How Knitwear Became the Quiet Aristocrat of the Modern Wardrobe
The sewing needle takes all the glory – and to be fair, it did allow humanity to apply simple tailoring skills to animal hides, and thus emigrate from the African continent and populate the world. But for the modern sartorialist, the arrival of the knitting needle, a dust-spec ago on the timeline of human history, is another innovation for which we’re eternally grateful.
Garments made from interlocking loops of yarn had inauspicious beginnings. Even when it had emigrated from the Middle-East to northern Europe, probably in the 14th Century, it spent a lengthy period confined to spiritual employment (think liturgical gloves) and purely utilitarian uses (for centuries, all over the continent’s colder fringes, nimble fingers would turn yarn into survival against the elements). Knitted jumpers became assertions of identity – in Britain, ‘gansey’ jumpers had specific cable patterns unique to each village and even family, allowing for the identification of fishermen who drowned at sea – but never assertions of style.
A Princely Endorsement: Wool Garments Hit Prestigious Heights
Wool’s scarcity during World War I put it in a prime position to become a lavish indulgence once peace returned in Europe. Coco Chanel took note and championed knitwear amongst women. But it was the man whose Savile Row exploits also gave the world the tuxedo – Edward VIII (later the Duke of Windsor), when he was still the Prince of Wales – who can be thanked for bringing knitwear into the upper echelons of gentlemanly cool: the patterned Fair Isle sweater V-neck jumper he wore while golfing in 1921 transformed the locally-produced Shetland Island staple into an upper-class leisurewear statement. Our modern take on it can be seen here.
Hollywood soon gave knitwear its stamp of approval: cable-knit sweaters in the case of Elvis Presley in Jailhouse Rock (check out our take on it here) and Steve McQueen in The Thomas Crown Affair; Breton striped and collared in the case of an off-duty James Dean. By the mid-century, Italian mills had noticed the trend and started refining yarns into gossamer fine gauges that skimmed the body rather than swaddling it. Cashmere, merino, silk blends and the ultimate luxury fabric – vicuña – entered the scene and knitwear’s evolution from workaday elements-battler to tactile style statement was complete.
Form & Function: Knitwear Today
Knitwear for men, today, is a multifaceted category. The way a V-neck’s plunging line could frame a tie made it popular on Europe’s cricket pitches and golf courses, and it soon migrated to East Coast campus quads as part of the preppy movement.
The interwar years gave us the cardigan: a modern wardrobe staple, whether you favor the lapel-less type which sits so elegantly over a collared shirt in a smart-casual context (this garment in grey lambswool being a great example), or a shawl collared version (such as that seen here). The latter slips easily from the smoking room to the Riviera terrace to this day.
Then came the turtleneck, such as ours in chocolate-colored merino wool, to imbue an ensemble with a touch of intellectualism – think Silicon Valley exec channeling beat poet – whilst recent times have seen the quarter-zip enter the canon. Our offerings in beige and forest green will bring elan to ensembles pitched at the kind of formality levels one might expected in the high-end apres-ski or country-club milieux.
Even the hoodie – a garment once seen as synonymous with youth rebellion – can now be spotted frequently in corporate environments, the hood itself often protruding from a sports coat and lolling down the wearer’s back: albeit only in the kind of trendier-than-thou companies that have infrared sauna pods and adult soft play corners in the boardroom.
But for those taste-rich gents who favor classical gentlemanly elegance, the knitwear idyll is found in garments which serve as a refined alternative to conventional dress shirts without screaming youthful rebellion against them. Fine-gauge knits, well-cut merino crewnecks and long-sleeve polos offer comfort, ease, and a more contemporary expression of smart casual dressing. The result feels almost architectural, softening the hard edges of formality without surrendering sophistication. There is no collar to wrangle, no placket to pucker, and the line from jaw to shoulder remains uninterrupted.
Overall, the silhouette reads clean, assured, deliberate. Add a brushed wool overcoat and the effect is cinematic without trying too hard. Alternatively, pair a lightweight rollneck with tailored trousers and suede loafers and you have a uniform for modern urban life that feels both grounded and quietly rakish.
Adding to all this, lest we forget, knitwear taps into our newfound appreciation of timeless elegance over ephemeral trends. In an era of logo fatigue, texture has become the new heraldry, and a beautifully spun yarn signals discernment more effectively than any monogram.
All in all it’s little wonder knitwear has come in from the cold.
