Knitwear Football: the story of knitted football shirts in Italy When the material of the kits unites the Napoli of Diego and Tyler, The Creator

In the latest fashion weeks we have witnessed a resurgence of knitwear in both menswear and womenswear collections. Not only historical brands like Prada have made knitwear a cornerstone of their most recent runway shows, but also independent and up-and-coming ones like Vitelli and Paura, to mention a few, have brought back cardigans, jumpers and vests knitted in fabrics such as mohair wool. Whether in the vintage market or in that of crochet clothing sprung on Instagram during the pandemic with brands like Rathat, knitwear has been spreading through underground fashion for a few years now. Also embraced by rap artists like Tyler The Creator as well as by the skating culture, knitwear is once again back to being the link between haute couture and sportswear. 

The latest achievements in matters of jacquard looms helped to work on more complex patterns responsible for shirts like those made by NR for 1983-84 Fiorentina, 1983-84 Pescara, and the 1982-83 Lazio "flag" jersey, that  featured printed numbers. This nonetheless represented football’s incoming synthetic future and the imminent decline of knitwear. 

Despite the progressive decline of many glorious provincial Italy brands that occured with the rise of synthetic fabrics and international giants like Nike and adidas, over time knitwear still succeeded to impose itself within pop culture. Woolen kits, with their fitting similar to that of knitwear garments, alongside sober yet iconic designs, have managed to acquire a new relevance in the field of casualwear. Think, for instance, to how Lyle&Scott and Lovers FC have recently reimagined a series of classic kits in a knitwear and streetwear perspective, or to Colin Firth sporting the Arsenal 1970-71 shirt in the famous film Fever Pitch.