It’s officially sweater weather — so now is the time to take stock of your knit collection. But if you find that your woolens are looking a little worse for wear after months in storage, or you want an extra addition to upgrade your new season looks, then it’s a great time to invest. This season’s catwalks confirmed that knits are a statement piece that can elevate looks day or night.
At the London shows, S. S. Daley sent crafty cable knit roll necks down the runways, while in Milan, Gucci debuted Swarovski-studded cardigans, and at Missoni multiple chunky knits were worn on top of one another, confirming it’s a case of the more merrier for Autumn/Winter 2025.
Off the runways, the street style crowd have been finding ways to turn classic shapes into something worthy of attention, styling sweaters tied and shrugged across the shoulders, or layered in unexpected ways.
Though, if you are in the market for a new knit, it’s important to consider the impact of what you’re buying. Natural fabrics are kinder to the planet — as well as more breathable — than synthetic ones, derived from fossil fuels. Plus the brand’s production processes are also important to consider.
Wool and The Gang's Head of Design, Tegan Kersey, suggests looking out for the Responsible Wool Standard, as it means that the brand “has a high standards of animal, environmental and human welfare,” in its manufacturing processes. “Also, using 100 per cent non-mulesing wool is incredibly important, as the process of mulesing causes great pain and distress for the animal.”
Look out for brands that shout about their ethics and the provenance of their materials. A growing number of British knit labels such as &Daughter, Navygrey and Herd make knitwear more responsibly with natural and regenerative yarns, that cause less harm to the environment.
Founder of repair service Loom, Daisy Loom, also points to the fact that natural fibres — think alpaca, cashmere and 100 per cent wool — both “age beautifully and can be repaired or upcycled far more easily than synthetic materials.”
Caring for your knit properly at home will ensure it becomes a staple in your wardrobe for years to come, thereby reducing your impact on the environment. While it may be tempting to wear your favourite style on repeat, Loom explains that it’s important to “rotate your knits so they can rest between wears.” She also advises to “store them folded (never hung!) to avoid stretching, and to use cedar or lavender bags to deter moths.”
As for those who fear buying wool for the expensive dry cleaning bills, Loom assures that you can wash wool at home — if you proceed with caution. “Use cool water, gentle detergent, and minimal movement to hand wash, or use your machine’s wool cycle with your garment inside a mesh bag. Then reshape and lay it flat to dry. Never wring or hang the item — think of it as a spa treatment, not a spin cycle!” Be sure to invest in a wool detergent, such as Lab Kit’s, (£19, jigsaw-online.com), and try to refresh or spot clean your knit as much as possible over doing a full wash. It might sound a bit icky, but wool has natural anti-bacterial and odour-resistant properties that makes washing largely redundant.
Maintenance is also key. “If you notice small pulls or thinning areas, don’t wait — get them repaired before they turn into holes. A quick mend or embellishment can extend the life of your favourite jumper by years.
Also bear in mind that bobbling and piling is natural on wool — but don’t overdo the grooming. A purpose made shaver with a safety guard is the best thing to use to remove them without snagging or thinning your woolens. Try the Steamery’s Pilo shaver (£55, steamery.co.uk).
If you want to invest in a new knit or two, here’s the ones worth buying, based on this season’s standout trends.
This season’s must-have knitwear
A pop of red
The street style set have a clear favourite hue this season: everyone from Alexa Chung to Gigi Hadid have championed the red sweater this season. Key outfit formulas include: a cute cardi over jeans, sometimes belted at the waist; or worn as a shrug tied around the shoulders over another fine knit, a tee or on top of a trench.
Look to Hush for an oversized cashmere version, NavyGrey for the perfect boxy cardigan in lambs wool, or play around with layering in Rejina Pyo’s exaggerated shoulder tank, which comes in a statement mohair finish. With Nothing Underneath make the perfect crew neck in lambs wool.
Cora chunky cashmere crew jumper, £260, hush-uk.com
The easy cardigan, £325 navygrey.co
Toni sweater, £350, rejinapyo.com
Cornwall jumper, £180, withnothingunderneath.com
Argyle sweaters
Some are calling this season Grandad autumn, others are claiming it’s the season of countrycore, as slacks, golf-inspired knits and loafers have become a uniform for the fashion set. It comes after Prada and Khaite both put the diamond prints on their catwalks for Autumn/Winter 2025.
So whatever you want to name the aesthetic, it’s official: argyle is firmly back in fashion. Plus, if you pick a more muted check, it’ll become a perennial classic.
British brands Brora and &Daughter are known for their ethical production processes and super soft, well-wearing knits. They have both created borrowed-from-your-boyfriend inspired takes on the look. If you like a slouchy style, then M&S comes up trumps with an elongated brushed knit which will look great with a white tee peeping out underneath.
Alpaca argyle tank, £235, broraonline.com
Ava argyle crewneck, £425, and-daughter.com
Brushed argyle jumper with cashmere, £130, marksandspencer.com
Rugby shirts
Sporty fashion remains a mainstay on the catwalks, and this season, tennis whites and football shirts have been been usurped by the rugby. The collared classic held sway over the style set in 2024, when Dries Van Noten put them on its spring runways, and Simone Rocha confirmed they’re still a staple this season. While at the Copenhagen Fashion Week shows, there was plenty of style inspiration both on catwalks and in the crowds from influencers wearing styles by Marimekko and Aligne.
If you’re looking to invest, Guest In Residence by Gigi Hadid is the name to know for the softest cashmere shirts. For something with some femme energy, try Claudie Pierlot’s ruffle collar versions.
Guest in Residence Cropped striped cashmere polo shirt, £395, net-a-porter.com
LB Ester knitted polo sweater, £125, aligne.co
Striped polo jumper, £279, claudiepierlot.com
Crafty knits
If maximalism is more your thing, then there’s plenty of inspiration whatever your budget. SS Daley flew the flag on the runways with its handmade-look slogan knits. But you don’t need to buy a one-off to echo the trend. Folklore inspired and country motifs are bang on the money, or try a cardi with some off-kilter detailing, such as SEA’s folky knit, made from two different coloured pattern pieces.
Damson Madder’s cutesy rabbit cardigan has a mismatched diamond pattern on the front, and is also RWS certified for a reasonable price. The perfect feel-good purchase.
Storytelling crewneck, £260, stinegoya.com
Cecily collar lambs wool cardigan, £125, damsonmadder.com
SEA Linea intarsia-knit merino wool cardigan, £500, net-a-porter.com
