Somewhere around the first cold week of October, the quarter zip stops being a sweatshirt and becomes a uniform. You see it in the coffee line, at the gate at the airport, on the parent in the school pickup lane who somehow looks put together at 3:10pm. It is the collar that does it. A half-open zip frames the face the way a shirt collar does, so the rest of the outfit can stay soft.
This is our answer to how to style a quarter zip this fall: seven outfits, seven places to wear them, and very little reading in between. Let the photos do the work.
Why the quarter zip is everywhere
It sits between a hoodie and a sweater. Zipped up, it is warm and neat. Unzipped a few inches, it relaxes. And because the neckline is the interesting part, you can wear it with sweatpants, jeans or tailored pieces without the outfit falling apart. Our three quarter zips cover all of those moods: the Women's Half-Zip Hooded Fleece Pullover ($39.99), the Half-Zip Sweatshirt & Jogger Set ($49.99) and the Half-Zip Sweatshirt & Wide Leg Pants Set ($49.99).
How to style a quarter zip: 7 fall outfits
1. The coffee run
The Half-Zip Sweatshirt & Jogger Set in pink and burgundy, two of its six colors.
The whole set, white sneakers, a tote big enough for a laptop you may or may not open. The stand collar looks sharper than a crewneck, which is the entire trick: zip it up on the walk, open it at the counter.
2. Campus, 8am lecture
Hooded fleece half-zip in sage, with the corduroy jacket in camel.
The hooded pullover in sage, straight jeans, a backpack. On the walk across campus, add the Corduroy Hooded Button Jacket ($49.99) and pull the fleece hood out over its collar. Two textures, one easy color story.
3. The airport
Black fleece half-zip and gray fleece-lined sweatpants.
Planes are cold and security lines are long. Wear the black pullover with the Fleece-Lined Straight Leg Sweatpants ($29.99): high waist, straight leg, and a soft fleece lining that feels right on a four-hour flight. Slip-on sneakers for the bins. If you are landing somewhere colder than you left, carry a long coat over your arm instead of packing it.
Pack the airport look
4. Casual Friday
Wide leg set in black, and the Double-Breasted Knit-Sleeve Jacket in gray.
A matching set in black reads as trousers and a knit, which is to say, office. Keep the collar zipped for a clean line, swap the sneakers for loafers, and put the Double-Breasted Knit-Sleeve Jacket ($54.99) on top. Tailored shoulders, sweater sleeves. Nobody will guess you are in a sweatsuit.
5. Weekend errands
The half-zip top in beige, worn solo, under the Plaid Sherpa Shacket.
Split the set. The beige sweatshirt on its own with your favorite jeans, then the Plaid Sherpa Shacket ($44.99) over it for the farmers market, the hardware store, the long line at the post office. Let the plaid be loud. Keep everything else quiet. More ways to wear that shacket are in our plaid shacket outfit week.
6. A cozy date
Cream half-zip, cream teddy. Tone on tone.
Take the cream top from the wide leg set and wear it with dark jeans and ankle boots. Unzip a notch, add a fine gold necklace in the opening. The Textured Teddy Button Jacket ($49.99) in cream keeps the palette soft, and it is the kind of jacket people reach out and touch.
7. The full matching set
Three of the 18 colors of the Half-Zip Sweatshirt & Wide Leg Pants Set.
Sometimes the best styling is none. One color, top to bottom, with sneakers or boots. With 18 colors, from neutrals to brights, the only decision is the shade. On a Sunday that is exactly enough decision.
Want all seven on one page? Here is the cheat sheet, sized for your camera roll.
How a quarter zip should fit
Relaxed, not tight. The body should skim, the shoulder can drop a little, and there should be room for a tee underneath without the zip pulling. The pullover has a loose, roomy cut through the body and sleeves. The sweatshirts in both sets are relaxed too.
Fit note
Our quarter zips follow Asian sizing and run small, so order one size up from your usual. The same goes for the sweatpants, the corduroy, teddy and double-breasted jackets and the plaid sherpa shacket in this post. The one exception is the Sherpa-Trim Long Coat: choose your usual size, it already leaves room for a sweater. Each product page has a size guide with measurements.
Layering over it? For the full method (thin layers close to the body, the heaviest on the outside), see The Fall Layering Guide.
Keep it soft: care in two lines
All three quarter zips are polyester, and the pullover is polyester fleece. Machine wash cold, inside out, on a gentle cycle, no bleach, then tumble dry low or hang to dry. Do not iron. Inside out helps protect the soft outer surface.
FAQ
What is the difference between a quarter zip and a half zip?
Mostly the length of the zipper. A quarter zip opens a short way down from the collar; a half zip opens closer to the chest. People use the names interchangeably, and all of ours are styled the same way.
What shoes go with a quarter zip?
White sneakers for the casual looks, loafers for casual Friday, ankle boots for dinner. The zip collar is sporty, so a slightly dressier shoe is the fastest way to lift it.
Can I wear the set pieces separately?
Yes. Both sets are designed to mix: outfits 5 and 6 above use the tops on their own.
Is a quarter zip a good gift?
One of the easiest, as long as you order one size up. Our guide to cozy gifts for her under $50 covers sizing when it is a surprise.
One zip, seven outfits, and not one of them needed a plan.
The quarter zip edit
