Crocheted Clothing: How Styles Change Over Time

You might be surprised to hear that crochet is one of the only yarn-based crafts that cannot be replicated by machine. We have knitting machines, tufting machines, embroidery machines, and more, but still crochet remains machine-less. Since it requires a human hand, human innovation and creativity has always been a huge factor in which styles are popular for crochet designs. One place that we see that connection is with crocheted toys. Somewhat recently, we have seen a rise in plush toy collecting as adults. As a result, crocheted stuffed animals and amigurumi (stuffed crochet figures, colloquially the term has come to imply micro-crochet and smaller figures) have become popular as a project for more than just baby showers.

Another common use for crochet is creating garments. Crocheters can create anything they come up with, or follow any number of patterns for tops, cardigans, sweaters, dresses, shorts, socks, pants, and even swimsuits. Since fashion trends usually have a bit of a cyclical nature, styles and patterns from the 70’s might be just as popular today as they were back then. Starting from the 70’s, we will look at some of the most popular crochet styles over time.  

Fashion in the 70’s-80’s

For people somewhat familiar with crochet, one of the foundational techniques to learn is the granny square. Granny squares make an easy building block for creating garments without having as much complicated stitch counting–a thorn in many crafters’ sides–and it is performed in a round (a technique where your crochet stitches continue on all sides of the project, where other techniques work on one side at a time, extending horizontally or vertically). In the 70’s and 80’s some popular granny square designs included shawls, overalls, and dresses, using the squares as building blocks for the finished garment. The more artistic role of crochet in garments of the 70’s and 80’s meant using the garment as a canvas, creating artwork akin to paintings. While palettes in the 70’s tended to lean towards more muted colors, the inspiration for many color palettes and designs in the 80’s were kaleidoscopes, tapestries, and the bright neons common in pop culture at the time. The 70’s and 80’s trends showed two distinct usages for the granny square, making it a staple in crochet designs then, and still now. 

Fashion in the 90’s-00’s

The 90’s and early 2000’s are known for their distinct fashion choices, and crochet garments followed right alongside those trends. Crop tops, funky bucket hats, scrunchies, and even chokers were all popular to crochet in this time period. Of course, many of the designs were inspired by popular clothes, media, and products of the time, leading to even more neons, florals, and funky color combinations. As it got closer to the 2010’s, crocheting became more popular with communities forming online. This meant more yarn colors, fibers, weights, and textures to choose from, leaning further into creativity for yarn artists. This period of time tested boundaries, and broke through what was previously seen as the line between possible and impossible in crochet. New techniques popped up in crochet circles, more yarn was stocked on store shelves, and more tools were created to make the job easier. The early 2000’s helped pave the way for the existence of crochet clothing that we see today. 

Fashion in the 10’s and 20’s

During this time period, we saw crochet popularity dip as the world became more automated and more crafting machines became available. We then saw crochet skyrocket when the world locked down to help control a worldwide pandemic. With the rules in place that required people to stay inside infinitely more often than we were used to, people needed more time consuming and mind stimulating hobbies. Many people turned to crochet, and with more eyes on the hobby and more free time to practice, crochet style and techniques have seen a really fun change. 

2010’s and 2020’s style pulls from all of the popular designs I mentioned in the previous years. Among the most popular are crop tops (especially for festivals), bucket hats (especially with fun designs), granny squares galore, cardigans, and still many more. While pulling from previous years, crocheters have made old styles their own. In the 2020’s it has become increasingly popular to consider reducing and reusing, especially with thrifting and upcycling. One popular style in the 2020’s is to upcycle an old garment with numerous new crochet additions. New sleeves, trims, and pockets meet repurposed waistbands, slips, and yarn to give old pieces an entirely new life. With the changes that we have already seen over these last 50 or so years, I cannot wait to see how crochet adapts over the next 50!

Links In Order of Appearance

1. TL Yarn Crafts- The Wild and Wonderful World of 1970s Crochet by Toni Lipsey

2.  Knit and Crochet Fandom- Leisure Arts 644 Cat Sweaters to Knit by Mary Allen Yanich, available under CC-BY-SA

3. OctojellyCrochetStudio- Crochet Like It’s 1980: A Nostalgic Yarn Journey by Octojelly Crochet Studio, LLC

4.  Crochet with Yarn Fur Brains via Youtube- Cool 90s-Inspired Crochet Patterns You’ll Love! Fun Crafting Nostalgia!

5. Ilana MacDonald via Interweave- Rose Choker

6. KatyTrailCreations via Etsy- Crochet Brim Hat Pattern: Beginner Friendly 90s Style (PDF Pattern)--Listing

7. Kati Brown via I Like Crochet- How To Upcycle Clothes with Filet Crochet

8. Dana via Day’s Crochet & Knit- How to Add Crochet Sleeves to Any Sweatshirt