Dating Cardigan Help

Ruby

Ruby

Registered Guest
I recently bought a cardigan at an estate sale with items ranging from the 50s to 80s (maybe even some newer things too?) When I first saw it, I thought it to be from the 60s because of its label design and material/fabric label. But then on the side was a small XL tag which threw me off. So then I thought maybe this is from the 70s/80s? I've attached pictures for reference. Also another question: When did S/M/L/XL first start being in use anyways? I've tried googling it but I never could find any results.
 

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Hmm. I generally associate Orlon with the '50-60s, and your cardigan does look '60s but I didn't think XL was used back then - I've only seen it since the '80s. All the same, your cardigan looks pretty '60s to me so I'll go with that.
 
Thanks! The 60s type label with the XL tag was really driving me crazy, from what I've seen before, it just didn't make sense, so I was really stumped on this one :hysterical:
 
Which way does it button? From your photo, I think it may be a man's sweater and I believe that XL was used back in the '60's and possibly earlier in menswear.

Linn
 
Yeah it's a man's cardigan. I didn't even think about that making a difference :duh2: Anyways thanks! I had no idea that XL was used back then for menswear.
 
As I said, I haven't seen it that far back - but happy to be proven correct. I'm confident that it's a '60s (mans) cardigan.

Linn, do Americans call them sweaters when they're for men?
 
Yes,

They are called sweaters. I just found an XL in 1964, inthe Everyday Fashions of the the Sixties as Pictured in the Sear's Catalogs.

Linn
 
Thank you: that's good to know. Here we call them jumpers if they're pullovers (is that the UK version?), I thought that was a sweater in the US, but now I know that sweater also covers cardigan. I wonder if there's a list of the regional terminations somewhere?

And Americans call our pinafores jumpers!?
 
Yes in the UK we use jumper most often for a outer top with no fastenings, for me sweater tends to mean the fruit of the loom style thick cotton workwear jumpers, as opposed to knitted items. I'd never have used 'sweater' for a cardigan here either!

Btw I would also have associated the mountain scene on the label with a men's cardigan rather than a ladies.
 
Yes calling pinafore dresses jumpers really confuses me! The other one that gets me is vests. To me a vest is an undergarment, but I know some countries use it for what I call a waistcoat.

Pullover isn't much used in the UK these days, I think, though that may well vary regionally, and by generation, within the UK. I think most people would recognise the term. It's jumpers and cardigans here for sure.
 
I call them waistcoats too, but American words have crept in a lot, especially in the internet age with ebay etc, so vest is used occasionally - although I agree with you Ruth, a vest is something you wear under your shirt (or at least that's how I've always used it). Australia is basically still a British colony in many ways but we're rapidly becoming Americanised.
 
I finally got the gist of what a vest is in the UK - but I didn't know that the term (in English) was being used for a waistcoat too. In German "Weste" means waistcoad though... there's the point when people like me whose mothertongue isn't English get confused :wacko:. I watch mostly British TV, read mostly English books, watch a lot American TV series and movies, used to deal with Americans and Candians daily for a few years, and now my business partners are almost all Aussies, Kiwis and a sprinkling of Pacific Islanders... result? My English is all over the place and I pick up expressions as I go, never being quite sure if I use the appropriate word anymore - keeping track is too hard :hysterical:. So I write about a sidewalk in Adelaide, and my Australian friend who used to be a school teacher keeps telling me that this is called a footpath... but never ask me for another word for an esky - I wouldn't know... oh dear!

Karin
 
Haha wow so many new things to learn today! I'd always assumed S/M/L/XL started in the 80s or something, and also never really thought about things being called differently around the world. Also it didn't occur to me to associate mountains on the label with men's clothing :hysterical:
 
CircaVintageClothing said:
Karin, you're right: we call a sidewalk a footpath or pavement, but we know what a sidewalk is too, so you don't have worry much. As to esky: I think they're an Aussie invention, no idea what the rest of the world makes of them! Except they're wonderful for picnics and when you go to the cricket. Wikipedia tells me that they're sometimes callled "Coolers" or as our Kiwi cousins would have it, a "Chilly Bin".
Click to expand...

You don't call them a cool box? that's the only name for them here. You're really migrating from the colony now Nicole! ';)
 
No, haven't heard of "cool box". I guess I didn't go on too many picnics when living in the UK! They're an essential here: every home has one and metal vintage versions are much prized.
 
"Esky" or "cool box" is called a "cooler" in the US. Vests are outer garments and often part of a 3-piece suit (men's) but were worn in the '70's by women - think Diane Keaton in "Annie Hall."

It's really fun reading this - lots of different words for the same item; spelling, too!

We love to say that the VFG has Members and Registered Guests, Worldwide!

Aloha,

Linn

P.S. We call flip-flops -slippahs!
 
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