshirts became a vehicle for personal expression for both the designer and the wearer.{{Cite news |title=Sweatshirt |url=http://fashion-history.lovetoknow.com/clothing-types-styles/sweatshirt |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170904211417/http://fashion-history.lovetoknow.com/clothing-types-styles/sweatshirt |archive-date=2017-09-04 |access-date=2017-09-19 |work=LoveToKnow}}
In Australia, the sweatshirt is referred to as a 'Sloppy Joe'.{{Cite web |title=Australian Slang - Page 'S' |url=http://www.kangaroo-island-au.com/slang/slangs.html |access-date=2024-12-29 |website=www.kangaroo-island-au.com}}{{Cite web |title=Australian Lingo |url=http://aboutaustralia.weebly.com/australian-lingo.html |access-date=2024-12-29 |website="Howdy Mates!" |language=en}}