Knits Aren’t Shaping Up as the Same Old Yarns

Layering and luxurious fabrics are key fashion looks for fall and winter, and knits are no exception. Just make sure the shapes are up-to-date.

Pile on tunics, bell-bottoms, long skinny skirts and crocheted maxi-vests, body-hugging pullovers, miniskirts and leggings in a melange of yarns such as wool, silk, cotton, acrylic, cashmere and blends.

And remember, knits can be glamorous at night.

“In fashion, everything is cyclical,” says Adrienne Vittadini, one of several Seventh Avenue designers who are all wrapped up with this season’s knits. “And now knitwear is back as a major fashion direction since it offers the most modern way to dress.

“Fall’s silhouettes are long and lean with softer and more fluid lines, and knits best express this new proportion.”

From Vittadini to lines such as Ellen Tracy, Joan Vass and St. John, the contemporary knitwear story is born of the loosened-up look that has replaced the hard-edged, tailored suit.

“Now more than ever, knitwear is in the forefront because there’s a whole new softness about dressing,” Andrea Jovine says. And knits work well for layering, she says, because they don’t add a lot of bulk.

Jovine cites the ease of her wool knit crew-neck tunic with empire waist and high side slits paired with a side-slit long slim skirt, about $150 each.

“Combining the slits with the softness of knit creates a lot of movement in the garment, a very fresh and modern way to look,” she says.

Lauren Sara praises knits for their comfort zone.

“My jackets this season look like jackets but feel like sweaters,” she says. “There’s a comfort to sweater dressing, the ease of throwing on something that feels almost like a sweat shirt. The shoulders and elbows give, and there’s stretchiness across your back so you can reach for something with a full range of motion.

“So when people talk about the deconstruction of fashion, knits fit right in.”

A favorite in Sara’s collection is a closefitting, double-breasted jacket with gold buttons, $575, and matching high-waisted flared trousers, $290, both in black wool knit.

Retailers are encouraged by consumer response to the softer styling.

“The modern woman understands the wearability of knitwear, and it’s an area targeted for growth,” says Hope Brick, fashion director for Foley’s in Houston.

“As technology has really advanced in terms of knitwear textures, knits are being pulled front and forward in our stores,” she says.

Then there’s the value factor.

“You’re going to see the customer responding to items that have some longevity and allow her to make an investment,” says LaVelle Olexa, senior vice president of fashion merchandising of Lord & Taylor in New York. “That’s why we’ve had an early reaction to cashmere.”

In the store are cashmere cardigans, turtlenecks, crew-neck sweaters and tunics in both plain and cable stitch.

At Vittadini, knits run the gamut from ribbed to crochet to cable, in wool, cashmere, silk, Lurex and chenille.

Vittadini’s narrow, ankle-length skirts and easy pants go with long cardigan jackets or tunics in tone-on-tone combinations. For evening, slinky black sweater knits are dressed up with rhinestone buttons and illusion backs.

Getting dressed is as easy as Vittadini’s camel cable-knit, knee-length wool cardigan, $370, with matching turtleneck sweater, $98, wool slim pant, $220, and scarf, $95.

“They travel well, and they’re almost prepackaged,” Vittadini says.

Pullovers and cardigans also work as accessories, she says. Wrap them around the neck or tie them at the waist.

“I prefer sweaters to jewelry,” she adds, “whether you want to build near your face or camouflage your hips.”

No matter the style, the color, or the fabric, the nice thing about knits is their ease of dressing.

Becky Bailey, corporate public relations manager of Dayton’s, Hudson’s and Marshall Field’s in Minneapolis, says it’s also “the option of mixing and matching while easily expanding your wardrobe.”

“Makes you want to shop, doesn’t it?”