Originally an all-cotton practice jersey,the crew neck sweatshirt is a necessity in today’s wardrobe.

The first crewneck sweatshirt was invented in 1920 by Benjamin Russell Jr., a football player for the University of Alabama. Tired of the itchy wool jerseys he and him teammates would sweat through during.Russell Jr. thought to swap out the scratchy fabric for a more comfortable, and cooler, cotton.

The classic crewneck sweatshirt certainly has athletic-inspired roots. But you can wear it in a decidedly modern fashion nowadays. Sweatshirts are still used for their original purpose as comfortable athletic wear, but they are also worn for staying warm in cooler temps, repping a collegiate team, or layering to form a fashionable outfit.

Now often called a crew neck or simply just a sweatshirt, each has a round neck and no collar.A classic, the crew neck sweatshirt is a statement piece worn by women like.

Today, crewneck sweatshirts are as much a wardrobe staple for work (both at home and in offices), as they are for working out or even dining out. Their rounded necks make them especially practical for layering, whether in winter (for obvious reasons) or in warmer months, when it’s not quite cold enough to put on your heaviest turtleneck, but you still want something to throw on over a T-shirt or Oxford shirt.