Fairisle jumpers: Knitwear with a rich history

A knitwear pattern created and woven traditionally on the Fair Isle in Shetland. It has a distinctive geometric pattern of multiple coloured wools, usually knitted in a traditional colour palette of natural tones. 

Fairisle fabric is wool that’s woven into geometric shapes in multiple colours, using a traditional knitting technique to embed multiple colours in its distinctive pattern.

The iconic pattern originates from an island in Shetland called Fair Isle and is predominantly seen on knitwear for both men and women, such as jumpers, sweaters and cardigans.

Due to its timeless pattern, you can wear a Fairisle sweater at any time of year but, as a woollen garment, it would make the ideal sweater for the colder seasons. 

The knitwear originates from a small island in Shetland called Fair Isle, situated to the north of Scotland in the UK. Why not have a look at the beautiful Fair Isle in Shetland

The Fairisle design have long been a favourite of the Royal Family.

The Fairisle pattern significantly grew in popularity in the 1920s when the Prince of Wales (later Edward VIII) had the 'The Prince of Wales Fair Isle V-neck jumper' knitted and gifted to him by James A Smith, a Shetland hosiery dealer. He was an avid wearer of the Fairisle pattern, particularly on the golf course, and his love for this iconic pattern is said to have started the fashion for Fair Isle knitwear.

Many other Royals have since been spotted wearing Fairisle knitwear. For example, Princess Diana was known to wear multicoloured Fairisle knitwear, and Princess Charlotte wore a yellow Fairisle cardigan in her second birthday photos.

The current Princess of Wales, formerly Duchess of Cambridge, also sported a traditional Fairisle knitted jumper when reading a children’s story on a CBeebies Bedtime Stories television programme. More recently, she was captured in a video shared by Kensington Palace decorating a Christmas tree in a festive Fairisle turtleneck sweater.

The traditional Fair Isle knitting pattern consists of two colours that are used in each row, usually with four colours used throughout the whole garment.

The design goes back to the early 1800s as a pattern for fishermen’s caps and sweaters, using the natural colours of the Shetland sheep. These yarns were dyed to make deep colours to create complex and beautiful knitting patterns that are recognisable today as the Fairisle pattern.

The distinctive motifs of this Shetland knitwear became a fashion trend, often associated with sporting pursuits such as golf. Before long, the jumper made its way to the mainland and has continued to grow in popularity since. 

Although the iconic Fairisle pattern makes a strong appearance around the Christmas holidays, the jumper is in style all year round.

Men's Fairisle sweaters can be worn anytime but as they are woven from natural wool, they are a particularly excellent garment to keep warm in cooler seasons.