We Finally Know Why Crew Neck Sweatshirts Have That Weird Triangle on Their Collars

Ever notice crew neck sweatshirts tend to have an odd triangle of fabric that just sits along the collar with no real obvious purpose?

I'm here to tell you there is a very real reason this little slice of material has been added to the design of crew neck sweatshirts over the years.

Crewneck Sweatshirt History Explained

I was gifted a lovely crew neck sweatshirt for Christmas, which is also where our mystery begins.

The following day after pulling my newly acquired apparel over my head, I noticed the random triangle that had been sewn smack dab in the center of the collar.

Why?

The quest to find its purpose consumed me over the next couple days when I also was on PTO from work with nothing to do. Luckily, I found the answer before it was time to head back into the office.

Russell Athletic says the original sweatshirt was the invention of Benjamin Russell Jr. who wanted an all-cotton practice football jersey for his team in the mid-1920s. In the following years, he worked with his dad to make the dream a reality as Russell Athletics was born behind the advent of the sweatshirt.

Why Triangles Were Added To Crew Neck Sweatshirts

Over time, the sweatshirt received a few modifications to help delay wear and tear. These were supposed to be football jerseys after all.

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One of the recurring issues was the collar of the sweatshirt stretching to the point of being unwearable. This is where the triangle comes in.

"The thicker triangular piece of cotton was the signature detail for simple crew necks that helped collect sweat and control the stretching of the collar after years of wear," Russell Athletic explains on its website.

Mystery solved!

Why Are They Called Sweatshirts?

Adding "sweat" to the name of a clothing item doesn't exactly seem like the best marketing strategy.

Oh, this is my special shirt that I sweat in. Thanks for noticing.

Somehow, no one seems to question it when it comes to the sweatshirt.

"It's true that sweatshirts are great at keeping wearers warm, but as they were typically cotton practice jerseys back in the day, the 'sweat' part of the word comes from their origins on the field," Russell Athletic says on its website.

I think I prefer just wearing mine to stay warm instead of on the field during a game of touch football.