Vintage Shetland Fair Isle Waistcoat, Made

A sleeveless Fair Isle waistcoat in pure new Shetland wool, button front, V-neck, ribbed at the hem and the armholes. M/L.

The label reads Made in Scotland exclusively for The Edinburgh Woollen Mill, which is worth reading twice. Knitted in Scotland to their own order, in Shetland wool, at a time when that was still how it was done.

The ground is a rust marl, and the banding runs through blue, lavender, cream, tan and sage. Fair Isle is named for one island in the Shetlands, and the pattern looks far harder than it is: only two colours are ever in play on any single row. That constraint is the whole trick, and it is why it can be knitted by hand at all.

Shetland wool comes off a small northern sheep. It is light for its warmth, and it blooms slightly with wear rather than going flat.

A waistcoat does the thing a Fair Isle is best at - all the pattern across the chest, the sleeves left to the shirt underneath. Over an oxford, under a jacket, or on its own.

Hand wash cool and dry flat, never hung.

Sold as found, one of one.

No returns on vintage - as is.

• Ships from Minneapolis, usually within 1–2 business days.
• Easy returns within 21 days of delivery.
• Questions? concierge@shopmille.com