The history of a heritage sweater that's always hot

Fair Isle designs have, through centuries, followed geometric patterns, along with symbols related to the island life

- Teja Lele

elena Gomez brought bulky, retro jumpers and oversized cardigans back to life as Mabel Mora in the true-crime show Only Murders In The Building and nothing screams winter like the vintage Fair Isle sweater. The traditional knit sweaters from the Shetland Islands in the UK have been trending for over a century. Edward VIII was photographed in a Fair Isle jumper in 1921. Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay wore Shetland jumpers when they summited Mount Everest in 1953. Beatles star Paul McCartney was spotted in a Fair Isle jumper on a visit to Shetland in 1970. Emma Watson donned one for her turn as Hermione in Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows. Last Christmas, Kate Middleton was snapped in a festive Fair Isle turtleneck as she added ornaments to a towering Christmas tree.

The intricate technique, which originated on the remote British island—home to 50 people now—has been practised for generations. The local legend goes that the El Gran Grifon was wrecked on Fair Isle in 1588, and the 17 households took the sailors in. The Spanish sailors are said to have taught the knitting technique to the island residents. That's just one story. Evidence shows Fair Isle knitting has Scandinavian connections, a theory supported by the fact that the Shetland Islands were a Norwegian state before becoming part of Scotland in 1469.