When is a jumper not a jumper?

When it’s a sweater! Most of us would know it’s a jumper in Australia, NZ and the UK, and a sweater in America and Canada. There are other words too for this indispensible garment: pullover, sweatshirt, jersey or guernsey, but these are of old or uncommon usage.

As I’m interested both in fashion and linguistics, I wanted to know the origin of these curious words. Sweater is fairly obvious. Indeed, I read on Wikipedia that “A garment of this type was originally named a sweater either because it was designed to absorb sweat, or the garment was designed to promote a sweat during exercise.”

…the garment was designed to promote a sweat during exercise

That sounds a bit gross. Let’s move on to jumper.

I could find nothing online about the origins of this curious word. Stumped, it occurred to me to turn to my very good copy of the Oxford Dictionary of English. Here is what I found:

jumper¹ > noun 1 Brit. a knitted garment typically with long sleeves, worn over the upper body.
2 historical a loose outer jacket worn by sailors
3 N. Amer. a pinafore dress
– ORIGIN mid 19th cent. (in sense 2): probably from dialect jump ‘short coat’, perhaps from Scots jupe ‘a man’s (later also a woman’s) loose jacket or tunic’, via Old French from Arabic jubba. Compare with JIBBA.

Who knew?

A jibba, in case you’re interested, is a long coat worn by Muslim men. It is also of 19th century origin, and is an Egyptian variant of the Arabic jubba. Interestingly, considering the origins of the word, I discovered that a jumper is actually called a pullover in Egypt, and in the UAE a sweater! Go figure. (Or should I say, go knit?)

Fashion Notes

This is a favourite jumper from Zara that I bought in Dubai (I don’t recall how they labelled the garment there, sadly). It is very cosy and warm, and I really like the bracelet length sleeves. It is an unusual mix of 55% acrylic, 30% nylon and 15% alpaca. I normally don’t buy synthetic fabrics, but I could not for the life of me find a wool jumper in Dubai when I very much needed one – it was unseasonably cold during my visit. It’s perfect for autumn (not fall!) here.

Put On Your Metal

It’s funny how fashions come and go; there really is nothing new under the sun. I remember when metallic accessories were tacky, worn only by Toorak madams – wealthy ladies of a certain age who lunched – along with helmet hair and copious amounts of jewellery. Gold shoes were a particular abhorrence of mine.

And yet, here I am, a decade or so later, owning a pair of said gold shoes, trimmed in brown snakeskin. They are one of the few pairs of flat sandals I own. I like their thin, delicate soles; they make me feel a bit dainty.

As for gold and silver Glomesh (the Australian version of metal mesh bags): they are the quintessence of 70s disco and I have in my possession no less than three purses: the long clutch in this picture, a little silver pouch and a larger gold pouch. Add to that one gold mesh belt, and one silver that was bought from an American seller on eBay.

 The silver belt drapes so sinuously it’s like a caress on the skin.

The silver belt also works as a very slinky divalicious necklace, although it would best set off by a plunging neckline à la Jennifer Lopez’s famous green Versace gown. The silver belt drapes so sinuously it’s like a caress on the skin.

What is it about all this gold and silver that appeals to me now? I do prefer the glamorous 70s jetset connotations to vulgar 80s bling – Bianca Jagger, Studio 54, Halston – all that sort of thing. It’s an easy segue to the kind of minimalism I like: the silver belt/necklace would look fantastic with a white gown, hair pulled back, all futuristic and space-agey – 90s version rather than 60s.

But simply, it’s the shine I like – like a magpie I am attracted to it – and the cool touch of the cold metal as it warms up on your skin.

So shine, slink, decadence; as far from a Toorak madam as possible. 

Read about the tragedy of the bling-bag here.

A Good Yarn

A patch that just passes muster … from a distance. Don’t look at it up close!

Needlework used to be thought a fit occupation for a young lady to keep her occupied during those moments when she was not busy trying to captivate an eligible bachelor.

Nowadays few young ladies are fit for mending, let alone sewing. I remember once purchasing a skirt from an expensive designer boutique that had a loose button at the waistband. As I said I would take it as is, rather than wait to have the store mend it, the salesgirl gave me a needle and thread to take home! Obviously I didn’t look the sort to own a mending kit.

This hole is about an inch in diameter! Sob!Darning however is not something I was ever taught in textiles at school. Who has the time or inclination these days to darn holey garments?

I never did, until my favourite cashmere cardigan developed an enormous hole in the elbow – I don’t know how, but I suspect that old proverb, ‘a stitch in time prevents nine’ applied here.

This time I was determined to rescue my cardigan from charity shop doom, and purchased some Italian merino yarn. Researching darning online somewhat sketchily (I looked at a few diagrams), I learned that I should recreate the weave, and set to with gusto. I read afterwards that some darners unravel their yarn to get a finer thread and a more subtle result, but that would have unravelled my sanity I think.

Okay, look at it up close. Sure to make a professional darner shudder, but I got the weave happening, and it's less tawdry than a hole.I did without the wooden darning egg and started with the two tiny holes in each underarm as practice. By the time I was ready to tackle the giant hole, I felt more confident. It was fiddly work, and my eyes were sore from squinting, but I think I acquitted myself not too badly for a beginner! Fortunately the colour of the new yarn matches the cardigan so well it’s less noticeable.

I’ll be darned if I don’t wear my badge of honour with pride!

Click here and visit Colette Patterns for some vintage instructions on darning. (And such a cute illustration on the cover!)

Accessories With Pizzazz

Grey Veronika Maine top; vintage 40s bandeau hat trimmed with beads; pearl grape cluster earrings; vintage chiffon gloves with pearlised button closures. It’s impossible to button the second glove whilst wearing the slippery things! Button first, then slide on carefully.

What makes an eye-catching outfit? Sometimes it is a single outstanding garment, such as an amazing dress, through cut or colour (or both). These might be the garments we wear on momentous occasions: weddings, anniversary celebrations, holiday events.

But what about the every day? Few of us would own enough statement-making garments to wear week in, week out – let alone have the space to store them.

This is a 1920s sleeping hair-band. It was hand-sewn and dyed in a pretty mix of teal, green, blue and plum. Presumably one wore it on the head to protect one’s hair from getting mussed. It makes a cute collar or necktie: perfect for chilly nights and a much more pleasant barrier to vampires than a necklace of garlic.

From day to day we are likely to be mixing and matching basic separates, with a few non-basic ones tossed in to leaven the neutrals. Here is where the extraordinary accessory comes into play and lifts a perfectly respectable ensemble into truly stylish territory.

Shoes and bags

Well, we need to wear these anyway
so we may as well have some fun
with them.

I don’t know about you but I seldom change my bag during the week; it is far too much bother to transfer the contents. I like to have a weekday bag of neutral hue that complements many outfits. Currently I am adoring a black patent leather bag. When I travel further afield, I take a large white leather tote (it fits my Wacom tablet), with a smaller bag inside to carry at lunchtime: jade-green lizardskin.

Invest in some unique shoes that will perk up your basic wardrobe. I often buy fab new pairs at sample sales as well as end-of-season sales, and secondhand or vintage numbers – all at shoestring-budget-friendly prices.

…the extraordinary accessory comes into play and lifts a perfectly respectable ensemble into truly
stylish territory.

Another little vintage 50s bandeau hat, sculpted into an origami shape from pleated grosgrain ribbon. It’s a little worn, but still so pretty. The Deadly Poppy Field headband is by Alannah Hill, and retailed for $79 – I paid $35 on eBay. On, it looks almost like a hand-woven circlet of real flowers.

But wait, there’s more

Cream cotton is encrusted with pearlised seed beads, opalescent sequins and oblong seashell beads to create a sumptuous looking belt. Unearthed in an opshop.Don’t forget there are also belts, scarves, hats and headbands, gloves and jewellery – even umbrellas! – to add to your arsenal. That’s the fun part about this bitterly cold winter Melbourne has suffered through: so many opportunities to layer.

There’s a time and place for sleek and minimal pieces, but why not have some fun with some really unique finds – new or vintage. Etsy and eBay are fantastic sources for
new and old, or go for a treasure hunt in local vintage stores and eccentric boutiques that stock items from far-flung corners
of the world.

Colour matters

My friend Rapunzel knitted this chain scarf for my birthday. She thought it would be a good idea to throw it into the machine and put it through a hot wash. And it was: it came out nicely felted.

Worried about looking too over-the-top? The secret is balance. Reduce your colour palette to two or three, with one or two of those neutral or subdued shades: black or grey, brown or beige, white or cream. Additional pops of colour can work if they are small items, such as a ring or a pair of coloured gloves.

For more daring fashionistas, go wild and bright with clashing colour by all means (without looking like a clown), but be prepared for the extra attention! Sometimes it is all about context too. For example, I recently wore a bright red swirling coat and a vintage 50s turquoise feather bandeau to the Queen Victoria market to do my grocery shopping. I stood out from a sea of black and navy, and received quite a few compliments, including one from the lady at the cheese stall who told me I looked ‘so glamorous today’. It’s a win-win situation: I livened up her morning, and she made me happy.

The key is not to look fussy and over-done, like an extra from a period film.

The Chanel Imperative

I never wear this many at once. (I did when I was an art student, and distinctly recall the moment when I suddenly realised I looked like a cross between a hippy chick and an old lady wearing the entire contents of her jewellery box at once. I never did it again.) From left: pearl and white gold ring by Autore; chyrsoprase stone and sterling silver ring from Dittoday; mabe shell and sterling silver ring from the National Gallery of Victoria’s giftshop; blue resin rose ring from Etsy.

Coco told us to take a good long look in the mirror and take one thing off before we leave the house. Considering she was fond of wearing yards of costume jewels slung like ropes around her neck, I don’t think she was a puritan about the matter.

However, in the spirit of that sentiment, consider the big picture: big picture hat? Maybe take off the enormous feather boa. It’s the same principle as proportion in clothing – when you wear wide-leg pants you pair them with a slim top: giant earrings shine when your hair is sleekly styled. The key is not to look fussy and over-done, like an extra from a period film.

So go on: experiment and have some fun with accessories. Don’t forget though: your best ones – no matter what you wear – are self-confidence and a smile. 

Things little girls daydream will be in their wardrobe when they are grown-up and a princess: a silver spangled sash. I bought this at the Williamstown Vintage Fair last year. It had no fastening so I grabbed the first ribbon I could lay my hands on: pale pink and extremely long to tie into a big bow at the small of the back. Just to be more princessy still.

Le Petit Choux

I have already waxed lyrical about these little harem shorts before, but I shall indulge myself once more. They are like delicious little fondants in my wardrobe; le petit choux; the bonbons; the icing on the cake. Which is appropriate since this hat looks like a pavlova, feathers whipped into a frenzy like cream atop a black velvet band.

This symphony of black and white (and silver shoes) was originally intended to entertain Melbourne Cup racegoers last year; except that it was freezing cold and my vintage hat had not yet arrived from the US, alas. I wore something much more sensible on the day (if you can call a gold foil skirt sensible).

Slightly more demure is this smoke blue, grey and black silk top. It made me think of a flapper’s tunic, so I swung some jet-black beads around my neck and skipped out of the house in blue suede shoes to meet friends for drinks one Sunday night.

I plan to dream up more delightful ways to adorn these yummy shorts for the warmer months ahead.