Cutty Unisex Jumper

“Fishermen walked on the unfamiliar element of land with deliberate strides, arms held out penguin fashion as if the ground might suddenly tilt beneath their feet.”

Threads – The Delicate Life of John Craske. Julia Blackburn.

From the Olive and George collection, drawing inspiration from the Norfolk fishermen’s Gansey jumpers of the 19th and early 20th centuries, Cutty is a unisex, oversized Gansey jumper which can be worn as a jumper or jumper a dress.

Its namesake was Christopher “Cutty” Cooper, a Sheringham fisherman and brother of Emily Codling. He worked the waters around 1900. His Gansey featured rope and hailstone stitches, the latter has been interpreted into this modern version in panel form, around the top section of the body and on the forearms.

This style also incorporates the signature shoulder gusset details which create a more comfortable fit around the neck and shoulder seams and reverse knit borders around the separate sections – as can be found on the original Ganseys.

The contrast tipping at the cuffs and neck trim are a nod to the “make do and mend” ethos of the fisherman’s wives who would re-knit the jumpers when they became worn, often in a slightly different shade and thickness of wool.