Who invented sweaters?

Answer 1

We don't really know. But the word (and the garment) seems to have come into fashion in the mid-1800s. Some sources credit it to Major General James Thomas Brudenell, 7th Earl of Cardigan, a British military office who liked to wear what we today would call a sweater-vest. People liked the way it looked and they began asking for one just like it, referring to it as a "cardigan." But other sources say this is an urban legend. There are dictionary references that say the word "sweater" goes back to the early 1800s, when athletes (especially rowers) wore a heavy wool garment intended to make them sweat when they were working out, to help them lose excess weight. We do not know whose idea this was, or who made those original garments, but again, by the late 1800s, the word was in popular use, referring to any wool garment worn to be fashionable and to keep one warm.

Answer 2

The concept of sweaters is believed to have originated in the early 19th century in the United Kingdom. However, the modern design of sweaters featuring knitted wool and a pullover style is credited to Coco Chanel in the 1920s. She popularized the garment as a fashionable and practical clothing option for women.