As we edge closer to Spring, many of us are probably itching to get some physical activity underway as the weather gets warmer and we move out of a long wintry slumber.
Although not necessarily going to see you through a full football match, our sportswear inspired knitwear is perfect for this time of year, having been designed for a more active lifestyle in warmer weather by incorporating sporty yarns.
Discover more about the history, design and styling versatility of these items in this article.
Sport Cardigans
Superfine lambswool tennis cardigan
Our superfine lambswool tennis cardigan is modelled after the cardigans worn by tennis players in the 1950s in post-match celebrations and events. It was often made in an off-white or cream colour, to go with the players' regulation "tennis whites". The regulation, though strict and cumbersome, had the unintended effect of giving birth to a stylish off-shoot of sportswear whereby everybody in the club looked dashing in off-white, tonal ensembles - what we now reminisce as the romance of old tennis uniforms.
It is knitted at 12 gauge in a luxurious superfine lambswool, making the piece just the right weight for warmer weather, good to throw on when the temperature dips but you don't want to overheat.
Merino Club Cardigan
In line with the tradition of some old English clubs, we also designed a modern version of a tennis cardigan with a “club stripe”, hence the name merino club cardigan. The stripes would have been distinctive to the club for ease of identification and to give players a sense of belonging. Our colours are characteristically muted, to allow for ease of styling. Knitted in Scotland using an extrafine merino that gives the fabric an unbelievably soft, light and “airy” hand feel, it is another ideal piece for layering over a t-shirt during the warmer months.
Superfine Lambswool Cricket Sweater
Our superfine lambswool cricket sweater is designed as a luxurious version of the sporting vests and jumpers worn by cricketers – a tradition that dates back to the 18th century in the British Isles. It is made in Scotland using Todd & Duncan’s wonderfully luscious superfine lambswool. Whilst robust, it has a remarkably soft handle and is comfortable against the skin, unlike the more dry and coarse fibres used on old sporting cricket jumpers.
It is also designed with a contemporary aesthetic in mind, doing away with the tubular, elastic white stripe often found on the inside of the v neck on more traditional cricket jumpers. It also boasts a deeper v neck line for a more modern look.
Colours chosen are muted, compared to traditional cricket stripes which would have been brighter. This is to make it easier to style as part of a casual outfit and to remove any overt sporting connotations.
Cashmere Silk Tennis Polo
Our cashmere silk tennis polo is inspired by vintage pre-1950s tennis tops, with their signature longer short sleeves and larger spread collars. Crafted in Scotland using the world’s finest, luxurious cashmere silk yarn from Italian fine yarn experts Cariaggi Lanificio, the piece has an unimaginably soft, “melt in your hand” texture, and a light, airy and relaxed feel when worn.
Cashmere Cotton Collegiate Sweatshirt
Our cashmere cotton collegiate sweatshirt is inspired by the classic 1926 sweatshirt first introduced in the US for footballers who needed a more comfortable garment than their wool tops.
Our version of the collegiate sweatshirt features raglan sleeves, in keeping with one of the earliest iterations of the sweatshirt by Benjamin Russel. The construction allows for ease of movement. The wider ribbed hem at the bottom of the torso and wider ribbed cuffs are also in keeping with the original and are designed to keep the sweatshirt securely in place in the throes of sporting competition, thus further promoting movement without the sweatshirt "riding up".
Throughout the years, the sweatshirt was made predominantly in a pure jersey cotton. Ours is designed as a luxury version, made up with an exquisite mix of around half cashmere and the other half cotton. This gives the piece a luxuriously soft hand feel from the cashmere whilst incorporating the sportiness of cotton.
Cashmere Cotton Breton Stripe
The cashmere cotton breton stripe is our take on the classic Breton Stripe sweater, originally created for the French navy in the 19th century.
Traditionally, it was made using a thick cotton, but in keeping with our philosophy of incorporating luxury into vintage inspired pieces, ours is also made using almost half cashmere, and the other half high quality cotton.
The slight boat shape of the neck, and the straight hem and cuff are in keeping with the original designs of the breton stripe. The stripes are retained, a distinctive feature which was introduced to help easily identify sailors who may have fallen overboard.
Also comes in a more muted olive/navy colour way:
Merino Sport Shirt and Rower's Henley
Our merino sport shirt is a homage to sport tops worn by British Olympic athletes in the 1920s. Designed to be an elevated version of your summer tee, it is fully fashioned and hand linked, allowing for a neater fit throughout the whole garment that follows the contours of your body, in contrast to a standard t-shirt, which is cut and sewn and more angular where the curves on your body are such as the shoulders.
Using extrafine merino yarn from renowned Italian mill Zegna Baruffa and being knitted in Scotland give this piece the best of both Italian and Scottish knitwear craftsmanship - the refinement of silky smooth Italian yarn with the robustness and heft of Scottish knitting. It is designed with a slightly longer short sleeve and longer cuffs and hem, to keep with tradition and for a more flattering look by covering your biceps. These smarter aspects make the piece more easily worn with smart items such as a blazer.
Our merino henley shirt has similar features, and is inspired by rower’s tops introduced at the start of the 20th century.
