With the wind howling and the cold biting, New England Winter is in full swing. This also means it’s prime sweater time for those who love themselves a good piece of knitwear — but what constitutes a “decent sweater?” What kind of things should we look for? All this and more, covered by the College Student’s Guide.
Firstly, we need to lay down some ground rules: Sweatshirts and sweaters are two different things. Sweatshirts should usually be made of cotton and feature a tighter weave, while sweaters have a knitted composition and are made up of wool, cotton, cashmere or sometimes all three. One hundred percent wool and cashmere sweaters are often a bit expensive, but if you look in the right spots — Depop, eBay, thrift stores, surplus shops — you might find pieces with a good composition and an even better price.
Your choice of fiber plays a big role in how warm you stay, so stick to sweaters made of a natural fiber to maximize comfort and warmth. That’s not to say you can’t mix in a little bit of synthetic fabric, just keep it to a minimum. Your 100% polyester knit cardigan will do you no favors, and the wind will show you no mercy.
Speaking of cardigans, there are plenty of sweater styles to choose from, meaning if you’re not too sure about trying out knitwear, you can find a style you’re comfortable with and try it out without going headfirst into a new style.
The three most popular styles would be the fisherman’s sweater — a hearty, heavy sweater with a crewneck collar, ribbed sleeves and hems and a distinct pattern within the knit itself. Born out of necessity by Norwegian fishermen, heavy-knit wool sweaters kept them warm on the water and actually provided more insulation when wet. The classic cable-knit, which involves intricate patterns and weaves, is called Aran-knit sweaters.
The next style worth mentioning is the friendly cardigan, differentiated by the previous design by incorporating button-closure, front pockets and featuring a unique shawl collar: a folded, rounded collar that folds over and tapers in the front, or lacks a collar altogether. Cardigans are great because they can work as both a middle layering piece or as outerwear when the weather permits. Cardigans were named after the knitted vests worn by James Brudenel, the seventh Earl of Cardigan. The cardigan was made popular in the United States by Ivy League Colleges, who used them in place of varsity jackets in the early 1900s.
Finally, the most intimidating style, to most men anyway, of sweater is the humble sweater vest, originating from the land of prep schools and Ivy Leagues. Featuring a V-neck collar, thinner knit and lack of sleeves, the sweater vest is often avoided simply because it’s so hard to layer without looking like a geek. That’s just because it’s an item one needs to wear with confidence.
When you start believing you can pull off a sweater vest, you’ll see how versatile they can be layered under a jacket, dressed up or down and even worn by themselves come the spring or summer, if that’s your sort of thing. Sweater vests aren’t as bad as everyone will tell you; they’re actually way cooler.
The absolute last thing I need to share is to remember to take care of your sweaters. Do not put your sweaters in the dryer — if you can, handwash them with a bottle of Woolite, wool detergent, then roll in a towel & leave to dry. If you can’t handwash, choose the lowest setting on the washing machine, put it on “delicates” and pour the Woolite in the detergent well and then roll in a towel to prevent shrinkage and wrinkling.
Remember, there’s no wrong answer so long as you’re happy. The overall style and fit of your sweater shouldn’t matter as much as its composition. Quality is key, and there is no substitute for comfort, so do yourself a favor and wear something that’s as high-quality as you are. Take care of your sweaters, yourself and stay cool.
