The Autumn Knitwear Guide 2/3
"Trust me, a well-made garment from wool (any kind) can last decades. And as always, with everything I write on my blog, I speak from my own experience."
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.
The key to managing autumn knitwear in the right way is also about combinations. In the last post, I showed you what kind of autumn knits we have (I left out the most chunky ones as I decided to consider them winter) and what is special about them.
Now, let's have a look at how the pieces can look good worn individually as well as with top layer. See them as inspiration and try to convert them to pieces you have in your closet.
Black soft rollneck by Massimo Dutti in wool, cashmere and silk- left: navy chinos by Suitsupply, cashmere/cotton socks and Belsire belgian loafers in black suede ; right: navy MTM suit by Manemo, same socks and shoes
The first piece I will be talking about today is the black rollneck made of wool, cashmere and touch of silk. It is a staple on its own as well as worn for example with a suit. I chose my MTM navy suit with peak lapels made from VBC 110's wool where I like the tones it creates.
Also, rollneck tucked in is a comfortable and surprisingly warm choice even in a bit colder days. In different etiquette books, you will also find out, that in a lot of cases, rollneck is a substitute for a shirt with a tie, although I would not recommend it to wear for the board meeting.
Grey shetland wool sweater by Jamieson’s - left: pure wool trousers by H&M, green button-down shirt by John and Paul, brown suede chukka shoes by Blazek ; right: the same plus Barbour Beaufort jacket in dark brown
The second a conceivably more rural choice is the Shetland sweater. I told you a few pieces of information about it last time. When worn alone, I feel like this is the right choice for the pub or trip to nature when it is not too cold. When I see shetland sweater worn like this, I dream about being in a small-town pub in the north part of Scotland, heck perhaps even some island. I drink a pint or a whisky, and I feel the amazing warmness with calm inside me. Well, this is the image (or day-dreaming) I see whenever I'm close to shetland wool.
Choosing the colour of such a sweater is essential. Be aware of what are you going to wear with it. Army green can be an interesting rural choice, but together with green Barbour jacket, it would be too much of the same shade of green for my taste. Grey like this will ensure that you can wear it with almost every colour. However, that doesn't mean I won't encourage you to buy some bolder colour. I am in fond of this burgundy Shetland sweater by Kingsman (Mr. Porter collection) or a full palette by Anderson & Sheppard who makes an incredible amount of possibilities.
On the right picture - that is a part when you are leaving the pub towards unpleasant winds and unyielding nature. Possibly you can watch how this piece of garment, a true legend - Barbour jacket slowly gains more and more of my attention. Reasons for that are bulletproof, but I will tell you about them another time. Look how good it is. With this jacket, you will be recognizable as a man of style and also someone who knows the heritage and how to wear it. And this is not only the case of this rustic looking sweater. Let's see our last comparison for today.
Sand rollneck in wool and cashmere by Massimo Dutti - left: navy Suitsupply cotton chinos, brown suede chukka shoes by Blazek and grey wool coat by Mango ; right, the same shoes and trousers, Barbour Beaufort jacket in dark brown
A representative of thicker knits (yet not chunky) is rollneck made of wool and cashmere in a sand colour. I like this colour because beige or light pieces are great neutral parts of the outfit, easily could be combined with pretty much everything. Just look at the bloggers, influencers, "regular people" or magazines all over the world.
As mention last time, I am not the person who became easily cold; therefore, this is more winter piece for me than autumn. However, I know that a lot of people are wearing much chunkier knits already at the beginning of autumn. Anyway, wear it with a jacket, coat, thick wool or tweed suit. Or alone for wearing inside of the room.
This comparison has the only purpose. To show you how a piece of knitwear can look great in a formal coat as well with the informal jacket. And this is the reason why you don't have to be and shouldn't be afraid to invest in some real piece of knitwear. You may be sceptical because your cotton sweater what you wear through the winter lost shape after two years. Trust me, a well-made garment from wool (any kind) can last decades. If you choose it well, you see, that it will serve as a loyal companion through formal moments the same as the opposite. And as always, with everything I write on my blog, I speak from my own experience.
On this point, you could also see this post to know how it looks when you wear the suit with a formal coat, and then you switch the suit for rollneck. Similar comparison as we see today. Could be helpful as well.
The last advice today, always have in mind what colours you have in the closet. Because if you don't, you may end up with a new sweater or shirt, you have not many options to wear. Also, if you have a black coat, of course, you can go all-black, but imagine dark green rollneck - that would genuinely look like from the movie. Trust me, my own experience.
Now, maybe you missed the recommendation of certain brands through different price categories. Well, that is something you'll find in part 3 of my Autumn knitwear guide which, if it is not out yet will be in the upcoming days. I want to tell you a little bit more again, to the subject.
Yours sincerely,
Denis
