St. John Knits Glossary

Santana Knit
“Santana” was the name given to the proprietary yarn developed by Marie Gray in 1965. It is made from a 80% Wool / 20% rayon blend with a special twist, and is well love for its ability to retain its shape and resist wrinkling. The term "Santana Knit" however, is somewhat misleading as the yarn can actually be knit in a variety of stitch patterns. Most people recognize the stockinette stitch variety shown here as “Santana Knit” – but other more textured varieties are also available. For example, you might find a pointelle knit garment that is also made from the same 80/20 blend yarn.

Milano Knit
Made from a 53% Wool / 47% Rayon blend yarn, St. John’s “Milano Knit” featured a tight and dense weight. Normally it has a very smooth finish as shown here in the first photo, however the stitch pattern can vary and other varieties of Milano knit are available with more texture; like the "Pique Stitched Milano knit" show below.

St. John Caviar
The name of the new black color that replaced the original black color used by St. John Knits prior to 2009. When compared side by side, St. John Caviar Black makes the old black color look almost like a dark navy blue. In addition, the name "Caviar" was also used by St. John on multi-colored capsule collection when the color first launched; thus further complicating the terminology.

Paillettes
A small piece of glittering material used to ornament clothing. Paillettes differ from sequins in that they are flat; whereas sequins or spangles are usually cupped shaped with facets. St. John applies paillettes to the trim and sometimes entire body of the glitzier couture and evening wear pieces.

Blocking
A process of stretching or shrinking knitwear to achieve a more ideal fit. In general St. John knits can be blocked up or down one size to improve their fit if needed.

Marie Gray
Marie Gray co-founded St. John along with her husband, Robert Gray, in 1962. Read the full on Marie Gray and St. John Knits here - St. John Designer Biography.