The Autumn Knitwear Guide 1/3
When it comes to what are we start wearing in Autumn, there are two things I particularly enjoy. First is layering, cold forces us to pull out warmers jackets, suits and coats - flannel instead all-season wool and boots instead of derby.
And the second thing is knitwear. We finally start pulling out rollnecks and chunky cardigans together with cable knits. A sleek look in a suit or rakish alternative with chunky knits? Those looks are entirely different in Autumn.
Don't get me wrong; surely you can wear knitwear in summer. Thin merino wool is suitable for all-season wear or cotton/linen blend polo shirt such as this one is also perfect and airy for hot temperatures. However, when the temperature drops, we can be more creative with knitwear in our outfits.
And because in this case, style, warmth and comfort go hand in hand, in my opinion, I prepared this Autumn knitwear guide for you. It will have several parts. In this first part I will tell you which kind of knits we have and also how I wear it (pictured) and with a few tips how about other ways how is possible to wear them as well. I will mention the materials itself and their plus, cons and appropriateness.
In the second part, I will be talking about versatility and give you a few comparisons. For instance, how beige rollneck might be great with a formal coat as well as with casual jacket. Or how different kinds of sweaters can be beautiful on its own as well as under jacket. Maybe there will also be a comparison of outfits such as formal version vs. knitwear version. We'll see about that.
And in the third and the last part, I will be talking about brands. What brands are there through most of the price categories, so everyone has a chance to choose what suits them. I will be talking about which brand knits I wear and why and what brands knitwear I want to try in the future and why.
Let's start then! Because it is an autumn guide and not winter, I will deliberately leave out the most chunky and thick ones.
Black wool cardigan from unknown brand, blue tab collar Hawkins & Shepherd shirt and navy silk tie by Hugo Boss.
I'll start with a thin wool cardigan. That, of course, doesn't have to be a thin cardigan with buttons, it can be v-neck shaped sweaters or knitted waistcoat. The point is, it's excellent for indoor use. You need to get yourself warm but just a bit. It also fits under the jacket very simply, and if you are driving a car for most of the day, this could be your choice as you sit in a heated vehicle often. The con is that it adds just a touch of a temperature if you are cold all the time, this is not your choice.
It can be worn with a polo t-shirt, shirt and tie or no tie. I want to mention here that I am not the protagonist of wearing this type of knitwear with a t-shirt, but I believe most of the men will not feel it the same way as I do. In my opinion, it doesn't look good. This type of sweater looks best with a suit or another smart outfit.
Navy merino wool sweater from Czech brand Blazek, blue Mango soft denim shirt, navy Suitsupply chinos and black Massimo Dutti brogue boots.
Next on the line is my favourite sweater which I wear probably most often during a year for almost five years (maybe even six, I'm not sure). It is a navy merino wool V-neck sweater made from medium thick material. My sweater has a houndstooth print on the front while leaving back plain. Its versatility is incredible. I wear this particular with polo t-shirts, shirts with no ties but much more often than other knits in my closet.
The versatility is probable ensured thanks to navy colour, which is one of my favourites and goes well with nearly everything. Perhaps what I like most except the colour is the medium thickness. Therefore it is suitable under a jacket or coat, but also I feel good and not overheated when worn inside.
As I'm not easily cold, my attitude towards thin knitwear is sometimes reserved as I'm either good or need a thicker one.
Jamieson’s shetland wool sweater, light green John & Paul button-down shirt, light grey wool trousers from H&M and brown suede chukka shoes by Blazek.
Structure of knitwear made from shetland wool.
I'll continue with a specific representative among knitwear, a Scottish invention - Shetland wool sweater. I will not mention anything from the Shetland history today, let's talk about the sweater itself. Rough structure bites a bit from the beginning but becomes much better after a few wearing - best with a shirt as the knit doesn't touch your bare skin.
My personal preference with shetland wool sweater is a shirt with a button-down collar or shirt with a checked motif which I like to call "British country check" although this expression might not be entirely exact. See here what is in my mind. Perfect for walks in the country, woods and so on. But I would take it to the pub as well. However, if the weather is windy, it usually requires another layer as shetland knit is not windproof. There are actually bigger spaces between woollen fibres. If you like the rugged and rural look, this is the right choice for you.
Make a compliment to shetland wool with wool trousers. Regarding the top layer, Barbour jacket but even polo coat would look great. The only thing that matter is the structure of the coat. Don't go for too formal. Chunky one or herringbone wool sound just about right.
Here I would like to mention and refer you to a red Barbour lambswool sweater which you'll find in this post. That is an impeccable piece for Autumn as well.
And the last two pieces I will be talking about today are two rollnecks. I think in everyone's wardrobe there should be one "smarter", light enough to fit under the jacket so it can be worn with a suit and one thicker, country wear under a coat, tweed or heavy wool jacket. Also, we could mention some raincoat as those protect against the rain but rarely have some warm layer inside as this is not their purpose. Such a generous layer into such raincoat can be quite handy.
Black Massimo Dutti rollneck made from wool, silk and cashmere. Navy Suitsupply chinos, John & Paul cotton/cashmere socks in dark grey and finally, Black suede Belgian loafers by Belsire.
My smarter is made of wool, silk and cashmere - ideal combination (although I have one dark green from merino wool, perfect as well). I chose a classic black colour that goes well in winter with grey coats, navy garments and works when worn without further layering. Rollneck are plentiful in the way how they warm up a neck - then even rest of the body feels warmer than with bare neck.
Sand coloured Massimo Dutti rollneck made of wool and cashmere.
Obviously, if you should wear lighter rollneck or warmer one, depends only on circumstances. Again, you won't have problems in a room with a lighter one, but outside when temperatures are low, thicker one will provide better performance. My warmer one in a sand colour, made of wool and cashmere is still not that big, so it is still possible to fit it under a jacket. However, I would choose a jacket that is not tight on the body to allow some material movement. One advice - when the rollneck is "chunkier" it fits better into coats (if not worn with a jacket in between) than a light one. Rule to live by.
And what about you? What knitwear is your go-to choice when leaves start to fall on the road?
Yours sincerely,
Denis
