The Classic Sweatshirt is Everyone's Favorite

ATLANTA, July 5  /PRNewswire/ -- Adam Sandler wrote a song about his ... Billie Jean King wears her favorite purple one when she is relaxing in the mountains with her family ... Ben Stiller and Vince Vaughn get them free ... College students go to class and even sleep in them ... Everybody has one ... It turns 80 this year.

"There really is no other item of clothing quite like it," said Alex Hodges, vice president of marketing for Russell Athletic, the inventor of the sweatshirt.  "Everyone has a favorite sweatshirt and associates that sweatshirt with good times and relaxation.  Sweatshirts have long since outgrown just being worn at times when people sweat.  They are now worn as casual clothing, to school and to work; they are even worn in place of pajamas while sleeping."

In a recently conducted survey of more than 1000 consumers, Russell Athletic found that 90 percent polled own sweats. Those consumers also bought new ones in the last 12 months. On average, consumers own four pullover sweatshirts, two zip-up sweatjackets and two to three pairs of sweatpants.

Males and females can wear the same shirt and still be in style.  The colors may vary but gray is always a favorite.  The sweatshirt is the most unique and ubiquitous clothing item in history.

The sweatshirt can be a billboard.  It can bear the name of a favorite team or show the school colors with pride.  It can announce status in life, such as "Dad."  It can tell where someone has been on vacation or make a political statement.  It can tell the world where a person works or what products the person likes.

A simple statement printed on a sweatshirt can warn the outside world. "Some do, some don't, I might!" or perhaps "Virginia is for Lovers" or "These Colors Don't Run," along with thousands of other slogans which warn people where the sweatshirt wearer stands on an issue.  You can tell a lot about a person's attitude when they wear a sweatshirt that says "I get more done by six a.m. than you do all day."

Even celebrities who are courted by pricey designers to show off their latest styles at the Oscars or Emmys still consider their sweatshirt among their favorite items of clothing.  A day spent in their sweatshirt represents a day celebrities don't have to worry about every hair being in place, what designer they are wearing or who they need to remember to thank in their speech.

Even in the heat of the summer, Jessica Simpson can be seen eating an egg white omelet at a trendy restaurant with her hair stylist ... wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt.  Husband and wife Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner are often spotted in their sweats, usually Red Sox or Harvard themed.  Actress Jada Pinkett Smith loves her sweatshirt because she says, "It's gangsta."

John Belushi in a sweatshirt with just "COLLEGE" across the front is instantly tied to Bluto Blutarsky, "Animal House" and kids out to have a good time.  The oversized sweatshirt Jennifer Beals wore hanging off her shoulders evokes eighties icon Alex Owens, the welder-turned-dancer, and all of her working-class sex appeal.  New England Patriots Coach Bill Belichick is so closely associated with his sweatshirts that the ones he wears on game days are sold at charity auctions.

"Everyone owns a sweatshirt," affirmed Hodges.  "The wonderful thing is that it never goes out of style and works in almost any social situation. What other product can you name that holds such status in our lives?  We are very proud at Russell Athletic to have invented such a wonderful part of our culture and to celebrate its 80th birthday this fall."

ABOUT RUSSELL ATHLETIC

Russell Athletic serves as the main operating division and flagship brand of Russell Corporation. Russell Athletic is dually headquartered in Alexander City, Alabama, and Atlanta, Georgia, and employs 1,800 people worldwide. For more than 100 years, Russell Athletic has supplied America's athletes and teams with the latest innovations to help them perform at their best. This year Russell Athletic will outfit more than 500 Division I teams and offer more than 200 pieces in its fall 2006 retail line alone. http://www.russellathletic.com/

ABOUT RUSSELL CORPORATION

Russell Corporation is a leading branded athletic and sporting goods company marketing athletic apparel, uniforms, footwear and equipment for a variety of sports, outdoor and fitness activities.  The company's major brands include Russell Athletic(R), JERZEES(R), Spalding(R), Brooks(R), Huffy Sports(R), Bike(R), Moving Comfort(R), AAI(R) and Mossy Oak(R).  Russell Corporation is dually headquartered in Alexander City, Alabama, and Atlanta, Georgia, and employs 15,000 people worldwide. The company's common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol RML and its Web site address is http://www.russellcorp.com/. 

DATASOURCE: Russell Athletic



CONTACT:  Holly Clifford of Hope-Beckham Inc., [phone], ext. 231,

or , for Russell Athletic



Web site:  http://www.russellathletic.com/

http://www.russellcorp.com/ 

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