How To Look Great In Fair Isle Knitwear

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In these uncertain and unusual times, what we wear is perhaps not at the top of our list of priorities. And yet, we all still must get dressed in the morning, if only to look presentable for a Zoom meeting. For this, knitwear is the obvious choice: it’s warm, comforting and, in the right situation, can look sharp and homely all at once. Which is where Fair Isle comes in.

The traditional knit pattern, which takes its name from Fair Isle in the Shetlands, originally caught a wave of popularity after the then-Prince of Wales Edward VIII wore the pattern on public outings in 1921. And unlike other century-old menswear (Oxford bags and silk top hats, for instance), the Fair Isle sweater has endured as a staple of knitwear that looks just as at home in a man’s wardrobe today as it did back then. Still, there’s also the inevitability that something worn by a former monarch 100 years ago, abdicated or not, would eventually start to seem rather stuffy.

Fortunately, the Fair Isle sweater in 2020 has had a sartorial facelift and is less homage to the wiry knitwear of yesteryear and more something that feels at home among the streetwear and relaxed tailoring of today. This means bright colours have been introduced, patterns have become more abstract, and textures are softer and more tactile. Here are a few ways to wear them, inspired by a few gentlemen who have done it well.

01. Stay streetwise yet soft

Florence, January 2020. Photograph by Mr Marc Richardson

Fair Isle knits and streetwear may seem like anachronistic sartorial bedfellows, but that’s exactly why they can work so well together. The softness of the sweater tempers the utilitarian feel of the black puffer jacket and strapped backpack here, adding a measure of colour and personality to the whole thing. Like a kindly grandad who used to be on a Swat team, the mix of a cosy sweater next to super-practical outerwear and drawstring trousers keeps things interesting.

02. Get trippy with it

Paris, January 2020. Photograph by Frenchy Style/Blaublut-Edition.com

The great thing about Fair Isle is that it can stretch to unexpected places while still maintaining a measure of staid traditionality; luridly bright statement sweaters are simply easier to pull off when they’re grounded by a familiar pattern. The combination of magenta, turquoise and cream would be offensive in any other scenario, but on a Fair Isle sweater paired with a camel coat (nice lapels there, by the way), it works.

03. Give the traditional a twist

Florence, January 2020. Photograph by Mr Marc Richardson

In most iterations of Fair Isle on the screen – which range from the infuriating and lovable Frank Spencer in Some Mothers Do ’Ave ’Em to Mr Leonardo DiCaprio’s OCD-stricken version of Mr Howard Hughes in The Aviator – the pattern is worn as a vest and with a tie. It’s a timeless look that’s employed to great effect here; note the heritage check blazer, the woollen trousers and the corduroy-collared Barbour jacket, all traditional bits of clothing that are sharpened and lifted by the jollity of the knitwear, which brings out everything from the blue of the chambray shirt to the brown of the jacket.

04. Coordinate continentally

Milan, January 2020. Photograph by Mr Daniel Bruno Grandl

From the herringbone scarf to the tartan wool blazer and sweater underneath, at first this Fair Isle fit seems as British as can be, until you clock the open shirt, sunnies and mid-wash jeans that give the whole thing a decidedly more continental air. It helps here, of course, that this guy’s companion is also wearing a tweed jacket with jeans – a subtly complementary coordination, rather than a straight up matchy-matchy affair.

05. Win by a neck

Paris, January 2020. Photograph by Mr Vincenzo Grillo/IMAXTREE.COM

Want to rock some statement Fair Isle, but not quite ready to commit to the shoutiness of a wearing whole sweater? Try a scarf. The gentleman above, of course, has eruditely employed his sweater as a scarf here, which we also applaud. Perhaps the most sensible way to add some pizzazz to an otherwise quiet look (while being the item you can easily take off when you sit down at your desk or to lunch), it will pair best with shades of brown, beige, and even white.

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