We’re not talking about the sloppy joes of cafeteria and Adam Sandler fame here.  Don’t get me wrong, sloppy joes are perfectly wonderful comfort food eats, but when it comes to 40s and 50s fashion sloppy joes meant something else entirely.

Sloppy joes were the ultra-loose, ‘sloppy’ sweaters that were popular with the bobby soxers and the beatniks alike.  Different from the trends prior to it, the sloppy joe sweater was less fitted than previous sweater styles.  Their manly appearance (and origins) were a shock to older generations, as teenage fashion was taking a turn for the relaxed and rebellious.

Some ladies chose the style because it was a new way to dress with a skirt or a tight pair of capris.  Not to mention, the sweater also implicated that it could have been ‘borrowed’ from a boyfriend.  The bobby sox look was completed with cuffed jeans and saddle shoes.  With a baggy body, rolled collar, hem and cuffs, the look was decidedly non-conservative, making it a popular choice for beatniks looking to stand apart from society.  Beatnik girls wore them with black tights while the beatnik boys put them on top of their baggy cords and chinos, a sloppy look that only a beat could dig.