I, like many others, am a victim of a crafting addiction. First came the unending boredom of lockdown, which I curbed by downing endless hours of DIY tutorials. In a time when everything felt like it was unraveling, I was drawn in by the small diligent task of creating. One thing led to another, and soon I was leaving Michael’s with armfuls of hooks, needles, and yarn. The craft that called out to me most was crocheting. 

I had been an on and off crocheter since sixth grade. Unlike knitting, which uses straight needles, crocheting uses a hook. The hook, which looks exactly as it sounds, is used to draw yarn or string through loops, creating a patchwork of knots. My list of completed projects had included only several beanies for my teachers’ babies. It wasn’t until the pandemic that I discovered the full potential of crocheting. 

Enter: the Harry Styles cardigan. The sweater in question has a quilted-patchwork style trimmed with a red border. The entire design feels so effortless, and with the seams showing, honest as well. The sweater itself first gained popularity when former One Direction member Harry Styles wore it to the Today show in Feb. 2020. Although the event was just a rehearsal for a later performance, fans became obsessed with the cardigan. So much so that some began releasing tutorials on how to crochet the “Harry Styles Cardi,” mainly on TikTok and Instagram.

The makers behind the brand of JW Anderson caught wind of the popularity and did something unimaginable for big companies. The brand’s Youtube channel released an Official ‘Harry Styles’ Cardigan Knitting Tutorial, in which Janni Vepsäläinen, a senior knitwear designer for JW Anderson, goes through the steps of creating the viral sweater. Vepsäläinen even includes yarn type and needle size recommendations. At the end of the video, there is a short montage of the finished product along with the brand logo across the screen. The most shocking part of their pattern release is that the original, worn by Styles, retailed for $1,600. 

While JW Anderson may have shocked the world of high fashion due to their decision, they have definitely gained a huge following and created a new culture around the creation of garments at home. Their tutorial only provided instructions for the knitted pattern, but creative influencers around the world have been uploading their crocheted versions of the cardigan. A quick Instagram search for #harrystylescardigan brings up 18.2k results. It’s obvious by looking at the search results that the meaning of the phrase has evolved into something other than just its literal interpretation. The joint patches of red, green, orange, and yellow have taken on pastel pinks and greens in some, or even stripes. In some posts, creators have gone the liberty to create Harry Styles sweater vests and beanies, bearing the same color scheme as the JW Anderson piece.

I, too, created my own rendition of the cardigan, a fluffy mermaid-scale colored body with an equally thick white border. Although my creation bears almost no resemblance to what is considered the original “Harry Styles Cardigan,” it does have several similar features. The oversized nature of the jacket allows it to slip over a variety of outfits. Plus the bright colors and buttons symbolize youthfulness of the wearer.

“The basic inspiration around this piece comes from old children’s toys–the colors in them, the checkerboards, children’s color books and picture books–and it’s all worked into this very [Rubik’s] cube kind of patchwork,” Vepsäläinen said. Her inspiration seems to have been quite impactful, seeing as the majority of people who have been gaining interest in this trend are Gen-Z. Doing DIYs, particularly for clothing, can make a huge impact on our future. 

“Crocheting or knitting homemade clothing enables people to create long-lasting, meaningful pieces,” said senior Nicole Klatt.

Nicole is an avid crocheter, and has created projects ranging from hats to small pouches. She enjoys the hobby both as a recreation and as an environmentally friendly step. The fashion industry is one of the leading causes of carbon emissions due to factories and exporting, as well as filling up landfills with old and unused fabric. Putting more effort into each piece of clothing can help reduce the environmental problems while denouncing the labor issues of garment making.

“Presumably, the emotional attachment to the piece would prevent excessive, wasteful behavior from its creator (such as over-purchasing or constantly throwing away clothing),” said Nicole. “Such clothing is more sustainable than easily worn out fast fashion and its industrial methods.”

As for the iconic Harry Styles Cardigan, it now resides in the V&A Museum in London, among a collection of iconic fashion pieces ranging from ribbon corsets to downy coats. Though it will no longer make an impact upon the shoulders of a celebrity, there is no doubt that home crafters are busy filling up the legacy of the cardigan.

 As Jonathan Anderson, founder of JW Anderson, told CNN, “The make is what is important; the brand comes second.”

Photo courtesy of Hermes Rivera on UNSPLASH.COM