8 WAYS TO DO KNITWEAR

Our fashion editor’s guide to the alternative knits and cosy classics to wrap up in through winter

Words: Thea Bichard

Call it sweater weather, cosy season or, if you insist, autumn – whichever way you spin it, the time to find the perfect knitwear has hit. Read on for our guide to the best sweater brands, alternative knits and keep-forever cashmere to snuggle up to now.

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1. PICK UP A KNITTING PATTERN

1. PICK UP A KNITWEAR PATTERN

There’s always room for a statement knit to brighten up the grey months, but they needn’t be novelty Christmas jumpers. Designers are going beyond classic cable knits and Fairisle jumpers with new colour combinations and fired-up patterns. Pick your personality-packed player: will it be Kenzo’s florals or Sinead Gorey’s hazy stripes?

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KENZO - Floral jacquard knitted cardigan

AGR - Abstract pattern high-neck top

CASABLANCA - Logo-weave V-neck knitted cardigan

SINEAD GOREY - Carni tassel-trim knitted cardigan

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Valentino AW22

2. DRESS IT UP

Knitwear for night-time? Why not. Glamour has reentered our vocabulary in recent seasons, and the likes of Alexander McQueen and Valentino are jumpstarting their jumpers with off-the-shoulder necklines and subtle cutouts. For less formal evenings out, Paco Rabanne primes us for party season with its spin on vest dresses.

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3. FIND A LOOPHOLE

OK, so I’m bending the rules here, but I have a good – nay, godly reason: God’s True Cashmere. The LA brand weaves pure cashmere shirts, rather than knitted jumpers, studding them with 11 symbolic hand-carved gemstones such as labradorite (for balance) and emerald (for health). Make a note to head to Selfridges London from 21 November, when we’re opening a pop-up space with upcycled cashmere beanies and blankets that will make perfect Christmas presents.

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GOD'S TRUE CASHMERE - Unisex Lapis Lazuli checked shirt

GOD'S TRUE CASHMERE - Unisex Moonstone relaxed-fit shirt

GOD'S TRUE CASHMERE - Unisex gemstone-embellished popper shirt

GOD'S TRUE CASHMERE - Unisex Rose Quartz checked cashmere shirt

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16Arlington SS23

4. EXPERIMENT WITH THERMAL DYNAMICS

One key AW22 thread is not-your-average knitwear. As personal style has prevailed over one-season trends, designers – and us, the wearers – have become increasingly experimental. Apply this to your oft-overlooked lighter layers. Young London labels 16 Arlington and Talia Byre excel here for fine-gauge cardigans and bodies for stitching into your everyday.

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16Arlington SS23

5. CUT IT OUT

You don’t tend to see knitwear and nights out in the same sentence, but the rampant rise of bodycon (and hemlines) has united them. Isa Boulder’s intricate knitted dresses and tops and sustainably minded designer Sami Miro Vintage’s slashed, upcycled jerseys from our Project Earth edit sum up this move to deconstructed, skin-baring knits worthy of a party. Experiment with layering to find the level of coverage that suits you.

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ISA BOULDER - Argyle cut-out rayon top

SAMI MIRO VINTAGE - Asymmetric upcycled jersey top

ALIX NYC - Pratt cut-out stretch-jersey mini dress

ET OCHS - Mandy corseted knitted top

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Bottega Veneta AW22

6. CORE CLASSICS

I recently inherited some of my granny’s jumpers – monochrome merino wools that she wore with cord trousers and I now style with mini skirts. My point is, there will always be room for incredible cashmere cardigans or well-spun wools. This season, designers such as Matthieu Blazy at Bottega Veneta, Luke and Lucie Meier at Jil Sander and new-to-Selfridges brand The Inoue Brothers have leant into understated but impeccably made knitwear – simple crewnecks or turtlenecks you can wear with just about anything and keep hold of for years (or generations) to come.

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7. DO THE DOUBLE

Before your mind jumps to Audrey Hepburn and Grace Kelly in prim twinsets, let me stop you mid-scroll. Matching knits have undergone a makeover. Paolina Russo channelled traditional knitwear techniques and only used natural fibres for her latest technical knits, creating fuzzy corsets with matching midis. Meanwhile, AGR applies its signature eye-catching colour combinations to crop tops and mini skirts.

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PAOLINA RUSSO - Warrior wool-blend knitted top

PAOLINA RUSSO - Warrior wool-blend knitted midi skirt

AGR - Striped racerback knit top

AGR - Striped ribbed knit mini skirt

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Gabriela Hearst AW22

8. HEAD TO TOE

This season’s knitwear dresses have one thing to say: go big or go home. Think full-length ponchos – Gabriela Hearst has you covered here – or oversized jumpers by way of Ralph Lauren’s classic play on cricket whites. The key qualities to look for involve extremes: try outsized proportions, undulating volume and floor-skimming hems.

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