It the 1950s, the twinset was given a cool makeover. Candy colours were introduced and the garment emerged as a feminine alternative to the boxy suits of the previous decade. It was eagerly embraced by Hollywood's glamour set, including Lauren Bacall, Grace Kelly, Brigitte Bardot, Deborah Kerr and Margot Fonteyn. By the end of the decade, no well-dressed woman would be without her cashmere twinset. Its status as a fashion classic was sealed. But that didn't stop companies experimenting with texture and shape in the 1960s, and by the 1970s, the long-line maxi version was appealing to a trendy new generation of customers.
Power-dressers in the 1980s added shoulder pads to their twinsets and the garment became the linchpin of conservative chic. The Queen was regularly photographed in her Pringle two-piece, wearing it in a matronly fashion with regulation pearls. By the 1990s, an ironic attitude prevailed. Fashion-conscious wearers revelled in the garment's frumpy reputation. By 2000, Pringle had reinvented the twinset again as a sleek, modern garment, a symbol of comfort and luxury. Now, with the return of retro dressing, the classic set takes centre stage again, worn this time with a sexy pencil skirt. Take a twinset, Miss Jones.