What is a jumper anyway?

I'm glad you asked!

American Heritage College Dictionary tells us it is a "sleeveless dress worn over a blouse or sweater. 2. A loose, protective garment worn over other clothes."

I agree. The jumper is sometimes called a "sleeveless dress," and some summer dresses can become jumpers when worn over blouses or sweaters, as mentioned above. A jumper is not a sweater, unless you are Colin Firth in "Bridget Jone's Diary," and your "jumper" has reindeer on it.

I had to search a bit in the OED ( past a lot of fisherman and religious movement references) to find this:


b. U.S. A pinafore dress. Also jumper dress.

1939 M. B. PICKEN Lang. Fashion 84/3 Jumper-dress, sleeveless, one-piece garment worn with guimpe. 1967 Boston Sunday Herald (Mag.) 16 Apr. 6/1 (Advt.), Wear as a jumper over blouses. 1971 NewYorker 11 Dec. 3 (Advt.), Wear a jumper to dinner!

c. Comb., as jumper suit, (a) a pinafore dress; (b) a woman's suit consisting of a jumper and skirt.

1908 Sears, Roebuck Catal. 1149/1 An unusually pretty jumper suit made of soft striped taffeta silk. 1925
Times 29 Dec. 7/6 Sports stockinette jumper suits. 1931 E. RAYMOND Mary Leith III ii. 225 .Mary was in
a jumper suit of primrose silk. 1973 Country Life 2 Aug. 335/2 Soft jumper-suits in fine printed wools.



But I am excited to learn that the New Yorker advised its readers in 1971 to "Wear a jumper to dinner." Yes, please do!

The origins of the word "jumper" may be from the obsolete "jup" or "juppe" meaning a woman's jacket or bodice. First recorded mention of "juppe" in literature is from 1603.