SHREVEPORT, La. (KTAL/KMSS) – It’s sweatshirt season again in northwest Louisiana, and what could be better than wearing one of these soft, snuggly, Shreveport-loving sweatshirts while you run your Saturday morning errands?
KTAL has searched online shops to find the most unique Shreveport sweatshirts, and we’ve found styles and sizes that are right for everyone. But that’s not all we’ve found. We’ve also gotten the inside scoop on when and why sweatshirts were first made.
The history of sweatshirts
There’s no doubt that sweatshirts and football season go hand-in-hand. But did you know that a football player actually invented sweatshirts?
Benjamin Russell, Jr. was tired of wood jerseys (that sounds painful!), so he designed the humble sweatshirt to give him and his teammates something cooler and more comfortable to wear.
That happened in 1926.
After Jr.’s father, Benjamin Russell, Sr. loved his son’s idea. He promptly created Russell Athletic.
The crew neck sweatshirt was born in 1930, and a new era of comfort began to sweep the nation.
As you may have already guessed, the reason sweatshirts are called sweatshirts is linked to the shirt’s football origins. Yes, sweatshirts can keep you warm on a chilly afternoon. But they’re meant to be for athletes. (No shame if you don’t play a game, though.)
Through the years, sweatshirts have changed a little, but the commonalities are still there: no collar, a pullover, elastic cuffs, and loose–these are the core characteristics of a sweatshirt.
More than 100 years after Russell Athletic began making sweatshirts, they’re still in business and perfecting the art of comfort. Now, sweatshirts have soft, fleece linings. You can choose a sweatshirt with or without a hoodie; pockets are optional, and matching sweatpants have perhaps become even more American than apple pie.
But to wear sweatshirts that anchor you to a band, a sports team, a state, or even a city (ahem… Shreveport) is the way to wear a sweatshirt best in the twenty-first century.
Which of these Shreveport sweatshirts suits your fancy? And which of your friends or family members who live out-of-state might like to have one of these Shreveport sweatshirts?
Sharing the Shreveport love through the gift of a sweatshirt is genuinely a heart-warming gift–especially for those homesick for Shreveport.
If we missed a unique local sweatshirt, let us know.
Email us ktaldigital@ktalnews.com with a description and picture
