Today we address a conundrum every shawl knitter must reckon with—people don’t wear shawls anymore. Even grandmas don’t wear shawls anymore (despite the fact that you will most certainly get called a grandma if you do), especially frothy lace bonanzas like Noblesse Oblige. But hey, just because nobody knits anymore doesn’t mean we shouldn’t totally do it…
So with that in mind, I present four (count ’em, four) ways to wear Noblesse Oblige that Sir Perceval Blakeney would most certainly approve. If you need a refresher on this guy’s fashion sense, behold:
A lot of lace? Sign me up.
Styling option #1: Swooshy Cape. Because that’s literally the biggest perk of wearing something long and drapey over the shoulders—swooshing. Every dashing adventurer needs some swoosh in their life.
Option #2: 18th Century Court Grunge. Ready for swashbuckling at a moment’s notice, but you can still show up at a fancy-pants party and not compromise your secret identity.
Option #3: Posh Side Drape. If said secret identity isn’t supported by the greatest fortune in England, or at least the appearance thereof, who are you even kidding?
And, finally, Option #4: Upside Down. What better way to cover your tracks than to wear your biggest wardrobe statement piece completely wrong and seemingly make a fool of yourself, yet be the most stylish person in the room while doing so? Besides, there’s a genuinely 18th century flair to this option. Google fichus if you have questions.
So if you’re inclined to frolic about town rocking some Percy-esque foppery of your very own, the pattern can be found on Ravelry and on Payhip. Go forth and knit, and I look forward to seeing your shawl-styling antics on social media. Because “influencer” would 100% be Percy’s cover if he lived today. Just sayin’.
