Curling Sweater

[Dinerman]

I'm very excited. Curling season starts here in DC this Sunday.

For those of you who don't know- curling is that sport you probably saw on the olympics with the stones and the brooms and the ice. Maybe those keywords will jog some memories.

I curl in an old curling sweater (zip front, curling stone on the back with crossed brooms).

This isn't mine, but it gives an idea of what I'm talking about. I'll post mine as soon as I can.

anybody else got sweaters like this?
anybody else curl or watch curling?

 

[Baron Kurtz]

used to wear those when i was a kid. They were called jerkins.

Curling's pretty big in Scotland, but i never played or watched.

bk

 

[Ace Fedora]

This is the first winter in over 20 years that I haven't curled on a regular basis.

Many years ago I curled in a vintage 1960s sweater that I inherited from my uncle. Even had my last name on the back.

Unfortunately, I eventually outgrew it. It soon found its way to the back of my closet, eventually getting lost in a subsequent move. More's the pity...

 

[Dinerman]

1940s curling fashion

I finally replaced my old one, which I unfortunately outgrew. So here's the new one. This was the perfect time of the year to buy it, because there is absolutely no market in the summer for this kind of thing. Should serve me well in Nova Scotia.

 

[Feraud]

That is a cool sweater.

 

[Warbaby]

Very cool. I need one of those for my Canadian disguise.

 

[Dinerman]

my old one's seen in this shot.

 

[Ace Fedora]

Very nice.

I inherited a 60s-era sweater from my uncle many moons ago -- not nearly as cool as yours, but it has my name on the back, which is cool itself.

Sadly, I'm a little too robust to wear it anymore...

 

[Dinerman]

1940s curling fashion

Every subculture has their own fashions. Curling, except at the higher levels of play, does not usually have a team uniform, though there are certain things which you will see are quite distinctive, especially 60 years ago. I found these pictures on the new Google Life Magazine search, and thought they were worthy to share for the clothes.

Note the leather jacket on the left

Plus fours (also, that the people at this club are using hair brushes, and not brooms, something which didn't become really common until the late '80s)

more plus fours

Hand Painted curling tie

 

[Baron Kurtz]

Cool. The only sports worth playing are those where smoking a pipe is not an impedence! Great stuff.

bk

 

[B. F. Socaspi]

Cool. The only sports worth playing are those where smoking a pipe is not an impedence! Great stuff.

bk

Note to self:

Which Boswell blend hurts the most? Find out, bring next rugby match.

 

[Mahagonny Bill]

Nice find Dinerman! Thanks for sharing!

We'll make the fight with honest might,
To gain the victory:
A man who is a curling man,
No better man than he.​

-Bud Lukowich
The Joy of Curling​

 

[kiltie]

Hats

I like the bonnets. Is it assumed that this is your gig if you wear a Balmoral? I've grabbed mine a few times just for knocking around, and since I lost my Glengarry, I've been wearing it a lot while piping. There's seems to be more and more Canadian ex-pats down here every year though, and I'm wondering if they'd think I had a clue about curling ( other than seeing the movie Men With Brooms [ AWESOME Tragically Hip cameo...] ) by looking at my hat.

 

[Dinerman]

I like the bonnets. Is it assumed that this is your gig if you wear a Balmoral? I've grabbed mine a few times just for knocking around, and since I lost my Glengarry, I've been wearing it a lot while piping. There's seems to be more and more Canadian ex-pats down here every year though, and I'm wondering if they'd think I had a clue about curling ( other than seeing the movie Men With Brooms [ AWESOME Tragically Hip cameo...] ) by looking at my hat.

No one really wears them anymore. They're still recognized, especially by the older curlers, as they hung around until the 70s or so. The tradition of covering your hat or jacket in trophy pins and pins of clubs you've visited still is going strong, and the sweaters still make occasional appearances.

I wear either a glengarry or a balmoral, both with pins. I've been told by other teams that the old kit that I wear makes for an intimidating first impression, due to the associations of tradition that it carries.

 

[J. M. Stovall]

I'd love to see these in color!

 

[der schneider]

i picked up a curling team patch at a garage sale a few months ago

 

[Feraud]

Excellent pics Dinerman!
The fashion "must haves" appear to be the hat, lots of pins, and something to smoke. I love it!