Stanley Biggs Sweatshirt

The true beauty in wearing certain garments is to understand the history of where it came from. That’s how we feel anyway. Where an appreciation for a piece of clothing’s evolution and capacity to change face, meets with the potential to become timeless.

We all love and wear sweatshirts. They are a key piece to any wardrobe in today’s society and as we have seen, designer labels, hight street brands and street-store start-ups all have their own versions. The sweatshirt is here to stay.

So where did it all begin?

In 1926, US footballer Benjamin Russell Jnr had an idea for an all-cotton practice jersey, one that could replace the itchy and uncomfortable wool options which also caused chafing. Luckily, his father, Russell Sr, owned a clothing company and was able to make his son’s dream become a reality. From here, Russell Athletic was born and started making the now iconic crew-neck sweatshirt from 1930.

The name ’sweatshirt’ derives from its sporting inspiration. Obviously great for keeping wearers warm, they were created initially as cotton practice jerseys, taking the ’sweat’ element of their name from on the field origins. Today, the sweatshirt is still used for its original purpose, but reimagined for a more style-focussed presentation to be utilised in layering or simply as an extra layer to keep warm in cooler temperatures. In essence, the sweatshirt has become a versatile fashion piece, ready for each wearer to make their own statement.

Those iconic plain sweats seen on Ali, Gene Kelly, Steve McQueen (Great Escape) and Stallone in Rocky became blank canvasses and similar to the T-shirt the sweatshirt became a platform for branding and statements to be printed and embroidered. By the end of the 20th century it had transformed into the fashion garment by the various design fashion houses and this continues today. Everyone from Balmain, Luis Vuitton and Gucci through to Palace, Champion and Nike promote sweatshirts.

It is with this history in mind that Stanley Biggs sweatshirts have been developed and created in four colour-ways. We have chosen to make our sweaters from 100% organic rungspun cotton, ribbed crewneck collar, cuffs and waistband. With the modern fit, our sweaters offer an incredibly comfortable and sustainable addition to your wardrobe. 

Deliberately discreet, the Biggs Fox is expertly embroidered in a matching cotton and sits on the left breast. Understated style, harking back to the era that made the sweatshirt world famous.

Priced at £55. Take a further look here www.stanleybiggs.co.uk.