What Is a Pullover?

Where does the pullover come from?

The pullover takes its name from the way it is put on: drawn on over the head. The Online Etymology Dictionary records “pullover sweater” in 1912 and “pullover” alone as a type of sweater by 1925. The word itself is older. The same dictionary records the adjective pullover (also pull-over) by 1871, used first of hats. From 1875 the noun named a cap of silk or felted fur drawn over a hat body to form the nap.

The knitted tops the word came to describe have a longer history. The V&A describes the gansey, or guernsey, as a traditional, seamless knitted sweater typically worn by fishermen for warmth and protection. By the 1870s, men’s knitted undershirts and vests of wool, cotton or wool blended with silk were being worn for sport. Called jerseys, they were widely adopted by athletes. Machine-knitting developments, the museum notes, made such garments more affordable and more widely available. Golf, boating, tennis and cycling were growing in popularity and needed comfortable clothing. Towards the end of the 19th century, the sweater began to have wider appeal.

According to the V&A, the sweater has only been worn as fashion since the 1920s. The Prince of Wales popularised the Fair Isle sweater, which he wore as part of his golfing dress in 1921, and Coco Chanel promoted knitted jersey as everyday wear. The museum dates a boom in the sweater’s popularity to the 1950s, thanks to new yarns and new colours.

What makes a pullover a pullover?

A garment is a pullover when it goes on over the head rather than opening down the front. The Britannica Dictionary defines it as a piece of clothing, such as a sweater, put on by pulling it over the head. It gives “a pullover jacket” as an example. Under that definition, the test is how the garment goes on, not what it is made of.

Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries labels the word especially British and gives a narrower definition: a knitted piece of clothing of wool or cotton for the upper body, with long sleeves and no buttons. It lists jumper and sweater as synonyms. Even this narrower sense bends in use: the same entry lists “sleeveless” among the words commonly paired with pullover.

Two practical consequences follow from the over-the-head test:

• In the broad sense, a short opening does not change the category. A quarter-zip or a buttoned placket at the neck still leaves a garment that goes on over the head, although buttons take it outside Oxford’s narrower sense. A full-length zip or row of buttons changes it in either sense.
• Material does not decide it in the broad sense. A hoodie, a sweatshirt or a pullover jacket goes on the same way as a knitted jumper.

What is the difference between a pullover, a sweater and a jumper?

In its broad sense a pullover is defined by how it goes on, while a sweater is defined by how it is made. Merriam-Webster defines a sweater as “a knitted or crocheted jacket or pullover”. So the sweater family includes knitted garments that open at the front. The pullover family includes over-the-head garments that are not knitted.

A quick test: if it is knitted and goes over the head, every term above except cardigan can apply. If it goes over the head and is not knitted, only pullover in its broad sense fits.

What are the main types of pullover?

Knitted pullovers are usually told apart by their neckline, pattern and sleeves; non-knitted pullovers by their cloth and purpose.

How do you tell a well-made pullover?

Check how the knitted panels were shaped, whether the knit runs straight, how the neckline sits once the pullover is on, and how the seams look from inside.

Look for fashion marks or missing seams

Cotton Incorporated’s CottonWorks site describes several ways of making sweaters. Cut-and-sew, the most common, cuts panels from knitted fabric. In full fashioning, loops are transferred to neighbouring needles to widen or narrow each piece on the machine. This leaves “fashion marks”. The site says full fashioning gives a better fit and a smoother seam. Look for these marks where a piece has been widened or narrowed. If no marks are formed, CottonWorks calls the result a “shaped” garment. In knit-to-wear (whole-garment) knitting, the body and sleeves are knitted as tubes and joined on the machine, with no cut-and-sew or linking. Because nothing is cut and sewn or linked, you will find no sewn side or sleeve seams. See fully fashioned knit for more on the method.

Lay it flat and check the rows

Spread the back on a table. The horizontal rows of loops (courses) and the vertical ribs should meet at right angles, a standard set out in Texas extension clothing quality standards. Rows that slant across the back are a warning sign: the knit is off grain.

Pull it on and check the neckline

The neck opening of a pullover is stretched every time it goes over the head, so judge it on the body, not on the hanger. The same standards ask for a neckline that fits the body without gapping or straining. A crew neck that stands away from the neck, or a V-neck that pulls into folds at the point, fails that test.

Turn it inside out

Seams should look smooth and even on the inside as well as the outside, with no excessive holes where the needle went through. On a cut-and-sew pullover, follow the side seams from hem to underarm: a seam that puckers fails that test.

Red flags

• Courses that slope across the back when the pullover lies flat
• A neckline that gapes or drags once the pullover is on
• Seams that ripple, pucker or show needle holes
• A “fully fashioned” claim on the label or swing tag when you can find no fashion marks

How do you wear a pullover?

Choose the neckline for what goes underneath it, and the thickness of the knit for what goes on top.

• Over a collared shirt: a V-neck shows the shirt collar and any tie; a crew neck hides most of the collar, so a soft or button-down collar is easier to tuck under the neckline than a stiff, wide one.
• Under tailoring: a fine, flat knit fits under a jacket or blazer without bunching at the sleeves; save chunky knits for wearing as the outer layer.
• On its own: a crew neck or turtleneck over a T-shirt gives a clean neckline; check that the T-shirt’s hem does not show below the ribbed hem of the pullover.
• Sleeveless pullovers can go over a shirt, so the shirt’s sleeves cover the arms.

If you need to take a layer off often, a cardigan is easier: a pullover has to come off over the head.