The Farmers Almanac predicted a cold and snowy winter and so far, it seems like it’s on point, as usual. We’re going to touch down here and talk about how to survive the cold. My first, favorite approach is sweaters - in this case - really warm sweaters. Give me a moment to geek out over the sweater situation. We’ve got lots of sweaters on sale right now - so some styles I mention & picture here may be gone by the time you get around to reading it.
Colors
One of the things I love about designs in knitwear is that all those pretty things were designed to be functional. Colorful sweaters - particularly stranded color-work - is knit up (by hand or by machine) carrying multiple strands of yarn across the fabric as it’s knit up. So it’s actually 2+ strands of yarn in thickness. These designs come from places like Ireland and the UK, Iceland, Alaska and Scandinavian countries. Styles like Maria Cher’s Lilith turtleneck, Vanessa Bruno’s Damas cardigan and even The Great’s Windsor cardigan all exemplify this. I know - I’m a nerd. Just wait.
Cables
Cables are also an ingenious technique that is gorgeous but also makes the knitted fabric thicker, therefore more warm. As a knitter, I’m a cable-fanatic, so I am drawn to cabled sweaters that are executed with clean construction (like Kinross’s Cabled Zip Cardigan) or at a value (like Paper Label’s Rayna Cable Sweater). Even Allude’s Textured Mock counts, so while the texture is more of a lattice design - it technically is a cable fabric and it’s a little thicker and more densely knit.
Wool
I realize that wool isn’t for everyone, but it’s worth mentioning because wool fibers are microscopically different than cashmere. While cashmere is technically warmer, wool is able to protect against moisture better. Additionally, the shape of the fibers makes it better at insulating body heat and so it’s more effective at keeping one warm long-term. Love Tanjane and Apiece Apart have some beautiful wool sweaters that are soft and special. Vanessa Bruno’s Ballerine and Kinross’s Garter Balletneck are two wool styles that are on sale.
It’s worth mentioning this brand and their Everyday Cashmere. MJ Watson is a small brand, everything is made to order in Italy. Their Everyday Cashmere is a thicker weight that has a hint of wool. It’s incredibly hardwearing (meaning, you can wear it A LOT and it holds up beautifully). If you’re going on vacation somewhere cold and need to pack 1 warm sweater, I’d recommend one of these as it’ll hold up to repeat wear better than anything. We have two styles remaining (and on sale) in this Everyday Cashmere and I’m linking them in the images below.
While we’re being brand specific, it’s worth noting that Brazeau Tricot’s sweaters are generally densely knit in cashmere and delightfully warm. I highly recommend the Mini Royal Pringle Cardigan. Very warm and very soft.
Ribs
There are certain types of ribs that are that do a better job of trapping body heat and insulating your body - but even a heavy rib creates a thicker fabric. Styles like Kinross’s Plaited Rib Zip Mock and Lisa Yang’s Sadie Zip Cardigan are perfect examples of these squishy, voluminous ribbed fabrics (aka English Rib, Fishmerman Rib or Brioche Rib) that trap air/body heat and keeps you warm. Even Paper Label’s cotton sweaters like the Lauren and Avery execute this beautifully.
I didn’t include any cotton sweaters in this blog. Cotton just doesn’t keep you as warm as animal fibers. If you want some cotton recommendations - check out this blog post here!
