A twinset, twin set or sweater-set is a matching set of a cardigan and a (usually) short-sleeved jumper or pullover. The twinset first appeared in the 1940s and is now considered a classic wardrobe staple.

Description

The classic twinset is knitted in

wool Wool is the textile fibre obtained from sheep and other mammals, especially goats, rabbits, and camelids. The term may also refer to inorganic materials, such as mineral wool and glass wool, that have properties similar to animal wool. As ...

or cashmere, though modern interpretations can be knit from synthetics such as acrylic. The under-sweater is usually worn tight-fitting, with the cardigan unbuttoned to reveal accompanying jewelry, most typically a string of pearls. Twinsets have been associated most closely with women's work wardrobes during the 1950s and 1960s, particularly in secretarial work or teaching, but were occasionally viewed as too casual for more conservative workplaces where dress suits were preferred. However, their popularity was largely driven by Hollywood stars such as Grace Kelly,

Marilyn Monroe Marilyn Monroe (; born Norma Jeane Mortenson; 1 June 1926 4 August 1962) was an American actress. Famous for playing comedic " blonde bombshell" characters, she became one of the most popular sex symbols of the 1950s and early 1960s, as wel ...

, and

Audrey Hepburn Audrey Hepburn (born Audrey Kathleen Ruston; 4 May 1929 – 20 January 1993) was a British actress and humanitarian. Recognised as both a film and fashion icon, she was ranked by the American Film Institute as the AFI's 100 Years...100 Stars, t ...

who were frequently seen wearing them on and off the set. The twinset is often chosen by costume directors and designers in the modern film industry to portray a character's conservatism or frumpiness. On the other hand, interest in the twinset returned thanks in part to the pink set worn by Elizabeth Hurley in the 1997 film '' Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery''. The twinset, in a variety of lengths and sleeve styles (set-in or

raglan Raglan may refer to: People *FitzRoy Somerset, 1st Baron Raglan (1788–1855), British Army officer, commander of British troops during the Crimean War *Raglan (surname) *Raglan Squire (1912–2004), British architect Places Australia *Count ...

, short- and long-sleeved for both cardigan and pullover), has remained commercially available to the present day through numerous design houses, manufacturers and retailers. Its current appeal is to older women and to "retro"-styled younger women drawing from 1950s and 1960s-inspired influences such as the AMC drama '' Mad Men''.

History

The twinset was a 1920s fashion innovation, attributed to both Coco Chanel and

Elsa Schiaparelli Elsa Schiaparelli ( , also , ; 10 September 1890 – 13 November 1973) was a fashion designer from an Italian aristocratic background. She created the house of Schiaparelli in Paris in 1927, which she managed from the 1930s to the 1950s. ...

References

External links

{{Clothing Sweaters