Fashion Know It All: Knits

This season’s open-weave sweaters and dresses are yet another staple from—you guessed it—the ’80s! Popular when New York wasn’t such a homogenized, safe place (thank Rudy) and the majority of people who lived below 14th Street were unemployed artists or musicians, the whole secondhand phenomenon took off mainly because no one could afford anything that cost more than a dollar or two.

I, for one, didn’t have the money for a winter coat, so when temperatures dropped I added a natty, hole-ridden varsity sweater to my ensemble. Now, oh so many years later, I have to confess that I own the upscale version: a Martin Margiela riff on a regulation navy sweater with giant holes in it and a dress-and-cardigan multicolor number from Rodarte. Both constantly snag on everything—even the Rodarte girls threw up their hands after I sent my dress back twice for repairs because it caught on my stilettos. But what was once annoying has become a Zen exercise in detachment: This knitwear is dynamic, and if things fall apart (Chinua Achebe, anyone?), you just gotta go with the flow. Or take a knitting class and fix it yourself.

But now that Rodarte designers Kate and Laura Mulleavy are tacking away from their signature look and other designers are jumping in, do handcrafted knits still have relevance? I say yes. There’s something super sexy about these knits—whether the bright tankdresses from Michael Kors or the harder-edged version at Edun. Tom Scott and Frank Tell did great roomy-top options too. It’s a look that is sharp in that “don’t mess with me” way but elegant in its embrace of refined decay. Clearly, designers are still intuiting the turmoil that exists in the world, but they’re putting a lighter face on it. And what’s particularly stellar about these knits is that they’re intensely versatile. You may spend a lot to own one, but all you have to do is pair it with leggings or shorts—and, presto, instant street cred. And come June, after you’ve worn it out in heavy rotation, take it to the beach and stand out as extra chic. Remember, don’t mind the wear and tear. What’s one more hole in a holey sweater?

—Submitted by Catherine in Vernon Hills, IL