Once the sartorial shorthand of finance bro’s, confined to the city, members’ clubs and post-pandemic hybrid offices, the quarter zip has unofficially dethroned the blazer. Reclaimed by younger generations as a symbol of quiet professionalism and polished casual style and emerging as the perfect blend of corporate heritage and Gen Z aesthetics – it’s a playful reimagination of what ‘grown up dressing’ looks like today.
The style rose to fame in 2025, with Tik Tok creating a cultural flash point for the style, reframing the sweater as part of a lifestyle shift toward perceived maturity and intentional presentation. On Tik Tok, posts using #quarterzip have reached over 84,000 with one ‘quarter zip’ video amassing over 30M views alone. Alongside this, Google searches for ‘quarter zips for men’ are up 300% this month.*
And the trend is playing out in real time at M&S. Searches for ‘quarter zip’ on M&S.com were up 38% in December, and last week alone, M&S menswear quarter zip sales rose +38% YoY, cementing its status as the knit to be seen wearing right now.
From Succession-style boardrooms to sophisticated nights out, the rise of quiet luxury dressing has made the quarter zip the knit men are reaching for, no matter the occasion. Polished, low-effort and logo-light, think Jeremy Strong off-screen, Jacob Elordi airport fits, and anyone who wants to look put together without trying too hard.
Premium hand feel, refined neutrals and clean silhouettes that work from hybrid workdays to evenings out, M&S is tapping directly into the moment with its modern quarter zip styles.
Smarter than a sweatshirt, more relaxed than tailoring and quickly becoming the only knit that matters.
Mitch Hughes, Director of M&S Man Comments: “The quarter-zip has exploded in popularity recently, because it does exactly what modern menswear needs to do - it works hard, looks sharp, and fits seamlessly into everyday life. For our customers, it’s a true wardrobe hero: easy to style, endlessly versatile, and relevant across every generation and occasion. At M&S, the quarter-zip isn’t a trend piece, it’s a foundation - one of those key item’s men rely on to instantly elevate their look, whether they’re dressing up or dialling it down. We've got an incredible selection of styles on offer starting at just £25, championing the Autograph Extra Fine Merino Wool (£45) and the M&S Cotton Rich Textured Half Zip Jumper (£30). Last week alone sales on zip jumpers were up 38% YoY, fast becoming the 'it knit' of the season"
*Google Trends data from 13/12/25-13/01/26
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Notes to Editor
Our Approach to Sustainability
- At M&S, quality and trusted value underpin everything we do. Our clothes are made well and made to last.
- For every M&S product, our clear goal is to only use responsibly sourced raw materials – including those that derive from animals.
- We ensure that 100% of the cotton in M&S clothing is responsibly sourced through the Better Cotton Initiative or with organic and recycled certifications. Our Responsible Cotton Sourcing Policy, excludes sourcing cotton from Xianjiang, Uzbekistan or Turkmenistan.
- 100% of the cashmere that we used in our pure cashmere products is certified by the Sustainable Fibre Alliance.
- 100% of the leather in our ladies footwear & accessories, men’s footwear and furniture is certified by the Leather Working Group.
- Another Life is how we activate our Plan A strategy in Fashion, Home & Beauty. It brings together our approach to circularity into one place with a focus on the four R’s; Rewear, Repair, Recycle and Resale.
- We were the first retailer to transparently publish details of the 500+ factories that make M&S clothing on our interactive supplier map, which includes the factory location, name, number of workers and gender split.
- Ethical trading is core to how we do business and our Global Sourcing Principles set out our minimum global supplier ethical and environmental standards. These Principles are reviewed regularly – in partnership with our supplier partners and external organisations – to ensure they are fit for purpose and up to date.
- Sustainability now runs through all our strategic priorities to provide the foundation for our plans to reshape M&S for growth that is sustainable in every sense. Our 24/25 ESG report is available to view here.