Thick of fall
MINGY twin sets, skimpy pashminas, stupidly skinny scarves, tissue-thin turtlenecks -- can we be rid of them soon enough?
As soon as Giles Deacon sent that scarf -- that insanely thick beast of an orange scarf -- down the runway, we were dying for something substantial. A thick-ribbed sweater dress. An Aran knit cardigan coat. Anything made of the kind of fat, soft yarn you could really sink into. The kind of piece that has the power to update whatever it is you’re wearing with it.
And, boy, are those pieces out there this fall, from Neiman Marcus to J. Crew.
Naturally, the soggy-weather Brits were especially into this whole chunky-knit thing. Along with Deacon, Stella McCartney and Pringle added some serious bulk to their fall knitwear. McCartney’s pieces are as forward-feeling as Deacon’s but a lot more wearable, with long sweater coats that look great balanced with dark, slim leggings and an ankle boot or towering high heel.
Other designers are spinning sweaters into sophisticated drapey shapes and creating knit handbags, leggings and dramatically textured caps. Say farewell to Fair Isle. In rich, deep grays and modern ivory, these chunky knits are suitable for the office or evening cocktails. Throw on some opaque tights and a metallic accessory or two and you’ve got a sweater ensemble that can go from dowdy to dressy, with the comfort of your favorite sweats.
Oddly enough, one of the first labels to give a more youthful spin to the sweater was Vince, whose home base is 80-degrees-in-January L.A. In 2002, the label introduced a contemporary collection of sweaters that were more bombshell than back-to-school. The line went on to build its name on knitwear, with cozy and wearable baby-doll sweaters, knit jumpers, tunics and other staples.
Which all might feel a little heavy this early in the season. For now, there is the cooler version of the scarf -- the neck warmer. Reiss is making styles that simply slip over the head and cowl nicely over a T-shirt or V-neck. Its knit berets are a thicker yarn, so they’ll give you the look without the overheating.
Or the added bulk. That may be the one drawback of this trend: Thick knits add a considerable extra layer to the body. So choose them with care. The thicker and larger the gauge, the more puffiness it tends to add. A drapier knit can be clingy, showing every bump, lump and line. A medium knit suits most people best, and a skinny belt contours the waist and breaks up the area around the hip for a slimmer line.
Something that all the sweater girls knew.
