What to wear this weekend: FEMAIL picks out the best fair isle knits

What to wear this weekend: FEMAIL picks out the best fair isle knits for effortless style this season

  • Camilla Ridley-Day shares her advice for embracing the fair isle knit trend 
  • British style expert suggests contrasting round neckline with a pointed collar
  • She also shares a selection of retailers currently stocking the seasonal trend 

WINTER WARMER

Now that you’ve packed away your Christmas jumper, it’s time to add a new piece of fun knitwear to your wardrobe, the Fair Isle jumper. It’s the perfect sales buy as it’s so cold-weather cosy, you’ll still be wearing it next December.

PATTERN PREFERENCES

Originating from the remote, tiny island in Shetland, Fair Isle knitwear is famed for its colourful and distinct prints. Sometimes the pattern is just a detail, like the snowflake I’m wearing here from The White Company, or it can be a bolder all-over style such as the one from Toast (below). Traditionally, the patterns use a palette of five or six colours, but only two different colours on each row.

Camilla Ridley-Day shared her advice for embracing the fair isle knit trend. Pictured: Jumper, £68.60, in store only (call 020 3758 9222 to order) The White Company; shirt, £89, baukjen.com; jeans, £25.99, zara.com; shoes, £39, kurtgeiger.com; earrings, £595, monicavinader.com

C’EST CHIC

Until a few years ago, they were a throwback to 1970s kitsch, but when one of these jumpers made the cover of French Vogue it become a modern-day musthave.

During the spring/summer 2020 fashion week ever y fashionista was embracing the look, pairing the knit with shorts. Now we’re in the middle of winter, it’s even more relevant layered up with a crisp shirt (like mine from Baukjen).

HOW TO WEAR IT

This fine-knit version is still warm owing to its cashmere content, and works well tucked into these looser-style mum jeans or left out and paired with your favourite skinnies. Go neutral with my pick from M&S (below) or colourful with mustard detailing from Boden (also below). But beware the round-necked option, they’re best left to children.

NOW SHOP THE TREND…