"The jumper with a chin-to-breastbone zip, which has been around for ever, is the breakout main character of the 2026 wardrobe. At a Chanel catwalk show held in New York recently, a quarter-zip knit was the star of the show, worn with a fancy cocktail-hour skirt and diamond drop earrings."
"Three years ago, this sweater only seemed to come in grey, and was worn by Rishi Sunak, Prince Harry and our mate on the train with the porridge. It definitely wasn't worn by supermodels or pop stars. Back then it was called a half-zip, before a name pivot that, confusingly, has nothing to do with the length of the zip."
"This is fashion at its most capricious and bonkers and I love the you-couldn't-make-it-up madness of it. It is just social media doing that thing where it gives something as old as the hills a cute new name."
The quarter-zip sweater, a garment that has existed for decades, has suddenly become a ubiquitous fashion trend in 2026. Previously associated with understated, practical wear by figures like Rishi Sunak and Prince Harry, the sweater now appears on high-fashion runways, worn by supermodels and pop stars like Charli XCX. The garment has been rebranded from 'half-zip' to 'quarter-zip' through social media influence, despite the zip length remaining unchanged. This phenomenon exemplifies how fashion trends emerge organically without obvious reason, with the quarter-zip now styled in diverse ways—from luxury cocktail settings to casual streetwear—representing the unpredictable nature of contemporary fashion cycles.
#fashion-trends #quarter-zip-sweater #social-media-influence #celebrity-style #unexpected-fashion-moments
Read at www.theguardian.com
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