From crochet to cardigans, when did dressing like grandma become so cool?

Fashion always repeats itself, and the crochet, cardigan, and scarf trend is definite proof of this.

Why buy new clothes when you can borrow them from your beloved grandmother? Ready-to-wear brands are offering us a masterful comeback for fall, focusing on pieces that haven’t seen the light of day in several decades. Crochet, cardigans, scarves, sleeveless sweaters: here are the vintage pieces to buy (or borrow) to be most stylish in the fall.

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Grandma is definitely the star of the year 2021. Not content with inspiring consumers in search of a more natural beauty routine with her sugar hair removal recipes, Granny is now also influencing them in terms of fashion. Who would have thought? While we tend to dismiss anything remotely related to previous generations, the most emblematic pieces from our grandparents’ wardrobes are becoming the stars of the new season. All that’s left is to make them your own.

[Hero and Featured Image Credit: Prada]

Crochet madness

If the origins of crochet go back to the 19th century, our grandparents are undoubtedly those who popularized it before seeing it fall into oblivion. But the comeback of do-it-yourself, especially in the middle of confinement, has revived the image of this technique, giving life to recognizable fashion pieces. The craze is such that we even talk about a boom in crochet pieces for the fall-winter season, while they are most often reserved for the summer season.

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Note that crochet is not only a matter of DIY, because those who do not feel up to the task can now turn to the hundreds – or even thousands – of tutorials abounding on the web, or even more simply to the stores of major brands and fashion chains that offer a host of crochet pieces. Swimsuits, dresses, handbags, hats, pants, tops… Everything is available, to the greatest happiness of vintage fans. The biggest fashion icons, from Gigi Hadid to Kylie Jenner, have already adopted it, and some pieces from major brands including Mango and Zara are finding fans around the world.

It’s not even back-to-school time yet, but the numbers for crochet are already dizzying. Instagram has more than 36 million posts on crochet, including fashion and home textiles, while the hashtag #crochet has accumulated 3.7 billion views on TikTok, when its cousin #crochettutorial has 159 million. It’s a strong trend that should increase in the coming weeks.

The sweater goes retro

Generally speaking, knitwear imposes itself in the dressing room of men and women every fall, but a piece worn by our ancestors is making a comeback – and we did not see it coming: the sleeveless sweater. This classic preppy style was honored on the catwalks of many major houses during the physical and digital fashion shows for Fall-Winter 2021, with several key variations. While it is generally proposed in sober colors, the sleeveless sweater is a sensation in plain or printed versions (note: houndstooth is also back), in classic knit or twisted, and even in crop-top version. You’ll be spoilt for choice.

The question is, how you are going to wear it? Here again, the possibilities are endless: alone, with a T-shirt or button-down, in association with pants or a skirt, even as a mini-dress, with heels, sneakers or combat boots. The choice is yours! In the same vein, you’ll have to rely on the cardigan – thanks Granny! – next season. Never really gone, but not usually trendy, the timeless wool jacket with buttons will be considered one of next season’s star pieces.

Heady scarves 

If the silk scarf has never disappeared from circulation, the way of wearing it seems to differ greatly among the generations. It’s still a return to Granny’s era that we will observe from next fall, because the said accessory will be worn on the head. Attention, we are not talking about the scarf tied in the ‘modern day adventuress’ way, like a bandana. No, we’re talking about a scarf that hides almost all of the hair – except for the bangs – and is tied under the chin. The ultimate in elegance, in short, as worn by Brigitte Bardot, Catherine Deneuve, or Audrey Hepburn in the 1960s.

Dior is one of the houses that have brought it up to date for the fall-winter 2021 shows, notably in a leopard version, but it can also be found in a plain version, with abstract prints, or even stripes.

This article is published via AFP Relaxnews.