Sweater

Hence a similar garment for general informal wear; a jumper or pullover"[10] According to most British dictionaries, British usage agrees with what American dictionaries describe as American English usage, according to which a sweater is either a pullover or a cardigan (which opens at the front).

[citation needed] Colloquial and informal usage common in Britain is using the term “cardie” for a cardigan which usually refers to a button-front sweater.

The hemline is typically at hip height or slightly longer, just overlapping the waist of one's pants or skirt, but can vary significantly.

It can range from just below the bust in women's garments to mid-thigh in either sex or even longer in a knitted variation of the poncho shirtdress.

Sweaters that are more tightly fitted or have a soft drape may conform well to the body without requiring tailoring necessary in a woven garment such as darts, flares, and gores.

A sweater with an open front fastened by buttons or a zipper is generally called a cardigan, but the nomenclature for other styles in different dialects can be quite confusing.

In the late 20th century, the sweater increasingly came to be worn as an alternative to a shirt when finer materials made them more comfortable next to the skin.

But airing (and rinsing in pure water if necessary) is considered better than washing with soap or another detergent, especially when not all of the natural oil (lanolin) has been removed from the wool.

The use of detergent is in fact detrimental because it removes the lanolin, which helps the wool to repel and shed dirt as well as water.

In fact, sweaters made from unscoured wool, such as some Irish Aran jumpers, remain wearable even when wet.