Sweater & Sweatshirts?

14 comments

1. A sweater is nicer and usually a more coarse, knitted material than a sweatshirt.

2. There is no difference. They’re interchangeable words.

3. A sweater is going to be somewhat nicer, generally made of wool or more quality fabric and/ or have patterns or textures. These are almost never worn for athletic purposes.

   Sweatshirts are going to be a cotton or cotton blend and may have a hood. These can be worn for athletic purposes and are generally thinner.

   [Sweater](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61J5K8abZGS._AC_SL1000_.jpg)

   [Sweatshirt](https://img.hollisterco.com/is/image/anf/KIC_352-2409-0740-113_prod1?policy=product-medium&wid=350&hei=438)

   [Hoodie (Sweatshirt)](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71ndyAhw7+L._AC_SR175,263_QL70_.jpg)

   A sweater is also slang for a hockey jersey which comes from the original outdoor form of the game where teams would wear matching wool sweaters as uniforms.

4. Sweaters are knitted usually, and never really have front pockets. Sweatshirts are usually mechanically hewn and usually have front pockets (or a pouch if it’s s pullover) and sometimes a hood.

5. Sweaters are more “casual wear” while sweatshirts are more “active wear”.

6. For the most part, a sweater is knitted or crocheted and a sweatshirt is not. Sweaters are usually wool while sweatshirts are usually cotton or polyester. Sweaters are “nicer” – usually a sweatshirt is something you toss on after you get home from work, or wear while jogging on a cold day, while a sweater is something you might wear under a formal jacket at a fancy dinner.

   My husband makes no distinction whatsoever between the two and refers to things interchangeably as “sweater” and “sweatshirt.” This is actually more common than I had ever realized.

7. Sweatshirts are fleece and often have a logo printed on them, like a Nike hoodie. You could wear them to exercise, hence “sweatshirt”.

   Sweaters are woven, sometimes handmade, from wool or other materials. Like Chris Evans in “Knives Out”.

8. Sweater is a nicer piece of clothing that’s usually hood-less. Sweatshirt can be a zip up, zip up with a hood, or a hoodie. A hoodie tho can only be a pull over with a hood and I would never call a zip up sweatshirt with a hood a hoodie 😅

9. It would not be uncommon to see someone wearing a sweatshirt at the gym. It would be odd to see someone wearing a sweater.

10. The material and the style. Sweatshirts are usually made out of fleece material, and are casual clothing. Sweaters are usually knitted material and are dressier.

11. OP, it looks like you have enough answers here to understand the difference. I’m sure you have both of these garments in the UK as well. I’m just curious, I believe sweaters are called jumpers there, so what is a sweatshirt called?

12. Sweatshirts are styled after the athletic clothing you might workout in.

13. A sweater is made from knitted or crocheted yarn.

    A sweatshirt is made from a jersey or fleece fabric.

14. Sweater = a knit or crocheted garment, usually wool or cotton. Typically a bit dressier than a sweatshirt, and never worn for sports or chores because they are delicate garments and shouldn‘t be washed with every wear.

    Sweatshirt = a sewn garment usually made of terry, jersey, or fleece. Basically a t-Shirt but warmer – casual, worn for all occasions including sports and chores, can be washed with every wear. A hooded sweatshirt is called a “hoodie“.