Prep is one of the great American style traditions, and it’s back with a fury this fall. But prep is more than candy-colored cable knits. Think about Fair Isle patterns in rich earth tones, or grandpa-chic argyles to wear with your favorite trousers or jeans. Shop our favorites now.
There’s something so deliciously retro about Fair Isle. For such a loud pattern, it’s deliciously versatile. It fits in just as well during an apres-ski moment as it does at the farmers market. In the header image, I’m wearing this J.Crew fair isle cardigan. A cardigan is a great way to make the pattern feel a little less intense, because you can always unbutton it and let a white t-shirt break it up. This Veronica Beard cardigan or this Seasalt Cornwall cardigan are both great, earthy options too.
Or, you can fully commit with something a little more colorful, like a cobalt blue cropped turtleneck or this Christmas-ready cherry red option from Gap. Banana Republic also has some really fun picks, like this light blue and orange Fair Isle crewneck. Boden knows how to do color really well, whether it’s a more rainbow-inspired take like this Edie sweater or a different pink and white version.
Finally, we come to something a little more playful. While argyle may dredge up memories of Mr. Rogers and grandparents from previous generations, everything comes back around. Argyle and diamonds have gotten a serious makeover this season. I love Alex Mill’s slightly slouchy, effortless v-neck sweater in either warm beiges or a gray charcoal color way.
Argyle is one of those patterns that does really well on every scale. You can go large, like this Joe’s Jeans sweater with a cute collar or this Barbour wool blend sweater. Or, you can go even smaller, like this fun brushed rollneck J.Crew sweater.
All of our recommendations are curated by Susan & the In The Groove editorial team. In some, but not all cases, we receive a small commission for leading you to what, how, and where to buy all this wonderful stuff.
