Vested interests – the case for the sleeveless sweater

What connects Derek Jarman and David Hockney with Brad Pitt or Tyler, the Creator? They’re all fans of a knitted tank top – or “sweater vest”, as they’re known Stateside; an item of clothing once considered geriatric (to my grandad they were a sleeveless pullover) but now having a revival. 

As with many recent fashion trends, this one began with Harry Styles, who sported a blue round-necked Lanvin version festooned with sheep in 2019. It has since proved a knit with staying power, with Gucci, Erdem, The Elder Statesman, Marni, Thom Browne and Wales Bonner all carrying styles this season.

Miuccia Prada has peppered her collections with knitted vests for the past few years; the January show that followed Styles’s sheep moment was a wonderful ode to sleevelessness, with school uniform-grey or patterned knits over a tie with a print shirt slashed at the armpit, among many others. It’s a look that her now co-creative director Raf Simons has toyed with in his own collections, and a variation on the sleeveless theme appeared in their SS22 Prada men’s show, with squared-off necklines made in both knitted wool and striped cotton.

“As far as I know, the history of the tank top starts from the 1930s, where men would wear a V-neck slipover that was often knitted at home,” says Paul Smith of the tank, from his Covent Garden headquarters. “In the ’60s this turned into a very tight, slim-fitting style that was almost like a vest with the armholes cut away. It was often a way to mix pattern with pattern through layering with shirts and blouses.” Smith’s SS22 collection kicked off with a brightly coloured stripe knit sans sleeves. As for his take on how to make them look modern? “They’re perfect for the summer season worn with nothing underneath,” he says.

It is probably my favourite piece of clothing: a jumper, but more fun

Evelyn Waugh’s Brideshead Revisited, which stretches from the 1920s to the early ’40s, is a rich source of reference knitwear both in the television series (with Jeremy Irons as Charles Ryder) and in the film remake (with Matthew Goode and Ben Whishaw). The latter was a seminal reference for Financial Times columnist Luke Edward Hall when considering the patterned tanks that feature in his new brand, Chateau Orlando. “The knitted vest always feels quite ’70s to me but there is a bit of the English school uniform about them too,” he says. “It is probably my favourite piece of clothing: a jumper, but more fun.”

The theatricality of British school uniforms also inspires designer Steven Stokey-Daley, whose vests, patterned knit tanks and sleeveless round-necks all have a flavour of Merchant Ivory. Designer Charles Jeffrey also sees the knitted tank as being uniquely retro. He associates them with the knitting patterns one finds in charity shops – and with his grandmother. “They work really well because you can be any kind of body shape and they can be really flattering,” he says. “You can show off your arms. You can be skinny and do a more Hedi Slimane vibe. Or you can be a wee bit like me – a bit average with a Christmas belly – and still look quite fit.”

My own first dalliance with a tank top was a Burberry patterned number, which I like to think recalled David Hockney and the 1973 film A Bigger Splash. Despite all the romantic aspirations of the purchase, I never really wore it – too costume drama – but in the spirit of research I have tried a few more on. Rick Owens wears them almost better than anyone and his are a sublime shape. But I don’t have his body. Far better for me was Craig Green’s dark navy tabard-tank with his signature string ties – a brilliant layer over cotton rollnecks or T-shirts and paired with jeans. 

Models, Rubeun Bilan-Carroll at Supa and Bodhi Horton at Storm. Casting, Keva Legault. Hair, Shunsuke Meguro at Future Rep using L’Oréal Pro. Make-up, Dan Delgado using Aurelia London. Photographer’s assistants, Will Richards and Damian Flack. Stylist’s assistant, Aylin Bayhan. Production, Creative Blood. Special thanks to Artful Dodgers and Touch Digital