It has been said many a time that a sweatshirt is something you wear when your mother gets cold. To the extent that this is true, it explains why so many kids run around in sweaters even though it’s probably too warm for them. At any rate, here is a question to ponder: does the sweatshirt have any ties to mom?
If a sweater is something you wear because mom is cold, do you wear sweatshirts for a similar reason? It is hard to tell. Moms everywhere are pretty unified in their thoughts about sweaters. But when it comes to sweatshirts, not so much. There may be no other article of clothing moms disagree on as much as sweatshirts.
Only for Sports
I remember what my mother thought of sweatshirts when I was growing up. In her mind, they were only for sports. If me and my siblings weren’t out running a marathon or playing a game of pickup basketball, we had no business wearing sweatshirts.
Come to think of it, I don’t think I ever owned a sweatshirt until I was a teenager. And I only got one at that point because I had a job and money to spend on my own clothing. Prior to that, my closet was a veritable buffet of button-down dress shirts, flannels, and sweaters.
I didn’t even have a sweatshirt in my dresser drawers. I had plenty of plain white T-shirts to be worn only under my button-down shirts. I also had a few colored T-shirts to wear as outer garments. But that’s about it. My mother viewed such casual attire as appropriate only for limited occasions.
Graphic T-Shirts and Sweatshirts
My introduction into the world of graphic T-shirts and sweatshirts also came when I was a teenager and had my own money. But growing up, mother thought that graphically adorned clothing was to be avoided. It was tacky and a bit gauche. Me and my siblings were to look our best. We couldn’t do that with messages and pictures scrawled across our chests.
I can only imagine what my mother would think of Plurawl LatinX T-shirts and sweatshirts if she were still alive. Plural’s message would be fine. But I’m sure she would say it belongs on posters and coffee mugs. T-shirts and sweatshirts should come in solid colors with no extra graphics.
A Product of Her Generation
In fairness, my mother was a product of her generation. She was born at the tail end of the Great Depression to young parents who didn’t have a whole lot of money in the bank. She grew up always wanting something more. And when she became a young adult, she insisted on always being well-dressed – even at home.
Likewise, she wanted her children to be well-dressed. In her mind, T-shirts and sweatshirts did not fit the bill. But to her credit, she allowed me and my siblings to make our own choices once we could afford to buy our own clothing. She never voiced any disagreement with our choices, even though we knew she had thoughts to that effect.
Today, the world views sweatshirts a lot differently. Sweatshirts and hoodies are considered daily wear suitable for most casual occasions. In light of that, it would be interesting to know if younger moms in 2022 put sweatshirts on the children when they are cold themselves. Could sweatshirts be the new sweaters in the 21st century? Anything is possible.
Sweaters used to be what we wore when our mothers were cold. But maybe our kids and grandkids wear sweatshirts for the exact same reason.