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17 best fair isle sweaters for a cosy, Princess Kate apres-ski vibe

Kate’s cute patterned jumper has us wanting to join the cosy club too

fairisle jumpers
Carla Challis
Carla ChallisCommerce Partnerships Editor
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We love it when the Princess of Wales wears something more casual, and like the festive fashion pro she is, Kate chose to rewear her cosy Holland Cooper fair isle sweater in a surprise appearance ahead of her Together at Christmas carol concert last December.

WATCH: Princess Kate looks cool and casual in her favourite Christmas jumper

The £179 jumper is obviously a winter favourite of Kate's, as she last was seen wearing it last December for another surprise appearance - on CBeebies' Bedtime Stories TV show. 

After all, what else does one wear when part TV presenter, part Princess? The mother-of-three wore her sweater with jeans as she narrated The Owl Who Was Afraid of the Dark, by Jill Tomlinson.

Kate’s timeless design sold out as soon as the show hit our screens, but since we love a fair isle sweater we found plenty on the high street to get Kate's look.

How to wear a fair isle sweater

The multi-coloured knit style knit has been a longtime favourite of the royals, from portraits to apres-ski parties, and the classic pattern has stood the test of time to become a classic winter piece that works from the ski lodge to the streets.

Wear with your everyday jeans and high-top sneakers for daytime, or layer over a pie-crust collar blouse or staple white shirt for the office and if you’re feeling fancy, pop a detachable frilled collar over the top. We love them accessorised with gold hoops and chunky gold chains or diamond tennis necklaces, and worn with leather trousers or a leather mini.

The high street has also swerved away from the more traditional fair isle sweater colours of white, nudes and browns this year to incorporate the pattern on punchy pinks, bold reds and greens, oranges and yellows while using the design on cardigans and zip-up knits too.

Whether you want to invest in a cashmere jumper or snap up a bargain, there's plenty of fair isle jumpers to suit your taste and budget – and these are our favourites.

Best fair isle sweaters for women

RI knit

Cropped fair isle jumper, £20/$71, River Island

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Boden Fair Isle Jumper

Fair Isle Jumper, £65/$198, Boden

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Superdry Fair Isle Sweater

Fair Isle Jumper, £54.99/$69.95, Superdry

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H&M Fair Isle Sweater

Fair Isle Jumper, £75, H&M

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fair isle light box

Fair Isle Sweater, £34, Light In The Box

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best fair isle jumper warehouse

Fair Isle Jumper, £47, Warehouse

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Fair Isle Cardigan from Karen Millen

 Fair Isle Cardigan, £53, Karen Millen

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best fair isle jumper radley

Brushed Fair Isle Jumper, £62, Radley

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Fair Isle Sweater from Monsoon

Embellished Fair Isle Jumper, £30, Monsoon

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best fair isle simply be

Fair Isle Jumper, £20.80, Simply Be

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fair isle jumper hush

Fair Isle Jumper, £70/$155, Hush

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best fairisle women net

Isabel Marant Etoile Fair Isle Jumper, £158 (WAS £395)/$595, NET-A-PORTER

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best fair isle brora

Wool Fair Isle Jumper, £145, Brora

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best fair isle whistles

Fair Isle Jumper with zip £85, Whistles

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best fair isle anthro

Fair Isle Jumper, £198, Anthropologie

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