Elegant yet retro-cool projects

In fashion, one day you’re in, the next day you’re out . . . and the day after that, you’re back in again. Designers are always referring to fashion’s rich history as they imagine its present and future, and retro looks remain ever-fresh as they are renewed—and restyled—for the next generation of wearers.

That’s precisely what top knitwear designer Véronik Avery is up to in Knitting Classic Style. Mining fashion’s endless archive, Avery has created 35 smashingly contemporary garments that take their cues from decades and designers past. The collection of clothing and accessories Avery presents is organized into four thematic chapters that highlight women’s wear, men’s wear (and its influence on women’s and children’s clothing), traditional ethnic garb, and sportswear.

Aimed at both beginning and more advanced knitters, the book’s projects range in difficulty from a simple drawstring purse, French beret, and Afghan-inspired slipper-socks to a shawl-collared cardigan, a geometric ski sweater based on a popular 1950s Native American design, and Avery’s own reinterpretation of the trimly elegant Chanel jacket. The author introduces each project by explaining its historical/cultural roots; Sara Cameron’s moody photos evoke the settings that have inspired Avery’s reworkings of the classics.

Knitting Classic Style uses the history of fashion as inspiration for modern, classic designs. This trivia question is from the Global Travelers chapter, which explores folk garments from many different cultures.

For centuries Latvian girls feverishly knit chests full of intricately-patterned mittens. Why did each household need so many pairs?

A. Latvians traditionally hung herb-filled mittens from the eaves of their homes during the summer solstice. It was thought that these little bundles (the more mittens the better) would protect them from the evil spirits believed to swarm the skies on the shortest night of the year.

B. Girls knit the mittens for their dowries. The more mittens a maiden could offer her betrothed the fewer cattle her father would have to supply to secure her marriage.

C. A country long plagued by foreign oppressors, Latvia has spent much of its past fighting for independence. The beautiful mittens were given to Latvian soldiers to bring them both warmth and luck on the battlefield.

For the answer, see below.