Don't sweat it: Hot new sweaters let you be cool like Mr. Rogers

I hope it's a beautiful day in your neighborhood. When my niece was small, two of her favorites on tv were Jessica and Rogers. Jessica Fletcher, Murder She Wrote and Mr. Rogers. That kind of sums up my family. This niece was one of the flower girls at my wedding over 20 years ago. She's now a teacher and a Mommy herself.

February 19th is the anniversary of the premiere of Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood. The show premiered on PBS February 19, 1968.

Fred McFeely Rogers began his shows by changing into a sweater. My sister, Mom of the aforementioned niece, is a talented knitter

Mister Rogers' Neighborhood: Adventures in Friendship, Everyone needs a sweater.

Knitting is hot right now, but I don't think it ever really went cold.

In my circle of family and friends, the click-clack of the needles has been loud, proud and ever-present. Knit on, my Sisters and Brothers. Do you participate in KIPW, Knitting in Public Week? :) That's every week to a lot of us.

January 20th is Bill Cosby Sweater Day, thanks to the impressive sweaters that he wore on The Cosby Show. March 20th is actually Mr. Rogers Sweater Day!

David Soul and Paul Michael Glaser
Autographed 8x10 Starsky and Hutch
striped Torino
Photo also available unsigned

Was there ever a sweater as cool as the crime-fighting cardigan worn in the 70s by Paul Glaser as Detective David Starsky in Starsky and Hutch?

The phenomenon of yarn-bombing or guerrilla knitting is getting more and more press.

Beauties of the 1940s such as Lana Turner, Ava Gardner, Rita Hayworth and Betty Grable were often photographed in sweaters.

Every pinup girl needs at least one perfect sweater.

Lana Turner
An original Sweater Girl

Photograph High Quality

Knit Vintage: More Than 20 Patterns for Starlet Sweaters & Other Knitwear from the 1930s, 1940s & 1950s.

Consider the 1940s Vintage Bullet Bra in your choice of color. Want to be a very authentic Sweater Girl or pinup?

We also saw photos of stars including Bette Davis and Marilyn Monroe off-screen knitting. Rosalind Russell in The Women was knitting during the film. Even Cary Grant was knitting in the movie, Mr. Lucky.

Betty Grable knitting
Ladies knew how good they looked in sweaters
High Quality Photo

Women with their own style, those with an appreciation of the vintage can be seen wearing cool sweater sets today. Are you a fan of The Closer and Kyra Sedgwick as the character Brenda Leigh Johnson, Los Angeles Deputy Police Chief? Now the its sequel, Major Crimes can be seen on TNT.  Mary McDonnell plays Captain Sharon Raydor, a woman with a style all her own.

Remember Madonna's famous cone bra? There's even a pet costume modeled after it.  Gaultier also designed the costumes for Kylie Minogue's international KYLIEX2008 tour. Recently, Madonna lent two iconic cone bra corsets from her 1990 tour to the popular and often sold-out touring exhibit, The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier: From the Sidewalk to the Catwalk.

The exhibit spanned 35 years of the designer's career. Included were other pieces with the bullet bra feature, such as a strapless gown in shirred velvet with cone bra cups. This was from the Barbès collection. The Women’s prêt-à-porter fall/winter 1984–1985.

Madonna Cone Bra : Pop Queen Pet Costume. If you're wearing a pop star costume, having your pet in a complementary costume will put your look over the top!

Nice to find a quality cardigan, like that from a company like Port Authority. You can choose the color(s) you wear most often. When something has great customer reviews it's even better.

So don't be cold this winter. Warm can be fashionable. Warm can be trendy. Warm can be you. Warm can be cool. 

Don't count anybody or any body type out when looking for the ideal sweater. Especially when you're making something custom, you can personalize it for your preferences and to your body.

Writer, actress and Comedienne, Dawn French has long been an advocate for acceptance of women and people of all body types. She endorses a series of pattern books, Great Big Knits: Dawn French Knitting for the Full Figure. Get them for your friend who's a fan of British comedy. Get them for the friend who thinks there isn't a sweater to make her look ... uh ... hot.

Just a shrug will fit well in an overnight bag or carry-on suitcase. You can have it over your arm when you go out. I'm always chilly. Again I like something that comes in lots of colors and has good customer ratings behind it.

And so the whole family stays cozy, there's a Fou Fou Knit dog traditional fisherman's sweater for doggies

Want to dress like King Friday the 13th for Halloween or a Masquerade Party?? Here are some ideas for planning your King Friday costume.

Mr. Rogers knew that. :-)

Each December, there's a Christmas Jumper Day to raise money for Save the Children in the UK. To call attention to the cause, they've been known to put Christmas jumpers on statues of famous Brits such as the statue of actor, Cary Grant in Bristol. Very cozy.

Mr. Rogers meets Margaret Hamilton, the Wicked Witch from The Wizard of Oz

Image of Mr. Rogers from the Wikipedia article on the show

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