Hello lovely,
There are some vintage clothes I can happily spend hours looking at, and old knitwear is definitely one of them. Those beautifully fitted 1940s jumpers, little 1950s cardigans with their decorative buttons, and the gloriously colourful creations of the 1970s and 1980s. I love them all.
I’m particularly fond of original knitting patterns. The illustrations alone can be fabulous, although some of the instructions look like they require a mathematics degree and considerably more patience than I possess.
Knitwear has been part of women’s wardrobes for generations, but the styles have changed enormously. What began largely as practical clothing for work and sport became something fashionable in its own right during the early twentieth century. By the 1950s, a fitted sweater could be a symbol of Hollywood glamour, while the 1980s brought oversized shapes, bold patterns and some genuinely extraordinary knitting.
If you’ve ever wondered how to date an old jumper, what women wore beneath their winter coats or why your nan’s knitting patterns look so different from modern ones, there’s plenty to discover.
1920s Knitwear: When Jumpers Became Fashionable
During the late nineteenth century, knitted garments were already being worn for sporting activities such as cycling, tennis and golf. Traditional fishermen’s jumpers had an even longer history, with practical designs developed to provide warmth and protection from the weather. But it was during the 1920s that the jumper really found its place in fashionable women’s wardrobes.
As clothing became more relaxed, knitwear suited the decade’s straighter silhouettes and enthusiasm for leisure. Jumpers could be worn over skirts for sport or informal outings, offering a comfortable alternative to more structured clothing.
Fair Isle patterns were particularly fashionable. The Prince of Wales helped popularise the traditional style after wearing a Fair Isle jumper while golfing in 1921. His wardrobe attracted considerable attention, and patterned sweaters soon became part of fashionable sporting dress.
Then there was Elsa Schiaparelli, who took knitwear in a rather different direction. In 1927, she introduced knitted designs featuring trompe l’oeil details that created the illusion of scarves, bows and other accessories. Working with Armenian knitters in Paris, Schiaparelli developed sweaters that played with what clothing appeared to be. These designs helped establish her reputation for witty, unconventional fashion.
The Victoria and Albert Museum’s history of sweaters includes an original Schiaparelli cravat jumper from 1927, and it’s a lovely example of just how inventive knitwear was becoming.
Women’s jumpers of the period were often fairly straight through the body, sitting around the hips rather than drawing attention to the waist. V necklines, round necks and geometric patterns were popular choices, usually paired with skirts. It was a much more casual way of dressing, particularly compared with the elaborate fashions of previous decades.
1930s Knitwear: Neater Waists and Pretty Details
By the 1930s, the fashionable silhouette was changing again. Waists became more defined, shoulders received greater attention and women’s clothing generally took on a softer, more shaped appearance. Knitted garments followed these developments, with decorative stitches and clever construction allowing home knitters to recreate fashionable details.
Jumpers were often fitted around the waist, sometimes with deep ribbed bands that helped create a neat shape above the skirt. Sleeves might have a little fullness at the shoulder, while collars, textured patterns and contrasting trims made otherwise simple garments more interesting. I think this is one of the prettiest periods for vintage knitwear. There’s something about those little puff sleeves and carefully shaped waistbands that appeals to me.
Knitting was also becoming increasingly accessible through fashion magazines and commercial patterns. The V&A records that the growing popularity of sweaters encouraged Vogue to launch The Vogue Knitting Bible in the early 1930s. The Scottish knitwear company Pringle also played an important role in developing the twinset during this decade, although the matching jumper and cardigan would become particularly associated with the 1950s.
A typical 1930s outfit might combine a fitted knitted jumper with a calf length skirt, a neat pair of shoes and a small hat. Fine wool was well suited to these shaped garments, and decorative stitch patterns could give a plain jumper an unexpectedly sophisticated finish. For anyone who loves 1930s fashion, original knitting patterns are particularly interesting because they reveal construction details that can be difficult to appreciate in photographs alone.
1940s Knitwear: Fashion, Rationing and Making Things Last
The Second World War brought a very different set of considerations to the British wardrobe. Clothing rationing began in Britain in 1941, and shortages affected the availability of new garments and materials. People were encouraged to repair, alter and reuse clothing wherever possible.
Knitting was particularly useful because old garments could be unravelled and the wool used again. A tired jumper might become something entirely different, although the quality of the reclaimed yarn depended on its previous wear and condition. There was also considerable demand for knitted clothing for servicemen.
Women and children were encouraged to knit scarves, gloves, socks and balaclavas for the armed forces. According to the V&A, the Women’s Institutes of England and Wales produced more than 22 million knitted garments for the Red Cross during the war. And although practicality was important, fashionable jumpers certainly hadn’t disappeared.
Women’s knitting patterns from the 1940s show fitted shapes, ribbed waistbands, decorative stitches and carefully shaped shoulders. Short sleeved jumpers could be worn with skirts in warmer weather, while cardigans and sleeveless pullovers provided useful extra layers. The wartime silhouette was often quite structured, with an emphasis on the shoulders and waist. Knitted garments could complement this shape without requiring large quantities of fabric.
A closer look at original 1940s knitting patterns
One of the best places to explore the period is the V&A’s collection of original 1940s knitting patterns. Among the surviving designs is a jumper called When You’re ‘Off Duty’, along with patterns for knitted turbans, gloves, waistcoats and a patriotic Victory jumper.
The Victory jumper uses a simple lace stitch pattern and calls for navy, red and white wool. Its construction and colour scheme offer a particularly good example of how a fashionable garment could also carry a patriotic message. These patterns tell us quite a lot about everyday clothing. They show the materials available, the shapes women could make at home and the practical demands of wartime life.
For a broader look at how women dressed during the period, my article on 1940s fashion and subcultures explores everything from Utility clothing to the practical wardrobes of the Women’s Land Army. There’s an important distinction between the practical fashions worn by many women and the carefully styled glamour we tend to associate with the decade today.
1950s Knitwear: Twinsets, Cardigans and the Sweater Girl
By the 1950s, knitted jumpers and cardigans were firmly established as fashionable everyday clothing. The decade is probably best remembered for fitted sweaters and beautifully coordinated twinsets, although there was considerably more variety than the familiar image of pearls, cardigans and pencil skirts suggests.
Twinsets usually consisted of a matching knitted top and cardigan, often made in fine wool or cashmere. They were practical, easy to combine with different outfits and smart enough to wear for all sorts of occasions. A matching cardigan could be worn over a blouse or dress, while fitted knitted tops worked well with full skirts, tailored trousers and narrower skirts.
There was also the rather glamorous sweater girl look. The term became associated with actresses such as Lana Turner, whose appearance in the 1937 film They Won’t Forget helped establish her reputation as a sweater girl. Later actresses, including Jayne Mansfield, continued the fashion for close fitting knitwear worn over structured bras that emphasised the bust. Not every woman wanted that particular silhouette, of course.
Casual knitted jumpers, short sleeved tops and softly shaped cardigans were just as much a part of the decade’s wardrobe. Necklines varied from simple round necks to boat necks and V shapes, while decorative buttons and embroidered details could make a cardigan feel a little more special.
The 1950s jumper that broke the rules
One of my favourite surviving examples is the Molyneux jumper, made by Women’s Home Industries in the early 1950s. Rather than following the tight sweater girl silhouette, it features an open neckline and three quarter length dolman sleeves, giving the garment a softly draped shape. Made in purple wool, it demonstrates how interesting the decade’s knitwear could be beyond the styles most often recreated today. You can see it in the V&A’s knitwear collection.
For a better idea of how knitted garments fitted into a complete cold weather wardrobe, have a read of What They Wore: 1950s Winter. There’s more on the coats, skirts and accessories women wore alongside their favourite jumpers and cardigans. Personally, I think a short, fitted cardigan with a full skirt is still one of the loveliest combinations from this period. Although I’d happily wear one with a pair of jeans too.
1960s Knitwear: Mod Girls and the Rise of the Polo Neck
The 1960s brought shorter skirts, new fabrics and a much younger approach to fashion. Knitwear changed with it, becoming slimmer, simpler and, as the decade progressed, more experimental. The polo neck was a particularly popular choice. Already associated with beatniks, artists and musicians during the 1950s and early 1960s, it found a new audience among fashionable young women. A fine black polo neck could be worn beneath a pinafore dress, tucked into a mini skirt or paired with sharply cut trousers.
Mary Quant was particularly fond of the skinny rib jumper. In her autobiography, Quant by Quant, she recalled discovering the appeal of the style after trying on a child’s sweater. Its close fit was quite different from the bulkier knitted garments of previous decades. The V&A preserves a Mary Quant outfit from 1965 that pairs a black polo neck with a hessian dress and matching hat. It’s a wonderful example of how an ordinary looking jumper could become part of something thoroughly modern.
Meanwhile, French designer Sonia Rykiel was developing her own approach to knitted fashion. Her finely ribbed, close fitting ‘poor boy’ sweaters became fashionable during the 1960s, with one appearing on the cover of French Elle in 1964. These sweaters followed the body closely and looked particularly effective with the decade’s simpler skirts and trousers.
As the 1960s progressed, knitwear became more varied. Alongside the classic black polo neck were brightly coloured jumpers, knitted mini dresses, matching separates and bold geometric designs. It’s easy to see why these styles remain popular. A fine polo neck beneath a pinafore still looks just as smart today, particularly with a pair of ankle boots. If you’re interested in recreating the look, I’ve explored the clothes, colours and accessories in more detail in How to Get 1960s Style on the High Street.
1970s Knitwear: Homemade Fashion, Crochet and Colour
The 1970s were rather generous when it came to knitwear. There were long cardigans, little crochet tops, fitted ribbed jumpers, colourful patterns and everything in between. The decade’s interest in handmade clothing was particularly visible in bohemian fashion. Crochet waistcoats, granny square designs and loosely constructed garments appeared alongside traditional knitted sweaters and cardigans.
Crochet is, of course, a different technique from knitting, but the two were frequently seen together in the home craft magazines and fashionable wardrobes of the period. A crocheted waistcoat might be worn over a blouse with flared trousers, while a fitted polo neck worked well beneath a suede jacket or pinafore dress. Longer knitted cardigans could be layered over jeans, skirts and dresses. For something a little more adventurous, there was designer knitwear.
Italian fashion house Missoni had developed a distinctive reputation for colourful knitted fabrics, experimenting with stripes, geometric designs and combinations of materials. Its garments demonstrated just how sophisticated knitwear could be, including knitted dresses suitable for eveningwear.
British designer Kaffe Fassett was also exploring the possibilities of hand knitting. His colourful designs used contrasting textures and unusual combinations of yarns, often bringing together shades that might seem unlikely companions. The V&A holds his Renaissance evening coat from 1979, knitted by Zoe Hunt. Its rich colours and varied textures offer a particularly lovely example of the period’s creative approach to knitwear.
But the 1970s had a rougher side too. Towards the end of the decade, punk fashion deliberately challenged conventional ideas about how clothing should look. Vivienne Westwood and Malcolm McLaren sold loosely knitted mohair jumpers with an intentionally distressed appearance through their Seditionaries shop. The V&A preserves one of these garments from 1976, a cropped jumper in red, orange and yellow mohair. Quite a contrast to the delicate, carefully shaped knitwear of the 1930s.
What I particularly like about 1970s knitwear is the variety. You could be wearing a fine knitted top with tailored trousers one day and an enormous patterned cardigan the next. For a little more of that relaxed, bohemian side of the decade, have a look at my Anita Pallenberg style guide. Her wardrobe is a great reference for mixing knitwear with velvet, suede, silk and vintage tailoring.
1980s Knitwear: The Bigger, the Better
If you’ve ever looked through an original 1980s knitting magazine, you’ll know that subtlety wasn’t always the priority. Jumpers became oversized, sleeves grew wider and patterns could be wonderfully elaborate. Bright colours, chunky cables, novelty motifs and contrasting textures appeared on everything from casual sweaters to elaborate designer pieces. There was a renewed interest in hand knitting during the late 1970s and 1980s, encouraged by designers who demonstrated just how creative the craft could be.
Patricia Roberts was among the most influential British knitwear designers of the period. Her distinctive garments combined colourful patterns, unusual stitches and intricate construction. Rather than treating hand knitting as something old fashioned, Roberts demonstrated its potential for contemporary design. She also published knitting books, giving home knitters the opportunity to reproduce some of her creations. Her 1982 Romany cardigan, held by the V&A, features contrasting blocks of decorative stitches and bright colours inspired by patterned china. It’s an excellent example of the wonderfully inventive designs being produced at the time.
Martin Kidman, designing for Joseph, was another important figure. His striking red tiger jumper, made around 1985, features an enormous animal motif across the front. I can’t imagine that one going unnoticed on the bus. The V&A includes examples of designer pieces in its history of sweaters and wider knitwear collections.
Not all 1980s knitwear was oversized, though. Fine stretch knits also played an important role in the decade’s more fitted fashions, particularly through designers such as Azzedine Alaïa. Still, it’s those gloriously elaborate hand knitted jumpers that I find myself returning to. Some are undeniably outrageous, but the amount of skill involved in making them is impressive.
1990s Knitwear: Slouchy Cardigans and Simpler Shapes
After the colourful excesses of the 1980s, much of the following decade’s fashion took a more casual direction. In the early 1990s, grunge brought oversized layers, second hand clothing and deliberately relaxed styling into mainstream fashion. Chunky jumpers and loose cardigans fitted naturally into this wardrobe, worn with jeans, floral dresses, T shirts and heavy boots. The appeal was partly in looking as though you hadn’t spent hours thinking about your outfit. Whether that was actually the case is another matter. Grunge had developed from the music scene in Seattle during the late 1980s, before gaining wider attention in the early 1990s. Its influence reached high fashion, notably through Marc Jacobs’ 1993 collection for Perry Ellis.
Meanwhile, the decade’s minimalist fashions encouraged a different approach to knitwear. Fine ribbed tops, simple cardigans and knitted separates could be worn with straight skirts, tailored trousers and slip dresses. Neutral colours and understated shapes offered a considerable contrast to the heavily patterned knitwear of the previous decade. It was a wonderfully adaptable period for knitwear. An oversized cardigan could look casual and a little scruffy, while a finely knitted top could be sleek and elegant. Both were unmistakably part of the 1990s wardrobe.
How to Tell What Decade Vintage Knitwear Is From
One of the most interesting things about collecting vintage clothing is trying to work out when something was made. With knitwear, the silhouette often provides the first clue. A fitted jumper with decorative shoulders might suggest the 1930s or 1940s, while a neat cardigan with a matching top could point towards the 1950s. Bold geometric patterns and oversized sleeves might suggest the 1980s. But there are a few things worth remembering before confidently declaring that your charity shop find is from 1947.
Shape and construction
The overall silhouette is useful, particularly when compared with dated garments and original knitting patterns. Look at the shoulders, waistband, sleeves and length. These details often reveal how the garment was intended to fit.
Yarn and fabric composition
The material can sometimes help narrow down the age. Wool, cotton, silk and other natural fibres have long been used for knitted clothing, while different synthetic fibres became increasingly important throughout the twentieth century. However, the presence of a particular fibre rarely provides an exact date.
Labels and manufacturing details
Original labels can offer useful clues about a manufacturer’s history, the country of production and fibre composition. Look for evidence of hand knitting, machine knitting, seams, repairs and alterations. Some garments have been modified over time, particularly when they’ve been loved enough to survive several decades.
Original knitting patterns
These are particularly helpful because they often provide dated illustrations, construction methods and yarn recommendations. There’s one little complication, though. Someone could knit a garment in the 1970s using a pattern first published in the 1940s. So the style of a jumper doesn’t necessarily tell you when it was actually made. And that’s part of the fun of collecting vintage clothes. Occasionally, you have to do a little detective work.
Why Vintage Knitting Patterns Are So Interesting
Original knitting patterns provide a particularly useful record of everyday fashion. Unlike expensive designer clothing, patterns were intended to help people make garments for themselves and their families. They show what manufacturers were promoting, which styles were considered fashionable and how clothing could be reproduced at home.
In Britain, companies including Patons & Baldwins, Sirdar, Copleys and Lister produced patterns for a wide range of garments. Publications such as Woolcraft, Needlework and Stitchcraft and Vogue Knitting also brought new ideas to home knitters. Some patterns were wonderfully practical. Others involved complicated stitch patterns, detailed shaping and rather ambitious designs.
The V&A’s history of knitting patterns in Britain explains how written knitting instructions developed and became part of Britain’s knitting culture. The patterns can be fascinating to look through even if you have absolutely no intention of picking up a pair of knitting needles. And if you do fancy making something, they’re still useful today. Just remember that yarn weights, needle sizing and garment measurements may need a little adjustment. Vintage patterns can also assume a fair amount of existing knitting knowledge. Some of the older instructions are rather economical with their explanations, shall we say.
Wearing Vintage Knitwear Today
One thing I particularly enjoy about vintage knitwear is how easily it can be incorporated into clothes we already wear. A fitted 1940s jumper works well with wide leg trousers. A 1950s cardigan can be worn with jeans, while a 1960s polo neck is particularly useful beneath a pinafore dress or tailored jacket. And if you’ve found a colourful 1970s or 1980s jumper, there’s no reason it can’t become the most interesting part of an otherwise simple outfit.
I tend to prefer mixing pieces from different decades rather than recreating a complete historical outfit. A vintage cardigan with modern trousers, a knitted waistcoat over a silk blouse or an oversized jumper with a plain skirt can all work beautifully. Vintage knitwear is also worth looking after. Old wool can be vulnerable to moth damage, weakened fibres and stretching, so it’s sensible to check a garment carefully before wearing or washing it.
For particularly delicate pieces, gentle hand washing may be suitable, although some older garments require specialist cleaning. Always consider the fibre, condition and construction before deciding how to clean them. And when it comes to storage, folding knitwear is generally better than hanging it. Heavy jumpers can stretch under their own weight, particularly around the shoulders.
Final Thoughts
Looking through vintage knitwear is a reminder of how much fashion can change while some of our favourite clothes remain remarkably familiar. A 1930s cardigan might look perfectly at home in a modern wardrobe, while a 1950s jumper could easily be mistaken for something bought on the high street today. The 1980s designs might take a little more confidence, admittedly.
What I find most interesting are the garments that were made at home. Someone chose the pattern, bought the wool, worked through the instructions and eventually had something they could wear. Sometimes those pieces were repaired, unravelled or passed down, which makes surviving examples particularly special.
I have a real soft spot for the fitted jumpers of the 1940s and 1950s, but the wonderfully eccentric designs of the 1970s and 1980s are difficult to resist too. Which decade’s knitwear would you happily have in your wardrobe?