A Guide to the Best Island Knitwear

Nautical sweaters, Fisherman's sweaters, Sailor Sweaters

My very first Guernsey, Made on Guernsey by Le Tricoteur, and brought back to me in the mid-1980s by a friend who grew up on the nearby English Channel Island of Herm.

All Photos of/by Muffy Aldrich

There is hardly a more glorious category of clothing than Island Knitwear. Call it what you will – Fisherman’s Sweaters, Sailor Sweaters, or more broadly, Nautical Clothing, where the colors Navy and Aran rule.

But I call it Island Knitwear, as it is a special kind of sweater, island knitted for island wear. And all have their origins in the past, made specifically for the fishermen braving the waters of the North Sea and the Irish Sea. All are made from 100% wool, and each has its own identity.

Some sources:

• Bosie Blue Mogganer collection

• Arthur Beale Oiled Wool Pullovers

• Le Tricoteur Authentic Guernseys

• Le Tricoteur Archive Collection

• Le Tricoteur Striped Guernsey Jumpers

• Le Tricoteur Plain Guernsey Jumpers

• Cordings Men’s Classic Knitwear

• Cordings Navy Douglas Rollneck

• Bosie Luskentyre Chunky Fair Isle Glenugie Nep Women’s Sweater - Mull Natural