Summer picnic

It is hard to imagine it is ever warm enough for a picnic in the Scottish Highlands. But if ever global warming turns the chilly countryside into a more welcoming one, Pringle SS17 has you covered. The collection was inspired exactly by this favourite summery pastime, a red and white gingham fitted dress even resembled a picnic blanket, while fringing made out of loose, straw-coloured wool had the impression of sitting amongst fields of grain. The silhouettes were easy to wear, comfortable, but not at all uninteresting thanks to the innovative layering of fabric to create structures and textures seen on multiple tunics which seemed to end at the waist but an added layer underneath made them into dresses. Twisting and binding of fabric was also employed to add more dimension to the garments. Tartan dresses and shirts made out of two different colour combinations were tied across the shoulders and chest with a strap of the same fabric, wool was pulled apart to create a mesh effect and sleeves came bunched up to the elbow in a balloon shape. Another super fun element was the deconstructed twinset, looking like two oversized cardigans layered on top of each other, diagonally across the body, making a cool asymmetrical dress, buttons kept in to make clear the garments origin.

Knitwear every-wear

Of course, with it being a Pringle collection, there was knitwear. A lot of knitter manipulated in great ways to make the brand’s heritage fabric suit the modern woman. Everything from trousers and skirts to vests, dresses and sweaters was made out of wool, thick and thin, deconstructed, raw and distressed to make a fringe, sheer, such as the primary-coloured, vertical-striped maxi dress with a shorter, horizontally-striped version worn over it, to create a new checked pattern and patched together, even the chokers were made out of wool. Being manufacturers of undergarments first and foremost, the control of different knit textures is surpassed by none, which still makes Pringle of Scotland so exciting centuries after the brand’s creation.

Back to nature

Picnics are all about being at one with the outside, appreciating the beauty of the natural world, breathing fresh air and enjoying basking in the sun. And so for SS17, the colours are subdued, neutral with hints of bright red, blue or yellow. The collection is about working with organic and pure materials, even the dyes used were natural. There was nothing harsh in the SS17 collection. Blacks were replaced by navy or dark brown, sandy colours were most prominent, all blending in with the culture of the Scottish moors. Even the shoes were inspired by the traditional Ghillie design handmade from leather and supported by nappa soles. Pringle of Scotland SS17 was not about standing out, but becoming one with the earth.