A Sweater Story for Fashion Enthusiasts Who Love Knits.

Everyone carries a memory within them. As we grow up, many of us remember receiving a sweater, a scarf, or a pair of knitted gloves of handmade stitch by stitch by a relative or someone dear. Those gifts, crafted with care and devotion, remain with us even if the items themselves are no longer by our side. They live on as a strand of warmth woven into the center of our memories.

Today, I want to talk about knitwear, but I'd like to begin by establishing the concept of clothing itself. Only then can we trace the evolution of the sweater and rediscover the meaning it holds

In the Book of Genesis, the story of Adam and Eve records that after Adam ate the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil, God made garments of skin for Adam and Eve to cover their shame. In the same way, clothing is an essential item for us. It is needed not only to protect the naked body but also as the most basic means of safeguarding ourselves.

Looking back before and after the Industrial Revolution, clothing prior to that era was more than just a basic necessity of life it served as an important symbol that revealed social status and economic circumstances.

The powerful and the wealthy flaunted their authority through luxurious fabrics and elaborate adornments, which soon became tools representing their power and wealth. In contrast, the clothing of commoners and laborers existed in modest forms, bearing the marks of sweat, toil, and the hardships of life. Clothing thus served as a kind of “inventory of property,” reflecting the weight of an individual’s life and social standing, while also embodying significant social and religious meaning as an important asset.

However, in today’s world, clothing is emphasized less as a marker of wealth or social status and more as a means of self-expression. Of course, the fashion of the wealthy, the successful, or famous celebrities often becomes an object of admiration for ordinary people, creating a desire to purchase the clothes they wear or a longing to belong to their circle. This is why some individuals aspire to luxury brands or imitate the fashion of those with social standing. Yet for the vast majority, fashion serves primarily as the first tool to reveal one’s identity and individuality. It is increasingly taking root as a way of expressing oneself rather than as a symbol of social position.

Within the flow of fashion, the sweater occupies a particularly fascinating position. Originating from traditional handcraft, the knitwear industry expanded through mechanization after the Industrial Revolution. Yet, sweaters continue to embody warmth, craftsmanship, and cultural symbolism, remaining an essential pillar of modern fashion. Of course, before the Industrial Revolution, each country had its own distinctive sweater styles. But what I wish to explore here is how sweaters became branded within the knitwear industry after the Industrial Revolution.

Let us begin with the concepts of knit and woven fabrics. From the perspective of textile construction, knit fabric is created by continuously interlocking a single strand of yarn into loops, while woven fabric is produced by crossing warp vertical threads and weft horizontal threads at right angles. In modern fashion, these are regarded as distinct categories of fabric. Garments made from knit fabric include cardigans, pullovers, turtlenecks, vests, hoodies, zip-ups, crewnecks, T-shirts, knit pants, sportswear, leggings, and many more. It is not easy to try on every single item. Each knit garment differs from woven clothing in terms of design, silhouette, and wearing comfort, and depending on the season and occasion, knitwear reveals its own unique charm.

Knitt Machin

Woven Machine

Let us begin with the etymology of "knit" and "sweater." Linguistically, the word knit originates from the Old English cnyttan, meaning "to tie or to weave yarn into loops." The concept of knit thus predates that of the sweater, referring first to the act of interlacing yarn. The term sweater emerged much later, in the late 19th century during the Victorian era. At that time, garments with traditional knitted details were worn by people engaging in sports or strenuous physical activities. Observing them perspire while wearing these knit garments, the word sweater was formally coined to describe "a garment that makes one sweat." Before becoming a fashion item, the sweater was historically a practical form of knitwear used for rowing, sports, and other vigorous activities. Over time, it came to designate specific clothing made by the knitting technique.

 knit originates from the Old English cnyttan

Sweater => sweat + er

In a historical context, knitting and crochet existed throughout Europe as early as the Middle Ages, and regional traditions such as the Irish Aran knit, the British Guernsey knit, and the Norwegian Nordic knit developed over time. These knitting styles have come to be used much like branded names for sweaters today. Originally, the term knit simply referred to all types of knitted fabric, but in modern usage it has become a textile category that encompasses all garments made from knit materials.

Now that we understand the broader concepts of knit and woven fabrics, as well as the etymology of the sweater, let us speak more directly about sweaters themselves. Sweaters are garments most often worn in winter, and they are considered an essential winter item that nearly everyone owns. As representative pieces, they combine warmth and style ranging from the neat crewneck sweater to the turtleneck that warmly wraps the neck. With such variety, sweaters are among the knitwear items most frequently chosen in everyday life.

Among the many categories of knitwear, the sweater is already known to have a long history, deeply rooted in the everyday culture and traditions of different regions. The reason sweaters became directly connected to the identity of local communities lies in their handcrafted production. The skill of interlacing yarn stitch by stitch with needles was passed down through generations, carrying with it distinctive patterns, motifs, and regional symbolism. Although sweaters are seasonal garments giving way in summer to other knitwear items with diverse patterns and designs that represent fashion in modern society the tradition and symbolism of the sweater have never disappeared. On the contrary, the very name "sweater" has come to embody values of craftsmanship, warmth, and regional identity, establishing itself as a kind of brand in its own right. Even today, sweaters exist not merely as winter clothing but as an important pillar of fashion, reminding us of the roots and identity of the knitwear industry.