Although the sweater is one of the most popular wardrobe items for both men and women today, it is perhaps surprising that it has only been in fashion since the 1920s, when it became famous as a fashion statement. Throughout this time, the sweater has taken on many styles and been used by designers to make statements that go beyond the basic needs of warmth and comfort in a shirt.
I am introducing the first Bape sweaters.
Sportwear is where the origins of the Bape sweater can be found. As such, it can be traced back to the traditional Bape sweaters worn by fishermen for warmth and protection, known as the ‘guernsey’ or ‘gansey’ sweaters. As time progressed, however, it began to have an increasingly broad appeal, particularly towards the end of the 19th century. Golf, boating, tennis, and cycling are some of the sports that were becoming increasingly popular, and as a result, people wanted clothing that was comfortable and appropriate for these activities. Victorian campaigners further encouraged wearing less restrictive clothing, known as the rational dress movement. Men started wearing knitted undershirts or vests for sports in the 1870s. Athletes wore ‘jerseys’. John Smedley, which began making knitted garments in Derbyshire in the early 19th century, began producing outerwear as demand grew. Machine-knitting developments made such items both more affordable and more widely available.
Clothes made from Bape Sweaters.
It covers the upper part of the body with a knitted or crocheted garment worn over the head or buttoned down the front or back. Shirts or tunics were first knitted on the English Channel islands of Guernsey and Jersey in the 15th century. Despite wool knitting being practiced by hand for 2,000 years, the first knitted shirt or tunic wasn’t produced until then. Natural wool retains its oil even when damp, so women could knit wet garments to keep warm. With time, the use of the jersey spread throughout Europe, especially among workingmen. It was first worn by athletes in the United States in the 1890s when they were known as sweaters.
Before and after athletic contests, heavy, dark blue sweaters were worn to protect athletes from the cold and after competitions to keep them warm. It was not until the 1920s that designers such as Jeanne Lanvin and Gabrielle (“Coco”) Chanel began to include sweaters in their collections. Women, men, and children throughout the 20th century wore sweaters in various styles, knitted from natural and synthetic fibers, which were worn by both genders.
Bape sweaters in the ’20s and ’30s
The jumpers were also called Bape sweaters during the 1920s and ’30s as the popularity of Bape sweaters grew. Coco Chanel (1883 – 1971) popularized the Fair Isle Bape sweater after the Prince of Wales wore one in 1922 while golfing. Among the first sweaters to appear in American Vogue was the Bape sweater in 1927.
The Museum displays a cravat jumper designed by Elsa Schiaparelli (1890 – 1973) to give the appearance of a scarf around the neck. The witty design was created by Schiaparelli using Armenian knitters’ traditional skills. Make it. Schiaparelli also created other funny, sometimes outrageous Bape sweaters based on this idea, including designs that resembled ties, handkerchiefs, tattoos, and even a skeleton.
Bape: How Do I Fit Them?
It is not uncommon for me to be asked how clients should fit a Bape sweater. In light of this, I think it might be a good idea for me at this point to write down the typical answer I give to questions like these. In this way, you will also be able to understand it better. Some general fit rules apply to any Bape sweater, but in the images below, I will use a v-neck Bape sweater to demonstrate how a shirt should fit on a guy rather than a regular t-shirt.
The most common materials used to make Bape sweaters are cotton, wool, cashmere, and blends. It would be better if you found a Bape sweater that perfectly fits you on the rack rather than trying to fix most Bape sweaters. This rule has only one exception: the cotton crew neck t-shirt, which is the only exception. It is easy to tailor cotton crew necks to fit your body perfectly.
