古董毛衣時髦文藝范兒

Text by Simon E Smith & Madz Translation by Leo Pictures by Matthew Szechenyi, Getty, Macaron

古董毛衣時髦文藝范兒

Text by Simon E Smith & Madz Translation by Leo Pictures by Matthew Szechenyi, Getty, Macaron

DON’T SWEAT IT, IT’S VINTAGE

As the 1980s makes a resurgence in the UK, fashion lovers are flocking to vintage stores to snap-up sweaters and cardigans by the pound.

文藝青年從不滿足于主流穿搭，而古董毛衣不僅撞衫幾率小，還能給人沉穩、智慧的形象，實乃小清新的冬季最愛。

Christina Aguilera Top∶ Navy and white striped v-neck sweate

Hilary Duff wears black denim skin tight jeans and a thick wool sweater

Muji sweater with vintage cable-knit pattern

In fashion, vintage refers to an item of clothing that's at least 20 years old and hails from a standout decade. Basically, any memorable items between the 1920s and 1980s could be deemed vintage. Each year, an item from the past finds its way into the present and once again becomes popular. With the colder months approaching, cardigans and sweaters are becoming all the rage.

Jessica Cunningham is the owner of the online fashion company Prodigal Fox. She said, “Now, vintage is starting to make a come back with turtle necks and chunky knits. People don't want to look mainstream and vintage clothing can look very stylish and can give the newer, on trend items a bit of an edge.”

Nowadays, vintage clothing can be split into two sections. First there is true classic vintage, which refers to authentic old items of superior quality, fabric and design. Jessica explains, “These items are hand-picked and can be pretty niche and pricey– think trompe l'oeil sweatshirts or Kaffe Fassett cardigans.”

Second is the style of the cheaper vintage clothing stores where the focus in on the appearance and cost as opposed to the quality and authenticity. Here, sweaters and cardigans can be bought by the pound. These pieces are “vintage-esque” or“vintage inspired” as true vintage is too expensive to be sold by weight. This group tends to be quirky and enjoys many aspects of the vintage lifestyle such as going to vintage teashops, cafes and Brica-Brac stores.

Linda Powell has been working with garments and pattern cutting for the past 30 years, she explains the materials and patterns used in vintage sweaters and cardigans∶ “Fair Isle and argyle are typical patterns you'd see on many vintage sweaters, particularly those golfing ones from the 1950s. Another popular pattern is cable stitching. This can be seen on jumpers where thick chains are knitted into the design. Think fisherman.”

“There's also the very fine gauge sweaters of the 1930s and 1940s or the various types of wool like Alpaca and cashmere. Sometimes designers mix in a bit of Lycra to add longevity to the garment.”

The recent accessibility and visibility of all things vintage has made it the go-to style for an individual yet unique look. From Kate Moss to Alexa Chung, celebrities and supermodels have been snapped in cable-knit cricket jumpers and chunky crochet sweaters. Yet, it's safe to say their items probably weren't bought at your average thrift shop.

To avoid looking like a pastiche of a particular period, many tweak their outfits by adding modern elements. Fashion and beauty expert Gina Akers advises∶ “It's all about key pieces. You can't just cover yourself in vintage. You definitely have to plan your outfit.”

If you're wearing a chunky cardigan then layering up might be a good move. This means wearing a shirt underneath a jumper then a cardigan and scarf on top paired with a little denim skirt or even leather pants. As for the future Gina sees the 1980s as making a comeback. “When you look at the shops now, there's a lot of 80s stuff filtering in∶ oversized V-neck cardigans are back with big block schemes like rectangles and squares. The colours aren't as loud or brash as the 80s, which can only be a good thing.”

There're also cultural indicators that suggest Gina may be right. The hugely successful American TV show ‘Stranger Things' set in the 80s is encouraging viewers to dress like their favourite characters. And remember the Rubik's cube? This year the brand released a completely new version of the iconic cube called the Rubik's Spark.

Amidst the speculation and excitement of what's to come, there is one certainty when it comes to vintage sweaters. Regardless of how fashionable you think you are, there's no escaping the inevitability of the classic Christmas jumper. Whether it's a giant reindeer or a mince pie, that's one trend that no one is happy to see return.

Olivia Palermo seen during Milan Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2017

From Kate Moss to Alexa Chung, celebrities and supermodels have been snapped in cable-knit cricket jumpers and chunky crochet sweaters.

Taylor Swift

泰勒斯威夫特、超模凱特·莫斯都喜歡穿復古風毛衣

Kate Moss

在時尚圈，所謂的“古董裝”，是指那些至少有20年歷史的老舊服裝。大體上，產自上世紀20年代至80年代、具有一定紀念意義的服裝統統可以算作古董裝。幾乎每一年，都會有一些古董服裝再度成為流行時尚。冬意漸濃，古董套頭毛衣和開衫毛衣也開始風靡起來。

時裝公司Prodigal Fox的老板杰西卡·康寧漢表示∶“古董高領毛衣和粗棒針毛衣開始再度走俏。人們不再滿足于主流穿搭，而古董裝一樣可以給人時髦的印象，甚至比新款潮裝更勝一籌。”

古董裝大致可以分為兩類。一類是貨真價實的經典古董服裝，其特點是質量優、布料好和設計精良，而且出自正品。對此，杰西卡也有說法：“這些服裝都是經過精挑細選出來的，可能比較小眾，而且價格不菲——比方說錯視感衛衣或Kaffe Fassett開衫毛衣。”

另一類是廉價二手服裝店售賣的古董裝，這類古董裝強調外觀、性價比和真偽。在這類服裝店，花點小錢就能買到的古董套頭毛衣和開衫毛衣要么具有古董風，要么是仿品，因為正品古董裝往往很貴，是不會以稱重的方式售賣的。喜歡這類古董裝的人士往往鐘愛古董生活方式的方方面面，比如愛逛古董風茶館、咖啡店和售賣各種舊時物件的古董店（例如位于捷克首都布拉格的Bric-a-Brac古董店）。

琳達·鮑威爾是一名從事了三十年服裝和圖案裁剪的資深服裝人。她對古董套頭毛衣和開衫毛衣的材質和圖案有著獨到的見解。她說：“費爾島針織圖案(Fair Isle)和菱形格紋(Argyle)是古董毛衣上最常見的圖案，尤以上世紀50年代以后生產的高爾夫毛衣最多。絞花針織圖案也十分流行，比如帶鏈條圖案的套頭毛衣，很像漁夫毛衣。”

“此外還有上世紀三、四十年代的細針距毛衣和各類羊毛衫(如羊駝毛衫、山羊絨衫)。為了使服裝更耐穿，有時服裝設計師會加入一點萊卡面料。”

近來隨處可見的古董風使這類服裝成為時髦人士追求個性的必備之選。從超模凱特·莫斯，到大眾時尚寵兒艾里珊·鐘，許多時尚名流都曾穿著絞花針織板球毛衣或粗棒針鉤織毛衣出現在鏡頭中。當然啰，穿在他們身上的服裝大概不是你在普通二手店里買得到的。

很多人為了避免刻意穿出特定時期的樣子，會用一些現代元素搭配古董服飾。時尚美麗達人基娜·阿克斯建議道：“穿得好看不好看，主要那一件很關鍵。并不是每一種穿法都適合你，適當規劃是必要的。”

比如你外穿一件粗棒針開衫毛衣，有層次感的搭配可能就比較合適。具體來說，就是在羊毛衫內穿一件襯衫，羊毛衫外搭配開衫毛衣和圍巾，下身搭配小牛仔裙或皮褲。對于未來趨勢，基娜也認為上世紀80年代著裝風格正在回潮。“現在服裝店里冒出了很多80年代風格的服飾，比如說印有方塊圖案的超大V領毛衣。”

有文化信號表明，基娜所言不虛。《怪奇物語》是一部以上世紀80年代為背景的美國電視劇，該劇今年7月一經播出便取得了巨大的成功，它鼓勵觀眾模仿自己喜歡的劇中人物的穿著打扮。

時尚潮流會如何演變，我們猜測也好，興奮也罷。但就古董毛衣而言，有一點是確鑿無疑的：不管你自認為有多么時尚，挑選一件經典的圣誕毛衣是你無論無何也避免不了的。 無論人們喜歡的是印有大馴鹿的款式，還是印有百果餡餅的款式，無人會樂見其過時。

READERS' SNAPSHOTS讀者街拍

YOKI, STUDENT

Tokyo, Japan

方格拼布感大地色毛衣

Earth tone patchwork sweater Purchased in 2016

The idea∶ The sweater's rectangle patterns are reminiscent of Piet Mondrian's neoplastic paintings, which use rectangles to reflect a sense of space and structure. It goes well with wide leg pants, a cloth shoulder bag and a light-coloured beret.

搭配心得：方塊讓人聯想到蒙德里安的畫作，用方塊體現空間和結構感。適合配上布袋子、寬腿褲、淺色貝雷帽。

WEN, FILM CUTTER

Beijing SOHO

棕褐色豎條紋毛衣

Brown vertical striped sweater Purchased in the 1990s

My mom “inherited” this sweater from my grandma, which I would sometimes slip on.

The idea∶ The minimalist mix of this sweater with a dark wool skirt not only keeps one warm in winder days, but also provides a smart look. Matching the outfit with a vintage-inspired rose flower buckle waist belt makes one look slimmer and adds a bit of fun to an overall look.

媽媽在姥姥去世后“繼承”了她心愛的毛衣，我有時候會借來穿。

搭配心得：冬日里選用一些深色系的毛裙搭配這件毛衣，看起來干練又保暖的極簡搭配。再系上亮色復古玫瑰花腰帶，可以營造出收腰感，同時為整體look增添趣味。

MATTHEW, DOCUMENTARY FILM MAKER

Dongshankou, Guangzhou

波普色系紫色四角星花紋毛衣

Pop art style purple argyle sweater Purchased in 2010

I purchased this sweater by weight at a second clothes shop in Osaka, Japan. （稱斤賣、數字多少價格就多少）

The idea∶ With contrasting colours and a touch of humour, the purple sweater paired with the yellow socks creates a visual impact and makes one look refreshed in harsh winter days.

搭配心得：用黃色襪子與紫色毛衣形成撞色和詼諧感，營造出視覺沖擊，在睡意朦朧的冬天讓人看起來很精神。

MADELINE, WRITER

Shanghai

奶油色小花針織毛衣開衫

Cream knit cardigan with small floral prints Purchased in 2008

The idea∶ A white shirt underneath the cardigan paired with suit trousers creates a handsome yet individual look.

搭配心得：配以西裝風長褲、白襯衫，營造出帥氣的個性感

Next month, we are going to talk about men's coats. Send us some photos of yourself wearing a coat if you like∶ madelineweng@hotmail.com