A stylish black and white crochet shirt
Black and white is the simplest way to wear crochet if you usually dress in plain colors. You get the texture and the handmade look without having to match anything.
Here is what our black and white shirt is, and how to wear it from day to evening.
The shirt
Our black and white crochet shirt is made of black and white crochet squares joined into a unisex shirt. It costs $170, comes in sizes XXS to XXL, and is crocheted by hand to order by one maker in Izmir. Making it takes 2 to 8 days.
Crochet is worked with a hook, one loop at a time, which leaves small open spaces between the stitches. Those spaces let air through, which helps on hot days.
How to wear it
In the day, wear it with jeans and white sneakers. In the evening, with black trousers and leather shoes. Over a black t-shirt it works as a light jacket.
The squares make a strong pattern, so keep everything else plain. One silver ring or a simple watch is plenty.
Other quiet-colored shirts
If you want stripes instead of squares, there is a short-sleeve striped version in light cotton. For something softer, the beige shirt in granny squares has short sleeves and a soft drape, and the off-white crochet shirt has delicate patterns and stays cool all summer.
Who makes it, and how to wash it
Smyrna Collective was started by Selda in Izmir in 2021. Smyrna is the old name of the city. Today more than 20 makers, mostly women, many of them retired or working from home, crochet and knit our pieces. Each shirt is made by one of them, from the first square to the last, and shipped free worldwide.
Hand wash the shirt or use the wool program at 30°C, and dry it flat. Wash it apart from strongly colored clothes so the white stays white.
