Checkered Knits Are Taking Over This Spring
So, where did all these checkers come from? I first started noticing this trend at the beginning of the year, while aimlessly scrolling on Instagram. Every day, it seems a new brightly colored, geometric piece would pop up on my Explore page. I was being hounded by the squares, but I didn’t really mind as I double tapped on each photo I came across. From small, independent brands to big-name fashion houses, labels of all kinds agree that it’s all about checkers.
The print has ebbed in and out of fashion for a while, popping up every few years. Ever since Vans released its checkerboard slip-ons in the early 1980s, the print has become associated with a grungy skater look in particular. To this day, a checkered sweater still makes me think of one of the record store employees in Empire Records. But luxury labels have also given the chessboard vibe a more refined spin. Who could forget the spring 2013 Louis Vuitton show that Marc Jacobs rendered entirely in checkerboards (evening coats, suits, and all)? Recently, labels like Molly Goddard and Stine Goya have also put the print on sweater vests and silk dresses, among others.
But this spring, the must-have item is a checkered knit; a new focus feels undeniably fresh. I’d argue investing in a checkered knit is just as smart as buying a black turtleneck: It does all the heavy lifting for your look, makes a statement, and keeps you warm too. It works overtime for your outfit! But I’m less interested in why I want to wear checkers so bad, though, and more into why designers are suddenly so obsessed with using it in the knitwear arena. Turns out, it’s just as fun to make a checkered knit as it is to look one. “I was initially drawn to checkerboard because I wanted to learn how to do color work,” says Halima Mbwana, the designer and founder of Lilliez, who sells many beautiful checkered pieces. “It’s a very approachable pattern to learn with, in my opinion, and it’s obviously very pleasing to look at and wear.” No doubt, it’ll make you smile, and we can’t have enough of that in 2021.
Below, shop eight checkered pieces available to buy now.
