Perhaps food for thought for the BBC as it grapples with its new dress code guidelines. At the 2019 Met Gala, the singer Frank Ocean wore a formal Prada suit with a quarter-zip jacket – purposefully unzipped to reveal a traditional white shirt and black tie underneath. The streetwear aesthetic has regularly championed quarter zip detailing, but it’s only more recently that it has begun merging a high/low zipped aesthetic. During the 1970s zips began to appear on jumpers but were mainly reserved for weekend wear. The concept of quarter-zipped fleeces quickly became popular in the sportswear industry as it allowed wearers to self-regulate their temperature by opening and closing the neckline. Zips first began appearing in the 1930s when the Talon Zipper company mastered the modern zipper. Its director of digital, Naja Nielsen, is said to have told staff: “It’s a bit like, be as sweaty and dirty as when we’re in the field is actually more trustworthy than if we look like we’ve just stepped out of an awards ceremony or a fine dinner party.”įrank Ocean in quarter-zip jacket at the Met Gala in 2019. Last week, Deadline reported that, in an effort to reflect more authentic reporting as it merges its domestic and international news channels, staff have been told to dress down. With news that the BBC is set to relax its formal dress code, the quarter zip has the potential to infiltrate wardrobes on a mass level. He compares it to polo shirts and smart sneakers which men in the city frequently wear ‘whether it’s Casual Friday or not’ ‘Perhaps there is an appeal to knowing you don’t have to get up in the morning and iron a dress shirt at 6am – there certainly is for me,’ he adds. ‘A shirt and tie just look stuffy on Zoom whatever the location,’ says the menswear writer Nick Carvell. Prince Harry’s jumper of choice is from the British cashmere brand N.Peal (from £345) while Sunak favours Ralph Lauren (from £179).Ī model in a quarter-zipper walks the Fendi autumn/winter ‘23 menswear runway in Milan. It’s a dressing technique employed by both the Duke of Sussex and Rishi Sunak who regularly wear quarter-zippers over white shirts and jeans. The unbranded Italian luxury label is a favourite among the 1% who champion the idea of stealth wealth dressing – the act of whispering your wealth rather than flaunting it. Recently on Instagram, Beckham endorsed the genre by wearing a £1400 Loro Piana navy baby cashmere version while tossing his pancakes. The quarter zip feels modern and has more style credentials.’ Mitakos prefers a zip to a crewneck which he says ‘can often feel and look stuffy and dated. Even street style favourites such as JW Anderson, Coperni and Stone Island all feature quarter-zippers in their latest collections.īritish GQ’s fashion editor Angelo Mitakos says the popularisation of quarter zippers is similar to how Crocs were once reviled but are now worn by stars including Justin Bieber. Meanwhile, in London, the Square Mile and Canary Wharf’s tower blocks are peppered with investment bankers in Patagonia quarter zip vests. England manager Gareth Southgate in his quarter-zipper.
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