Not Like Other Sweaters
Sweaters should hold a special place in everyone’s winter wardrobe. Their versatility, comfort, and warmth make them a crucial layering piece when assembling an outfit to fight the cold. But with so many different designs, textures, and colors to choose from, a lot of great sweaters go unnoticed. These are the five underrated sweaters you should put on your radar for AW19:
1. Icelandic Sweaters
Also known as Lopapeysa, Icelandic sweaters sport a distinctive yoke design that wraps the circumference of the neck opening with a multi-color needlelike pattern. Combinations of earth tones, pale pinks, and periwinkles often color these patterns, creating eye-catching designs that simultaneously pop against and melt into winter’s gray backdrop.
Another category where Lopapeysas stand out from the pack is functionality. Since Icelandic sweaters are not spun, pockets of air occupy the majority of the volume, creating an exceptionally insulated garment that keeps you warm even when wet. Additionally, the outer fibers of Icelandic wool are long and water resistant, while the inner fibers are soft and insulating. Paired together, the outer and inner fibers form a warm and cozy combination.
2. Cowichans
The Cowichan people combined European textiles with native Salish weaving methods to create the Cowichan sweater. These sweaters are crafted from thick one-ply yarns, making them heftier than their European counterparts. Their structure resembles that of a shawl cardigan, but is notably chunkier and more rugged.
Animal designs usually adorn the front of the sweater; thunderbirds, horses, and deer are all popular. Cowichan color schemes usually muted, only including combinations of one light color and a few darker colors for contrast, yet their unusual designs will likely make them your outfit’s statement piece.
3. V-Neck Cardigans
Simple and understated, V-neck cardigans often fail to make it past the “grandpa sweater” label. In a vacuum, the V-neck cardigan doesn’t have a lot going for it. It’s plain, not especially aesthetically pleasing, and awkwardly straddles the line between formal and casual. These factors make a V-neck cardigan difficult to pull off, but are its greatest strengths when properly executed. Of course there are other ways to make this sweater work, but these four simple steps will set you in the right direction if you’re just getting started:
Stick to simple or muted colors like black, olive, and cream.
Synchronize the color of the cardigan with the rest of your outfit’s tonal palette.
Wear the cardigan open.
Extend the cardigan’s silhouette with your pants, tracing a continuous line from shoulder to ankle.
4. Donegal Sweaters
Donegal sweaters have colorful specs that liven up what would normally be a standard piece. These specs add an eye catching yet subtle dimension to texture that can’t be matched. Various types of sweaters, cardigans to turtlenecks, can be made from donegal wool, making this one of the most versatile sweater upgrades.
5. Patchwork Sweaters
If you can’t decide on a singular design, why not wear all of them? A loose, droopy-fitting patchwork sweater has a Frankenstein-like quality that accomplishes just that. Patchwork sweaters possess a certain “well-loved” charm that perfectly accentuates a slouchy care-free aesthetic. There’s never any shortage of color, as their endless design combinations let you pick and choose from a wide variety of hues. Even if these colors don’t traditionally coordinate well, the patchwork sweater provides a solution by nature of being...well, a patchwork sweater.
In our vigilant endeavor to stay warm and toasty, it can be easy to fall back on the same pieces over and over again. And while go-tos are great, every wardrobe could use a shuffle every now and then, so I hope this list inspires you to try something a little different.
Words by Kyle Tang