The “bleeding heart” or “heart-and-dagger” sweaters were an iconic novelty fashion of the 1940s. The style is attributed to Los Angeles designer Suse (Susan) Dannenberg, who in the mid-1940s began applying elaborate felt appliqués to hand-knit sweaters to “distract from her portly figure.”
Her novelty sweaters became an immediate sensation, worn by numerous Hollywood starlets, including Barbara Stanwyck and Esther Williams, and were featured in LIFE magazine. The most famous design was the “Jezebel” sweater, which featured a bejeweled felt heart-and-dagger design, often shown as a bleeding or stabbed heart. Other variations included hearts with arrows (reminiscent of a design worn by Ginger Rogers in a 1938 film).
The sweaters were typically hand-knit with a high, rounded crew neck, wide shoulders, and a fitted, slightly cropped waist. The novelty designs were created using felt appliqués, embroidery, and sometimes beads or sequins.
This style was a key part of the 1940s novelty knitwear trend, which embraced playful motifs like animals, flowers, and seasonal icons, offering a touch of whimsy amidst the era's more practical, military-influenced fashion.
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