THE JOURNAL
Summer knitwear. Summer… knitwear? No, it doesn’t sound quite right. And, yes, we recognise that swaddling yourself in thick woollen fibres might be just about the last thing on your mind in the stifling heat of high summer. But don’t write it off just yet. There is a place in your wardrobe for knitwear of a lighter and breezier variety, to be called upon for long evenings dining al fresco or enjoying a few sundowners on the beach. Or for those late-summer days – yes, they’re not too far off now – when the first notes of early autumn can be heard playing on the air. Don’t just take our word for it, though; here are five ways to try it out for yourself.
01.
A patchwork of art by The Elder Statesman
If you’ve ever wished that you could wear all of your sweaters at once, but without suffering from the inevitable overheating, then this little number from The Elder Statesman might just be for you. As modest and unassuming as you’d expect of the Los Angeles knitwear brand that put neon tie-dyed cashmere on the style agenda, it combines patchwork, stripes, crochet and – by our count – seven different colours to winning effect. We suggest going a size up for a breezier, more relaxed fit.
Wear it with
02.
An earthly delight by Story Mfg.
Based in Brighton but with much of its manufacturing taking place 5,000 miles away in the state of Tamil Nadu in southern India, Story Mfg. is at the vanguard of ethical fashion, championing no-waste manufacturing and regenerative agricultural practices. Its planet-first attitude its underlined by the hand-crocheted design of this loose-weave cotton sweater, a more breathable and far less suffocating alternative to heavier wool.
Wear it with
03.
A rhapsody in blue by Corridor
This beautifully textured sweater from Corridor is made by artisans in Brooklyn, New York, who utilise a space-dyeing technique to apply a multi-coloured finish to the yarn before creating the finished garment. As with Story Mfg.’s cotton sweater, above, the loose weave and with the breathable qualities of cotton make this one a no-brainer for warmer weather.
Wear it with
04.
A technicolour dream sweater by KAPITAL
For feel-good factor look no further than KAPITAL, an Americana-inspired brand named after Kojima, a town colloquially known as the denim capital of Japan. If the rainbow stripe running across the chest and arms of this cotton-blend sweater doesn’t put a smile on your face, then there’s the double-vision smiley logos on each elbow, a signature of the brand’s recent collections.
Wear it with
05.
A linen knit fit for a king by Inis Meáin
Inis Meáin (pronounced “inish-maan”) is the middle of the Aran Islands, an archipelago off the western coast of Ireland. In fact, the name means “middle island”, but it is also synonymous with knitwear. The similarly titled brand channels the generations of knitting expertise to be found here into a range of pieces. Including this attractively variegated reddish-pink sweater, which is knitted from that most trusted of warm-weather fabrics: linen.