THE ALAN PAINE BLOG
HOW TO STYLE A CRICKET JUMPER: DRESS UP VS DRESS DOWN
The cricket jumper is the essential piece of summer knitwear for every outing. There are many ways to style this jumper where it can be dressed up formally, or dressed down casually depending on the occasion. It is impressively versatile and you will wonder how you ever got by without one.
As we can lay a pretty impressive claim to have actually invented the garment, why go elsewhere for this iconic piece of clothing? Beware of expensive imitations.
HOW TO STYLE A CRICKET JUMPER - DRESS DOWN
Alan Paine's men's cricket jumpers make a simple upgrade to your regular off-duty look. It looks more considered than a plain knit or sweatshirt. Team with your favourite jeans or a pair of chinos and you are perfectly dressed for an afternoon in the beer garden of your local pub-simply layer it over an oxford cotton shirt or polo.
However, being a soft pure cotton, a cricket jumper can comfortably be worn next to the skin without a shirt underneath. Wearing a V-neck in this manner is not to everyone’s taste but the look can be both sporty and confident.
With this in mind, take it with you to the beach or swimming pool when you are next on vacation and pop it on with your bathing trunks for late afternoon drinks or for when the sun disappears behind a cloud.
And whilst we are on location, this jumper is ideal to wear over your shoulders to keep off the chill on cooler summer evenings and no need to tie the arms together - you are not a wicket keeper. And never tie around the waist!
There is usually some bright spark who will make a witty comment questioning if you are about to start batting so, to avoid looking too match-ready, pair cream sweaters with darker trousers such as navy chinos and save the cream for the navy and green versions.
The off-white trim on the coloured version really “pops” with lighter-coloured trousers in cotton or linen.
HOW TO STYLE A CRICKET JUMPER - DRESS UP
A stripe tie is a great choice in silk repp and remember to tie a smaller knot to avoid filling up the “vee” completely. The combination of cricket jumper and repp tie is perfect with the combination of navy blazer and grey flannel trousers but don’t be afraid to experiment.
Try combining with your tweed sports jacket by picking out a highlight colour in either the knit or jacket. If you are a fan of regularly wearing a sweater with tailoring, try the slipover version.
The sleeveless option is cooler and works particularly well if your jacket is unstructured and has a modern, slimmer fit. The slipover is also the ideal layering piece to wear underneath casual jackets such as a quilted field coat for transitional weather.
And lastly, you can even wear them for cricket!
