That’s Fair Isle….

Fair Isle Knitwear for 2011/12

A hand-knit Fair Isle knit lends a chic Nordic touch to every sweater, hat, gloves and anything else you can knit. Inspired by the classic Nordic patterns, Fair Isle sweaters have unquestionable style. A traditional knit that gets its name from a tiny island north of Scotland where the technique was first developed.

We're used to seeing them après ski and in woodsy winter towns, but this season they're officially fashionable. A Fair Isle is the “it” pattern of the season for everything knit, meaning sweaters in particular. They combine the advantages of a cozy thickness, work-to-weekend versatility and an on-trend attitude. This season is all about bold, statement knitwear —think Christmas jumper and you can’t go far wrong. Top of the knit picks is Fair Isle, a heritage style that suits everybody, from the traditionalist to the modern style maven.

Autumn Winter 2011/12 is crammed with inspirational new textures, colours and colour effects. This winter, fashion trends have taken the classic women's cardigan and added a number of modern twists. The Fair Isle knitwear trend for example, is an great wardrobe staple that can be a statement over a simple t-shirt and is right back in bold designs and colours, vibrant Russian reds, pinks and clarets that were a big trend on the catwalks, we're talking Fair Isle sweaters.

In winter 2011/12 a Nordic-inspired pattern details a slouchy cardigan, a mock neck sweater, a tunic, a collar sweater etc. Fair Isle had a major moment on the winter 2011 runways at Rag & Bone, and Max Mara, and the likes of D&G, Vivienne Westwood and Gucci didn’t hold back with this bold style and spiced up, the often bland area of knitwear, with these Nordic patterns, consisting of stars, diamond shapes, snowflakes, reindeers etc. It was an interesting trend that became popular with the masses as the high street labels followed with ranges of Fair Isle Knitwear.

The bold patterned style spread across a wide range of clothing, including cardigans, jumpers, sweaters, jackets, gilets, hats, gloves, socks and scarves. Missoni is pretty much king when it comes to all things knitted. This collection was a triumph in wool.

Take a leaf from the Missoni book and experiment with patterns and textures. This Autumn/Winter 2011 season designer knitwear is a highly sought after commodity, offering practicality and style is equal measure. The Chunky roll necks, however, give that deep winter feel, when the cold does set in; you can combine them with parkas, duffel’s and many other big winter coats.

One way to sport knitwear during the cold months is to layer a cardigan, over a simple jersey top and wear under a puffa jacket with jeans and your favourite trainers for a casual look. So experiment with patterns and textures when choosing knitwear.