by Crochet is usually associated with colorful granny blankets thrown over the back of the sofa. But recently, the homepun craft pivot to the hottest trend in fashion. From high-end boutiques to the high street, there is hype for handcraft everywhere, which includes both womenswear and menswear.
Taylor Swift and her boyfriend, Travis Kelce, were photographed earlier this week leaving a London restaurant in her crocheted look. At Glastonbury, hats and crocheted bucket skirts have overtaken baseball caps and denim cuts.
Reality TV stars, including Love Islanders, favor crochet bikinis, while their male counterparts wear unbuttoned crochet polo shirts to show off honed abs. When the show’s host, Maya Jama, kicked off this year’s series – an unofficial sign of the start of summer – she did so in a white crochet mini dress. The trend is a fashion equivalent of “yarn bombing” – the street art practice of covering public objects with textiles.
Meanwhile, the men’s section of online retailer Asos offers more than 200 crochet items including vests and shorts, and the women’s section has more than 1,000, with a red and white top being one of the most popular pieces. his best seller.
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At John Lewis, the £49 geometric short sleeve shirt is sold out. Reflecting a wider interest in vintage boho, online platforms for second-hand clothing are taking their toll. Depop saw a 32% increase in crochet searches since January.
Zak Maoui, style director of the Gentlemen’s Journal, says that crochet has moved on from its connotations with hippy style in the 70s. He points to Kelce’s upper ensemble as an example of “neat and subtle” crochet. “It’s a way to approach a sexier style of dressing without flashing too much,” he says.
Sierra Ndagire, founder of Crolage, which makes hand-stretched crochet dresses and matching separates in London, says: “Crochet can be very individual, allowing people to express themselves more through their clothes. Even though it’s popular, chances are you won’t be wearing the same thing as everyone else.”
However, not all items advertised as crochet are crochet. Designer Ruth Herring, who creates crochet prototypes for luxury designers including JW Anderson and SS Daley, says that cheap crochet items are often knitted or created using a machine embroidery technique while authentic crochet is handmade. with hook and yarn only.
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If a hand crocheted item is being sold cheaply it could also mean that the brand’s workers have not been paid fair wages. Herring, who describes herself as “very experienced and quick [crochet knitter]”, says it would take her two days to make a simple coat. “Hand crochet should be expensive. It has not been released.”
Meanwhile, mass retailers sell versions for as little as £20. Low-cost pieces are also often made from acrylic wool, a synthetic fiber made from polymers derived from oil. The fabric is not breathable, and many crocheted Glasto people may find themselves sweaty and itchy in the heat.
Swift’s dress is from Australian brand VRG GRL and retails for £99. On social media, some users have called out the singer, whose net worth is estimated at $1.1bn, for endorsing low-cost handmade crochet. However, the dress has sparked a boom in the home market, with some Swifties creating a DIY pattern. Fifteen hours after seeing the dress on Swift, Krista McCloud, a craft maker, posted a free pattern on her site. It has been downloaded thousands of times since.
“Creating and testing a pattern usually takes several weeks, but everyone was ready with yarn and hooks in hand the moment they first saw the image online,” says McCloud. She estimates it will take her between 12 and 16 hours to complete the dress, which she hopes to wear this weekend.
Depop trends spokesperson Agus Panzoni says crochet taps into a wider trend where consumers want tactility and comfort. “The handmade feel appeals to people looking for unique artisan pieces that convey a sense of individuality and craftsmanship. It shows a sense of IRL-ness and personal connection, doing [crocheted pieces] highly desirable in today’s fast-paced, mass-produced fashion landscape. It’s ironic that fast fashion brands are capitalizing on this trend.”
“It’s frustrating because fast fashion crochet is usually a poor replica of a crochet designer’s work,” says Ndagire. “It doesn’t end up fitting or looking the same. They care about the craft, the skill and the beauty in the time it takes to create and handcraft something unique.”
Get the look: head to toe crochet
Coordinate, £200, Crolag
Bucket hat, £105, Story MFG
Tavard, £475, SS Daley
Espadrilles, £400, Farm Rio
Hair scrunchie, £10.50, Moosey Crochet via Etsy
Shirt, £160, Portuguese Flannel
Cardigan, £268, Free People
