It's Beginning to Look alot Like Christmas Sweaters

The 1940s and 50s where definitely the hey day of the recently much maligned Christmas Sweater.  Mid century adds and photos show smiling, sporty, men and women in chic Holliday sweaters.  More often then not the sweater in question is from Jantzen. 



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Founded in 1916 Jantzen began as a swimwear brand that originated in Portland Oregon.  The Jantzen diving girl in her red swim suit became a famous logo.

The suits where stylish, but also undeniably sporty,  meant for athletic pursuits and not just  splashing.   In the late 1930s the company added sweaters to their line, many of them Holliday themed. 




Image Source

The famous diving girl still visible on the label:

image source the vintage traveler

Jantzen is still around and manufacturing swim suits, but the sweaters are a thing of the past.   I've always been a big proponent of seasonal and Holliday dressing and I badly wanted a mid-century Christmas sweater of my own.  Luckily, as they were such a popular item, there are lots around, I was able to find an affordable one in good condition from Garb Oh Vintage.  My sweater may not be a Jantzen, there is no label, but it looks very much line one and I absolutely love it.  

I wore it with a holly hair clip from Chatter Blossom,

my corduroy 1940s pants from Hey Day vintage, and a pair of 1940s overshoes form Adeline's Attic and even if it is weeks early I felt quite Christmasey!

I plan to enjoy this sweater for many Christmases to come, in fact I can think of only one sweater, courtesy of The Mary Sue blog, that might be even better: