This most recent New York Fashion Week, I was sitting in the audience watching as Maria McManus’ Spring 2024 collection paraded before my eyes. In the general monotony of collection after collection, it’s a welcome delight when a look stirs something in you. In this instance, it was a pantsless ensemble featuring low heels, a basket bag, and the pièce (or combination) de resistance: a shrunken corresponding knit polo and cardigan. My attention piqued, and I jotted down a note in my phone to remember. Later that week, I clocked twinsets again at Carolina Herrera and Sandy Liang.
Outside the Miu Miu show mere weeks later, showgoers exited their vehicles dressed in the prior season’s (Fall ‘23) sweater sets. For the looks in question, designers Raf Simmons and Miuccia Prada layered the knits over a t-shirt, then kept the outer layers buttoned save the top one, left casually undone. The ensembles themselves leaned into the quirky connotation, layering in nubby wool and slim spectacles to circumvent subtlety. But from Ethel Cain’s back to Reign Judge’s, the twinsets took on a new air. My brain jumped back to another collection that same Fall ‘23 season when Tibi featured a few colorways of their rendition of the sweater set. This fit was more relaxed, the edges distressed, but similar sentiments applied.
It’s funny, I keep thinking of an old episode of Grey’s Anatomy (of all things), where a doctor recommends that Meredith Grey wear a sweater set to her own custody hearing due to their inoffensive nature.” A sweater set says you’re warm, motherly,” Miranda Bailey, a mother herself, advises. But that’s fashion’s greatest talent: taking your preconceived notions out of context by way of a really great outfit. Naturally, I took it upon myself to do the same. I styled the twinset, previously thought a home combination of a bygone era, in three ensembles I swear I’d actually wear today. P.S. It helps to buy more modern silhouettes; Peggy Olsen wouldn’t wear anything below wear, I promise.
Look 1: The Shrunken Twinset
Twinsets need not be worn alone; here, I layered in a button-down to add depth to the overall ensemble. I wore a white Asket shirt beneath the sweater vest, then draped the cardigan around my shoulders. Seemingly unexciting gray knits are some of my favorite pieces to style at the moment; the key is to clash them with something, well, exciting. I did so in the form of an old black and red leather skirt from By Malene Birger and white Suzanne Rae loafers.
Look 2: The DIY Twinset
Here, I took on the challenge of emulating the Maria McManus pieces (that won’t drop until spring) I fell so hard for. In a more DIY approach, I paired an old Victoria Beckham lavender knit polo with a current season purple Lisa Yang cardigan. I like layering shades of the same hue, and I believe that with the polo, it’s best to stick to a V-neckline. I kept the rest simple with old Prada skinny pants, the same white loafers, and my all-time favorite brown suede, grommet-embellished Prada bag.
Look 3: The Oversized Twinset
For my coveted, cherry-red Tibi twinset, little was needed by way of styling. The two pieces already looked so cool layered over each other, but I wanted something sweet to curtail the knitwear’s rough edges. I went with an eyelet lace white pair of Sandy Liang shorts and some of my most trusted accessories: my black CHANEL flats and Cartier tank. On paper, this list of items might read boring, but I think it comes to life in an interesting way.
