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Photo by Nina Leen via Life Magazine.
"Suse Sweaters" - Sweaters matching dresses designed by Susan Dannenberg of Los Angeles from the 1940s.
From the January 27, 1947 edition of Life Magazine:
"Susan liked sweaters but did not have a sweater figure, knitted some for herself while waiting for a broken leg to mend. She decorated them with bleeding hearts, poodles, flowers and pink elephants with the idea of attracting more attention to the sweater and less to the shape of the wearer.
The scheme worked so well that she made some for her friends, then began selling a few. Some of her best customers were Hollywood women like “Slim” Hawks, Esther Williams, Barbara Stanwyck, and Jennifer Jones. By now “Suse” (pronounced Susy) sweaters are sold all over the U.S. The sweaters were all handmade, by 20 knitters and three girls who do nothing but cut out the zany appliques. Some are further decorated with beads and splashy fake jewels. The effect is extravagant and so is the price, from $50 to $70."
$50-$70 in January 1947 would be $750 - $1,054 in 2025.
Searching the phrase "Suse Sweater" on newspapers.com, the sweaters were advertised almost exclusively in California initially. By 1949, scattered ads were found in a few western states and the northeast. Ads began to taper off by 1952-53, and the last ad I could find using the term was in the L.A. Times during August of 1954, where the sweaters were selling for $33.33 each, or about $400 in 2025 terms.