Sweater weather is here, and I couldn’t help but think about all the jumpers I’ve owned. Starting with the chunky striped turtleneck mom knitted for me. Handspun yet haute. I remember snuggling in it while watching Home Alone with my cousins. But in today’s temperature-controlled day and age, when we move from air-conditioned offices to heated bedrooms, I wonder: is there still room for such hefty, warming knits?
The classic, chunky cable knit is a staple in cinema, so much so that it’s almost a protagonist itself. Remember the Friends episode when Ross and Tag show up in identical red sweaters? Part geeky, part festive. Or Ewan McGregor’s oversized mohair sweater layered over a baby-fit tee in Trainspotting (1996)? (Fun fact: there’s an entire Instagram account dedicated to photos of Ewan McGregor in sweaters.) In mystery thriller, Knives Out (2019), Chris Evans’s character, the spoilt scion Ransom Drysdale, wears a crew-neck sweater woven in the traditional Aran Islands style. He dons an array of knits throughout the film, but this particular jumper in an eggnog shade, which he picks for Thanksgiving weekend, went viral. According to this piece, Irish retailer Blarney Woollen Mills saw a 150 per cent markup in sales of this Blasket Honeycomb Stitch Aran knit since the film came out.
But if these smouldering, sweater-wearing gents got a taste of our winter right now, they might start melting inside those chunky layers. Instead, it’s the ultra-lightweight knit that has emerged to be the season’s key essential. This might take the form of a well-fitted polo neck, a simple crew-neck sweater, or even a buttoned-up cardigan. Given our relatively milder winters (thank you, global warming), the approach to knitwear styling has moved towards layering lighter, more breathable pieces that are all about ease and comfort.
In India, actor Veer Pahariya recently posed in a multi-striped Moschino jumper while Gurfateh Pirzada posted a video of himself in a light cable knit from Polo Ralph Lauren on his IG feed. Meanwhile young royal Padmanabh Singh of Jaipur often sports a sleek, polo-neck sweater with his riding gear.
Internationally, 2024 can easily be hailed as the year that men in sweaters got everyone all hot and bothered, without the sweats. Look at Harry Styles and knitwear genius JW Anderson’s recent capsule collection for Styles’s lifestyle brand, Pleasing. A key piece in the collaboration is a bright, colourful cardigan. During Gladiator II promotions, Paul Mescal displayed his penchant for shrunken granny cardigans, particularly those from womenswear brand &Daughter. Olympic diver and knitting enthusiast Tom Daley, who, just a few weeks ago, was announced as the host of a new Channel 4 competition show, Game of Wool, has been opting for sleek Loro Piana knits or sleeveless V-neck vests, either knitted by himself or by Versace and Balmain. On the runway meanwhile, the Dior fall/winter 2024 collection was all about sleek, fitted knits in shades of oatmeal, latte, and cocoa, inspired by the personal wardrobe of ballet dancer Rudolf Nureyev.
For some designers, the answer to this changing knitwear mood has been to swap wool for cotton. Knitwear label Margn offers a slew of heavy knitted options, all crafted out of cotton—from crochet cardigans to zippable pullovers or collared sweaters, the pieces are perfect for when it’s 16°C outside and inside. Co-founder Saurabh Maurya notes that the brand’s mixed-material cardigan is one of the key highlights of this season. “A melange of different knits is definitely having a moment. Mixing it with natural dyed yarns produces a texture that adds to the depth of a look.” When it comes to styling a cardigan, he adds, “From formal to casual outings, it has the capacity to channel an old-money aesthetic and at the same time, it can also be a fun fashion statement.”
