Fringe Benefits | Rockmans Fashion

  BONDI BEACH, SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA

If this fringe-sleeved, crochet cardigan doesn’t scream Summer and music festival season to you, I’m not really sure what does. Definitely at home on the desert fields of Coachella styled with a cropped tee, your favourite denim cut-offs and scuffed ankle boots, as well as worn over your favourite summer dress/playsuit and lace up sandals, this boho-chic piece is the perfect summer cover up.

Like the rest of the fashion sphere, I’ve definitely been loving the revival of all things 70s from crochet and sweeping bell-bottoms to the tunic and skirt combo and peasant blouses. As for this cardigan in question, I like how the fringing on the sleeves is a subtle nod to the 70s renaissance, nothing too dramatic or over the top. As well, it’s a great modern update on the crochet trend, and therefore bypasses the potential risk of passers-by mistaking your outerwear for something your grandmother knitted in her spare time, or looking like a hippie 70s flower child who just stepped right out from the scenes of Woodstock. Yet, I would happily don a flower crown and frolic around in a meadow of daises, recreating a scene of gentle romanticism. Oh the contradiction.

Whilst the changing seasons inevitably influence my outfit decisions, this couldn’t be truer for when Summer rolls around. The chilled, laid-back nature of the season is definitely translated to my outfits – my love for structured and city-chic ensembles is replaced with a desire to wear lightweight and free-flowing pieces. The lightweight nature of this bohemian-infused piece, thanks to the open-weave knit, ticks all the boxes for a summer cover-up, and the longer length is also great for balancing the shorter lengths of cut-offs and playsuits.

All thanks to its great movement, I certainly had a lot of fun shooting this piece. Just like the tendency to twirl around when wearing a really swishy skirt or dress, I couldn’t help but dance around and play with the fringed sleeves when I was wearing this cardigan. And this brings me to make a quick note regarding the fun nature of fashion. What we wear truly has the power to influence our mood, and with the abundance of stressors that exist in our daily lives, it definitely doesn’t hurt to have fun with your fashion. Whilst the collections that designers send down the runway every season will always have a particular (serious) artistic purpose or statement, it shouldn’t be forgotten that fashion and style is something that shouldn’t and needn’t but taken so seriously. There’s no harm in experimenting and having fun with what you wear – fashion is a form of self-expression after all.

Hope you enjoy these very summery shots, and happy Wednesday!

Rockmans Longline Crochet CardiganPhotography by James Joel