Hundreds of years ago, on the island of Guernsey off the northern coast of England, fishermen donned tightly woven wool sweaters before heading out to sea. These sweaters, often knitted by their wives, were designed specifically for the work they did on their boats, with each element serving a specific function. The Guernsey sweater, also known as a gansey sweater, is still around, though finding hand-knit ones is not as common as it once was. But as the textile expert behind The Iron Snail on YouTube shares, what makes these sweaters an interesting historical artifact also makes them a durable, desirable garment for modern use. Watch: - YouTube www.youtube.com "This is one of the most genius sweater designs of all time," he says, "because every single tiny detail is for a specific reason." For instance, a gansey sweater is almost always fully reversible, making for longer wear between washings. They are also usually knit in the round, which means no side seams, making them more durable and easier to repair. The knit is very tight, making them more water-resistant. They usually were made with Seaman's Iron yarn, a 4 or 5-ply, tightly woven yarn high in lanolin, which resists pilling and also adds to the water-resistance and durability as well. If you look at old photos of fishermen, it seems like the sleeves of their sweaters aren't long enough—but the short cuffs were purposeful. If cuffs were longer, they'd get snagged on things as the fishermen worked, and also rub against their wrists. (Seaman's Iron is called Seaman's Iron for a reason. Ouch.) Flamborough Marine is one of my favorite producers for handknit sweaters. They make in a fisherman style known as the guernsey (sometimes spelled gansey), which has identical panels from front-to-back and features a high neck collar and dropped shoulder seams. pic.twitter.com/DK2kMzI8SM— derek guy (@dieworkwear) November 30, 2024 As for the diamond-shaped armpit gussets, that's a particular bit of genius. "Fishermen wanted a slim sleeve that didn't get caught on gear," the gansey enthusiast said, "but at the same time they wanted to be able to lift their hands up over their head and not have their sweater ride up to their belly button. And so the diamond gusset allowed that to happen." He also explained that the top of the sweater is patterned for greater warmth while the torso was left plain to keep from snagging and for easier repair. It also saves yarn. @sew.est Did you know ganseys were so highly prized by fishermen, that when a new vicar banned ganseys from a church in Cullercoats, the fishermen erected their own church?