Fashion Synopsis

Hey, Daddy-O! Like don’t be such a square in your cardigan, Pops!

This oversized, ‘sloppy’-style sweater was borrowed from the back closet and adopted by beatniks and bobby soxers. The baggy sloppy joe sweater was a shift from the tight-fitted look of the traditional sweater set, and was considered a shocking (at least to parents) teenage fashion for the rebellious set.

A baggy body with rolled collar, hem and cuffs, the sloppy joe sweater was more comfortable but overly casual when compared to the tailored looks that conservative teens were wearing. Gruff and hanging down almost to the knees, the loose sweaters were paired with gathered skirts or slim capri pants and sandals by beatnik ladies. Bobby soxers traded in their oversized white shirts (which they stole from their brother’s closet) for the sweater (stolen from Grandpa’s) , worn with their cuffed denim jeans and saddle shoes. Beatnik boys topped their chinos or baggy corduroy pants with the cable knit sweater that seemed to swallow them whole. Nothing said rebellion better than sloppiness, dig?

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