Fair Isle Sweaters Are Fashion's Favorite Heritage Trend

They look right at home on a fresh off-the-slopes celebrity in Aspen or a winter runway from a luxury label like Khaite or Altuzarra, but Fair Isle sweaters have a surprisingly humble origin story. The geometric-patterned knitwear originated in the early 19th century in Fair Isle, a remote island 100 miles off northern Scotland's coast with only 60 or so residents. Recognizable by its colorful 'OXO' pattern and two-stranded technique, Fair Isle knits were designed as workwear to warm the fishermen working in the Shetland waters.

So, how did the classic sweater expand beyond its small seaside beginnings to become a perennial winter trend in today's A-list and high-fashion stratosphere? Credit goes to the British royals—specifically, the Prince of Wales (later Edward VIII), who wore a Fair Isle jumper for a 1921 portrait that catapulted the silhouette to fame. Since then, the multicolored knit has been a constant throughout the Royal Family's fashion as cozy country wear.

Think of the traditional Fair Isle sweaters Princess Diana wore throughout "her early '80s royal tenure—so fitting as a 19-year-old girl trying desperately to be seen as a grown-up princess," says Elizabeth Holmes, a veteran fashion journalist and foremost authority on royals-related style. Or, as a more recent reference, Holmes cites the colorful, chunky knitwear Kate Middleton wears during annual Christmas caroling or as "a lovely, gracious nod" to the style's origins on tours in Scotland.

Holmes explains that the Fair Isle’s down-to-earth backstory is precisely why it’s a longstanding royal favorite. "Members of the Windsor family are expected to be both fancy and frugal, aspirational and relatable. The glamorous gowns and sparkling tiaras are one side of that, and the classic royal country attire is the other end. Fair Isle sweaters are a key piece of the latter, in the same bucket as Barbour wax jackets and Hunter wellies as part of the royals' 'off-duty' uniform,” she says. “In some ways, that's more exciting because those elements of their style are more within reach, bringing them down out of the palace and among the people.”

The same sentiment applies to the classic Fair Isle knits worn by the fashion tastemakers of today. On December days in Los Angeles, Hailey Bieber wears Fair Isle sweaters, a Khaite staple with a cool $2,000 price tag that exudes a casual coziness while sipping hot cocoa by the fire. Similarly, Katie Holmes, a pillar of relatable-yet-aspirational style, re-wears a 2022 Gabriela Hearst Fair Isle sweater every year—most recently, with barrel-leg jeans and ballet flats on a September stroll in New York City.

Even though New York, London, Paris, and Milan are filled with city-slickers, you'll regularly spot Fair Isle knits at Fashion Week. Most recently, as the English country street style trend took off this past September, guests wore colorful Fair Isle knit sweater outfits with barn jackets and hiking boots in a full-circle nod to the knitwear’s regal roots.

Worn in an homage to a royal at Balmoral, a festive holiday sweater that’s far from tacky, or peacocking at Fashion Week, the traditional knit blends heritage style with individual expression. Or, as Holmes puts it, “Fair Isle sweaters are warm and inviting, but perhaps the best part is that they allow for a bit of the wearer's personality to shine through.”

That balance of the past and someone's own personal style is exactly why the Fair Isle sweater has maintained such an impressive fashion legacy: how many other garments have a fan club featuring 19th-century fishermen, the British Royal Family, and the Biebers?

Shop the Best Fair Isle Sweaters