Sweater Girls: When a Formerly Sexist Trend Is Transformed by Time
By Marie Lodi
The sweater is the fashion world’s version of oatmeal. It’s hearty and good for you, and able to be dressed up (or down) into whatever style you like. But sexy? Meh — the common interpretation of women who wear sweaters might be everything but. But that hasn’t always been the case. Tight, body-hugging knits were a fashion trend during the Golden Age of Hollywood, popping up in the wardrobe departments of many film sets to be worn by women, for the pleasure of men. It was during that time that the term “The Sweater Girl” was coined, and used in reference to ’50s bombshells like Lana Turner, Jane Russell, and Marilyn Monroe, who accentuated their hourglass figures by famously wearing bullet-shaped bras underneath their body-hugging knits.
Related: Discussing Fashion’s Evolving Relationship With Gender
But through these women and their outfits truly defined a time, the legacy of the Sweater Girl has endured, changed directions, dropped its sexist past, and has ultimately been used to describe those insouciant, self-possessed women who chose comfort over appearing cultivated, and are 1,000% more alluring because of it.
Related: Meet The New It Models You Need To Know
For every girl-next-door pinup, there was a bad-girl gang on the silver screen wearing tight sweaters accessorized with switchblades. In the ’80s and ’90s, there were television teen queens rocking oversize knits in wild, colorful patterns. These days, what defines a Sweater Girl has evolved, and we are now witness to a mishmash of all of the above, from designers who embrace minimalist chic to a performer with a particular Coogi obsession. Today. we pay tribute to 30 Sweater Girls who embraced knitwear like a form of fashion religion.
Related: Lisa Frank, CEO, Gets Frank About Lisa Frank, The Brand
Lana Turner in They Won’t Forget. Photo: Getty Images
The Beginning of “Sweater Girl”: Lana Turner in They Won’t Forget
In 1937, then-15-year-old Turner was cast in the thriller They Won’t Forget, and made her mark in a brief, albeit memorable scene, in which she strolled through a busy street wearing a formfitting sweater and a long pencil skirt. And, in accordance with the trend of the time, she was given a nickname: “The Sweater Girl” (for example, Clara Bow was “The It Girl,” and Dorothy Lamour was known as “The Sarong Queen”). Apparently, Turner hated her nickname throughout her career.
Related: A Beginner’s Guide To Sneakerhead Culture
Judy Garland in an armed forces sweater in 1944. Photo: Getty Images
Judy Garland
During a star-studded 1944 recording session for the Armed Forces Radio Network, Bob Hope introduced Garland as “that lovely Sweater Girl.” Hope and Garland performed a quick bit where Judy asked Bob why men are so crazy about sweater girls. Bob responded that he doesn’t know: “That’s one mystery I’d like to unravel.” All together now: blech.
Related: For Every Woman Who Hates Her Stomach
Marilyn Monroe in a turtleneck. Photo: Getty Images
Marilyn Monroe
Before she became famous as Marilyn Monroe, Norma Jeane Baker was photographed wearing a red cardigan backward and buttoned up the back — a trend for teenage girls in the ’50s. She referred to it as her “magic sweater.” In a 1955 photo shoot with celebrity photographer Milton H. Greene, Monroe posed in a different red sweater — but this time, she didn’t wear anything on the bottom.
Related: Insider Tips From The Vintage Store Rihanna Swears By
Jane Russell in a gray turtleneck on the set of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. Photo: Getty Images
Jane Russell
Marilyn Monroe’s Gentlemen Prefer Blondes co-star was also known as one of the Sweater Girls of the big screen. Her debut film, The Outlaw, faced threats of being pulled after censors voiced concern about the way her ample cleavage was depicted in revealing blouses.
Related: The Real Reason Women In Taiwan Are Wearing Plastic Bags
Jayne Mansfield wearing a cone bra underneath her sweater. Photo: Getty Images
Jayne Mansfield
In order to create a perfect hourglass silhouette, Mansfield would wear a cone or bullet bra underneath her tight sweaters, which she tucked into her skirts.
Related: These Early ‘00s Trends Are Making A BIG Comeback, Whether You Like It Or Not
The Violent Years
Ed Wood’s 1956 exploitation film is about a gang of juvenile-delinquent teenage girls in tight sweaters led by a young hood named Paula Parkins. The rebellious adolescents would later ditch their sweaters for men’s clothing, burglarize gas stations, and terrorize couples in love, because — obviously.
Teenage Gang Debs
Another sleazy girl-gang exploitation film, this 1966 flick is about a young lass from Manhattan who moves to Brooklyn and joins a neighborhood clique called the Rebels. Tight sweaters and switchblade fights abound.
Brigitte Bardot wearing a sweater with a mini skirt and slouchy boots. Photo: Getty Images
Brigitte Bardot
The French New Wave actress was constantly seen wearing sweaters, from the iconic bullet-bra look to buttoned-up cardigans and loose silhouettes. She was also the inspiration for the Bardot neckline, of course.
Related: If You Loved These Brands As A Teen, Here Are The Labels You’ll Be Obsessed With Now
Francine Gottfried’s criminally chic sweater and pencil skirt ensemble. Photo: Getty Images
Francine Gottfried
Gottfried was an unknown office clerk who gained brief notoriety after mobs of men began to watch her walk to work for two weeks in September 1968 (and yes — that’s exactly as creepy as it sounds). The press nicknamed her the “Wall Street Sweater Girl,” and her commute drew crowds of 10,000. Police had to help escort Gottfried, who was obviously annoyed with all attention and had begun taking a different route to work. “What are they doing this for? I think they’re all mental cases. I’m just an ordinary girl,” she said.
Velma’s orange turtleneck. Photo: Courtesy
Velma from Scooby-Doo
Sweater Girls aren’t just real people. Velma Dinkley, the nerdy, bespectacled character from Scooby-Doo, was famous for her head-to-toe orange-hued outfit, which consisted of a turtleneck sweater and a matching skirt.
Jennifer Beals in Flashdance
The famous “Maniac” dance number is rarely replicated without Beals’ signature look as Alex Owens in 1983’s Flashdance: an off-the-shoulder, oversize raglan gray sweatshirt worn with red heels.
Related: 8 Tales Of Crashing Fashion Shows, From Some Of The Industry’s Heavyweights
Nastassja Kinski in Paris, Texas
There is a haunting scene in 1984’s Paris, Texas in which Kinski unknowingly speaks to her estranged husband through a one-way mirror at a peepshow booth. Her look, which consisted of a fuzzy pink sweater with matching lipstick, made the scene even more striking.
Denise Huxtable in The Cosby Show
Denise (Lisa Bonet) was the Huxtable middle sister whose unique hairstyles and quirky fashion sense helped her stand out in a big family. She rocked a ton of sweaters throughout the show (as well as in its college-themed spinoff, A Different World), including a bright blue number that had moons and stars all over it.
Related: This Pro Surfer Hit The Waves In Heels And An LBD
Liv Tyler in Empire Records
Tyler’s record-store work outfit consisted of a fuzzy, cropped baby blue sweater and a plaid skirt — a look replicated by fans of the film for years to come.
Alicia Silverstone in Clueless
Clueless was brimming with sweaters, from cropped sweater vests to collared jumpers — a look that’s still being copied today, especially with those riding the ’90s resurgence.
