As we near the end of Fashion Week, it’s time to keep an eagle eye on the trends again – and there’s one, in particular, that’s pretty much perfect for transitioning our wardrobes from winter to spring. You’ve probably seen it appear on the Instagram feeds of all the most stylish girls you know for a while now. Enter: the sweater vest.
Sweater vests – or knitted gilets/knitted vests/knitted tanks, as you may also refer to them – have been on the sartorial radar for some time. In fact, they’ve been popular since luxury fashion houses including Prada, Gucci and Dior included them all the way back in their AW20 collections.
Since then, they’ve appeared in various iterations: cut in oversized silhouettes, splashed with bold patterns, with high necks; with low. Forget what you thought you knew: the new sweater vest is infinitely more modern, contemporary and a whole lot cooler than the sweater vests your granddad used to wear.
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Yip, these vests are certainly not the sleeveless knits you remember from the ’90s, rather their older sister who can transform a jeans and white shirt get-up into something decidedly more chic. (And warmer). Worn atop midi dresses, poplin shirts, more chunky knitwear or a collared top, it’s a trend that’s as cosy and comfortable as it is chic. And when the weather (eventually) warms up, the best sweater vests also work perfectly well on their own.
Alongside the luxury brands of the world, our favourite mid-range designers are following suit. RIXO’s Renee number and Ganni’s half-zip offering are both high up on our radar.
Need further proof of the resurgence of the sweater vest? If your Instagram isn’t already awash with a host of stylish sleeveless knits, a quick scan of the most on-trend high street brands shows an array of styles. From River Island’s bright pink knitted tank top to Warehouse’s button-up crochet tank and this mohair knitted offering from COS, you can now channel your inner Chandler Bing without breaking the bank.
