The Crew Neck Sanction
A reader got in touch to say he has one of the Duke of Windsor Fair Isle jumpers from Aero Leather Clothing. He is delighted with it — and with his wife, who bought it for him — and wanted to say that the colours aren't 'so bright in real life and the pattern is softer' than shown in the photos. Opinion had been divided on the level of contrast indicated by the photographs, many readers expressing admiration for the apparent boldness, others uneasy and slightly cowed. I received this news on the same day my field operatives brought me intel on a crew neck Fair Isle also bearing a very close resemblance to the Duke's.
The crew-necked attempt by Jamieson's of Shetland you see here certainly shows more muted colours in the photographs. As with the jumper by Aero, we have those same pattern elements, the teal stripes and orange squares. It's nice to have a crew neck option too.
You can't buy direct from Jamieson's, so you will need to seek out a reputable stockist like Dick's of Edinburgh. Dick's stocks quite the selection of Jamieson's jumpers.
Weller, Hastings and FarnonIf you're looking for a way to wear your Fair Isle, Paul Weller and Hastings got it right; so did Tristan Farnon.
Like an heroic folk mythAn approach that endures, and is passed on through the generations like an heroic folk myth, is the layering on of loose knit fabrics in complementary colours, as below.
Now that is nice, but I prefer the second image even more. Maybe because the pattern is a bit indistinct and softened through age and wear. And yes, Tristian carried off Fair Isle well!
ReplyDeleteHe did indeed, Tony. I now need to put Fair Isle jumpers to one side for a while. I've become fairly obsessed with them of late. Best wishes, Tweedy
Delete