A year ago, a quarter-zip jumper was pretty much the last thing I would have thought about wearing. A marker of sartorial indifference, beloved of politicians, finance bros and Princes William and Harry, they were firmly in the nice-for-your-dad but irrelevant to fashion category.
Until a few things happened. First, Jonathan Bailey became the internet’s workplace crush by wearing one at Jonathan Anderson’s Dior womenswear debut in Paris. Unzipped over a blue shirt and striped tie and paired with straight-leg jeans, that jumper began to shift the dial on this much-maligned clothing category.
Then came the clincher. At Chanel’s Metiers d’Art show in New York, Matthieu Blazy opened the show with a pale camel-toned quarter-zip and jeans modelled by Bhavitha Mandava (who was scouted on a subway — in a quarter-zip jumper, no less). By the time Blazy’s second quarter-zip appeared on the runway — a black one, layered over a T-shirt and paired with a beautiful embroidered skirt — the shift was complete.
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If you’re a fashion fan, you likely know all of this already. You might also know that the emergence of the trend coincided with the ‘Quarter Zip Movement’ that gained traction on social media last year. This began when TikTok creator Jason Gyamfi posted a now-viral video of himself and a friend wearing quarter-zips and sipping matcha, reclaiming a look and aesthetic more typically associated with rich white men.
@whois.jason @Richdafifth life different when u gotta quarter zip #matcha #quarterzip #performative #niketech
♬ original sound - Jason Gyamfi
“We don’t do Nike Tech,” he says in the video, which has attracted more than 31 million views. “We don’t do coffee. It’s straight quarter zips and matchas around here. We upgraded in life; we wear glasses now.”
The polished, preppy look has been democratised and is all over the high street. You can now find quarter-zip jumpers at M&S, & Other Stories, Cos, Arket — pick your fighter. Investment options also abound, including a delicious cashmere version from Poetry, covetable ribbed iterations courtesy of Filippa K and borrowed-from-the-boys options at Rise & Fall.
Searches for quarter-zip jumpers are spiking at the latter and little wonder. It offers high-quality wool and cashmere pieces that are reasonably priced and won’t bobble or thin out after a few wears, as so much high-price knitwear does these days.
So, how to style the knit du jour? You could emulate Jonathan Bailey and play up to the QZ’s corporate associations by wearing it over a shirt and tie, adding jeans to balance things out. If you’re not ready to go full corpcore, lose the tie but add in a roll-neck (neutral or statement) to fully embrace the layering potential of the piece.
For something smarter than jeans, take Blazy’s lead and pair a neutral quarter-zip with a dressy midi skirt and slingback heels. Heeled boots also work well to elevate the look if you want to pair your QZ with more relaxed bottoms — say, a cargo pant or silky satin pair.
Just remember to keep it unzipped (unless it’s freezing) and you can’t go far wrong.
9 of the best quarter-zip jumpers to buy now
Reformation zip fleece, £98, thereformation.com
Rise & Fall cashmere merino ribbed jumper, £122.50 from £175, riseandfall.co
Arket cotton sweater, £75, arket.com
Cos merino wool polo jumper, £95, cos.com
Filippa K ribbed wool sweater, £162 from £270, filippa-k.com
& Other Stories mock-neck jumper, £32 from £67, stories.com
Poetry cashmere jumper, £299, poetryfashion.co.uk
M&S fleece, £30, marksandspencer.com
Ninety Percent cotton jumper, £50 ninetypercent.com
