UK & Ireland · 1 house

Luxury knitwear from Guernsey

Guernsey gave its name to the guernsey: a dense, tightly knitted worsted-wool fisherman's jumper with a distinctive square shape, still made on the island by hand-finishing knitters.

The guernsey (or gansey) developed in the Channel Islands as a windproof, water-resistant working garment for fishermen, knitted tightly in oiled worsted wool with underarm gussets and a boxy shape that can be worn either way round. A single maker, Le Tricoteur, still produces authentic guernseys on the island, machine-knitting the panels at a tight gauge and distributing them to home knitters for hand-linking and finishing.

Knitwear houses in Guernsey

  • St Peter Port · 1964 · wool, cotton · hand-framed

    The authentic Guernsey fisherman's jumper, knitted in worsted British wool and hand-finished on the island

Guernsey knitwear: frequently asked questions

Which luxury knitwear brands are from Guernsey?

Luxury knitwear houses from Guernsey in this index include Le Tricoteur. Guernsey gave its name to the guernsey: a dense, tightly knitted worsted-wool fisherman's jumper with a distinctive square shape, still made on the island by hand-finishing knitters..

What is a guernsey jumper?

A guernsey is a dense, tightly knitted worsted-wool fisherman's jumper from the Channel Island of Guernsey, with a square body, underarm gussets and a high round neck. It is naturally wind- and water-resistant. Le Tricoteur has made authentic guernseys on the island since 1964.