Sweater weather
Wardrobe heroes, buying preloved and how to care for your knitwear
“Finally, sweater weather!” One of my all-time favourite sketches, followed closely by The Two Ronnies “Four candles” and the Morecambe and Wise “Breakfast” sketch. And finally, we get to use it in our posts! 🍂
There’s nothing quite like the first foray into the knitwear section of your wardrobe once the season hits. Like a hug from an old faithful friend who has patiently waited for the temperature to dip. While it’s reasonably ‘nice’ here in the UK this week, we’re in the throes of puppy training so the French doors are permanently open, necessitating an early dip into throwing on that extra layer. As I packed my jumpers and cardigans away earlier this year, I thought to myself, come Autumn I’m good for knitwear. That felt like a good place to be! While this still rings true, there are always seasonal variations to turn one’s head, such as last week’s inclusion of this COS cardigan in my ‘wish list’ (see below). But I won’t be adding anything to my wardrobe until I have a thorough review of what’s already there.
We have our post title sorted ✔️, so what are we going to discuss? With the golden thread of slow, sustainable style here, the focus of this post is on ‘wardrobe hero’ knitwear pieces that will be long-lasting, hard-working and much loved in your wardrobe, on buying preloved knitwear and on how to care for and store your knitwear.
Wardrobe heroes
Inspired by
’s ode to her favourite jumper, I love the idea that there are pieces in your wardrobe that feel so you, that can be teamed with most anything in your wardrobe, and that make you feel so good. They feel irreplaceable and you consider buying a back-up in case anything happens to it! You know those pieces.
I’ve added a few wardrobe hero pieces of knitwear to my wardrobe over the last few years, inspired by my favourite knitwear-wearers. I love how Anna of
’s enviable collection of simple versatile crew-neck cashmere jumpers makes getting dressed look so easy. I bought two last year, one in a mid grey and one in navy, both preloved and originally from Uniqlo. These are unbelievably soft and now form the backbone of my knitwear collection. Also inspired by Anna, this Loulou Studio jumper is a piece I’ve posted about before and is one of my top preloved finds on Vestiaire Collective. I can’t wait to wear this again this year. If you don’t follow yet, quite simply do! Her style speaks of her French heritage and seeps through in every outfit she puts together. I loved the slouchy cosy vibe of this cardigan from Amyah Collection, and managed to find it on Vinted for a steal. always knows how to balance an outfit and this one is no exception with her simple Rise & Fall cashmere jumper, textured wide leg trousers and three-stripe trainers.
Buying preloved knitwear
High quality knitwear can be expensive, particularly cashmere or 100% wool. Perhaps you have never considered purchasing your high quality knitwear preloved, perhaps you already do but focus on style over material, or perhaps you’d like to but feel nervous about how ‘worn’ they might be. Either way, let’s get into it.
Natural materials like cashmere or wool, once cared for, will be more long-lasting (and my opinion, comfortable) than man-made materials like polyester or acrylic. While renewable and biodegradable, cashmere is generally not seen as a sustainable fabric, with the growing demand leading to environmental degradation. So purchasing preloved cashmere is a great workaround. These are the only two materials I focus on when searching for preloved knitwear. In previous posts, I’ve focused on general tips for shopping preloved and how to shop preloved, with intention (see below).
Possibly the most important tip, from these posts and from being an avid preloved shopper over the years, is to ask questions.
Ok, so your dream item has shown up at last. Hurray! But before you click buy, let’s pause and ask a few questions.
What’s the overall condition?
Are there any marks or signs of wear that you should know about?
Sometimes items can look like completely different colours in each of the listed photos depending on the lighting, so if in doubt, ask - which picture best represents the actual colour?
What is the pit to pit/ inner leg/ waist measurement?
What is the material composition? I don’t tend to buy preloved items unless they are 100% cotton, linen, wool or cashmere (or at least a very high %) or real leather as these are the fabrics which will last. And don’t be put off by some bobbling on a wool or cashmere jumper if the fabric is other in good condition, as this is very easily rectified!
These questions fill in the gaps which are missing when buying online versus buying in a store and it’s perfectly reasonable to ask.
This will give you more confidence in what you are purchasing and knowing how the item might fit with your wardrobe and your needs.
How to care for and store your knitwear
While I am no expert, I’m eager to upskill in the care of my wardrobe, with a view to increasing longevity, to reducing purchases and to enjoying and wearing what I already own.
wrote a great piece on what ‘tools’ she uses to care for her clothes, including her knitwear. After reading this, I invested in a Steamery fabric-shaver/ de-bobbler, which I found secondhand on eBay and which is sooo satisfying to use! A very mindful few hours were spent with it going through my wardrobe.
I’m also interested in trying Another Day from byMATTER, a bio-active fabric freshener that she recommends to prolong the need for washing clothes, in particular knitwear, and instead offer a refresh.
In terms of storing knitwear, and again in particular cashmere, Martha Stewart has the lowdown. I mean, of course she does! Her key tips are to wash before you store, to fold and store in a breathable canvas storage bag or box (like these) and to pop in some cedar chips or a sachet of lavender, which are natural moth repellents. Your future self will thank you!
Inspiration
I wasn’t feeling great this week and in an effort to seek comfort, I reached for my Carhartt dungarees/ overalls three days on the trot - talk about rewearing! These were one of the first wish list pieces I featured on here and have proven to be a great addition to my wardrobe. This week I’ve worn them with my Leset Margo t-shirt (the best IMO), Dragon Diffusion Santa Croce bag (a recent preloved purchase) Adidas Spezial, but I’ve also been seeking inspiration for other transitional ways to wear them. Here’s what I have found. I never would have thought to pair them with ballet flats or loafers and a long black coat as seen on Charlotte Olivia, Orion Carloto, and Anna below - so inspiring! I also love how
styles hers for the last days of summer.
Wish list pieces
I’m not adding anything to my ‘wish list’ on Indyx this week, because… a long-awaited piece has finally appeared in my preloved searches! The Staud Vivi suede bag in mahogany. It was almost as if the sheer mention of it in last week’s post manifested it into being! This piece nods to this season’s colour and texture, while remaining true to my minimalist and casual sensibilities. Plus it gets a thumbs up from Monikh Dale (see below) whose style you know I love. Would LOVE to hear about your Autumn wish list pieces though - fancy popping them on the chat?
Thanks for reading, I hope you’ve a lovely week and to see you next weekend, Jenny x
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Great post Jenny 👌🍂
Make sure to deep freeze any wool/cashmere sweaters or knits for at least two weeks before wearing or putting away (freeze after putting them in a freezer safe plastic bag/ziploc). I often opt to freeze for a month because I also knit and have quite the yarn stash. Some pests like clothes moths and carpet beetles love munching on animal fibers and the oils and skin cells they collect and can be very hard to get rid of once you have an infestation (and their eggs are basically invisible to the naked eye). Thrifted/preloved sweaters are always the best part of fall! Can’t wait for it to cool down enough to pull out my Misha & Puff again.