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Winter warmers: the new knitwear styles to invest in now

 (Images courtesy of brands)
(Images courtesy of brands)

This year has hardly been a sartorial stand-out if the figures are to be believed.

In April, clothing sales fell 79 per cent, the largest decline since records began in 1996. As we set about acclimatising to our new locked-down lives, tracksuit sales soared by 70 per cent, and pyjamas rose 143 per cent.

Indeed, as our humble abodes look set to retain their newly-acquired status as our headquarters, there’s a case to be made for investing in some nifty new knitwear. For upgrading to some body warmers that bring us joy.

And the autumn/winter catwalks were awash with an assortment of fit knits.

In a move no doubt supported by Queen of the cardigan Katie Holmes, cardis were re-imagined at Miu Miu, Fendi and Christopher Kane, while Jacquemus and Alexander McQueen championed the return of the knitted dress in its myriad forms. Elsewhere designers championed bold brights; look to Victoria Beckham's banana yellow cable knits and Giorgio Armani's Peptobismol pink knit for inspiration.

Feeling out in the cold? These are the knitted goodies that will warm you up for winter.

Crazy for the cardi

Jacquemus autumn/winter 2020IMAXtree
Jacquemus autumn/winter 2020IMAXtree

You remember those age-old fair-isle cardigans you relegated to the bottom of your wardrobe? Your mum’s retro relics that you banished to the bottom of your drawers? Well, it would appear that it’s time to bring them out of retirement.

Reimagined by Simon Porte Jacquemus as a one-button, braless affair, the cardigan took on a myriad of identities during the autumn/winter 2020 shows. At Miu Miu, they assumed a prim and proper status, with crew necks and tweed prints, while at Ganni, they were worn nonchalantly under androgynous two-piece suits. Whichever way you wear yours, cardigans and their slew of identities are big news for winter.

Selfridges
Selfridges

Reformation Faro recycled cashmere-blend cardigan at Selfridges, £172, buy now

Cinta
Cinta

CINTA Pandora Cardigan, £125, buy now

All Saints
All Saints

AllSaints Vika Cardigan, £149, buy now

House of Sunny
House of Sunny

House of Sunny Peggy cardigan, £79, buy now

Colourful 'n' cosy

Bold and beautiful jumpers at Victoria Beckham autumn/winter 2020IMAXtree
Bold and beautiful jumpers at Victoria Beckham autumn/winter 2020IMAXtree

Put the pasty and pallid knits down! The decree from the fashion cognoscenti is that our knitwear needs to be as bright and chirpy as our attitudes (granted, it can be tricky.) Victoria Beckham incorporated canary yellow and bolshy blue knits into her autumn/winter 2020 collection, while Miuccia Prada churned out crimson crew necks as part of its knitted newness offering.

While hardly a revelation, colour psychology is an established medium of lifting one's moods through the colours you opt for, which will come in particularly handy as we navigate our way through the upcoming winter of discontent 2.0.

If you're adventurous enough, do it like the street style set does and opt for a zingy hue to contrast against a statement jacket in another clashing colour. If you generally lean more towards wallflower shades, opt for a bold pink or yellow jumper, which won't look out of place in your wardrobe of neutrals.

Chinti & Parker
Chinti & Parker

Chinti & Parker Lime Cashmere Rollneck Sweater, £275, buy now

Bella Freud
Bella Freud

Bella Freud 1970 Mohair Jumper, £350, buy now

&Daughter
&Daughter

&Daughter Annis Geelong Aran Roll Neck, £335, buy now

Zimmermann
Zimmermann

Zimmermann Lovestruck Knit Top, £450, buy now

Cuddly minis

Knitted minis reigned supreme at Dolce & Gabbana's autumn/winter 2020 showIMAXtree
Knitted minis reigned supreme at Dolce & Gabbana's autumn/winter 2020 showIMAXtree

The knitted vacancy in our new-world wardrobes? Why, the knitted mini, of course!

For Sarah Burton at Alexander McQueen, oversized and chunky Aran knits were worn with OTT over-the-knee leather boots, while at Dolce & Gabbana knitted minis were paired with knitted bags.

Wondering how to do it in London's baltic climes? Your sartorial equation here is simple. Knitted mini + a pair of designer deniers + some stompy clomping boots = legs for days and a winning ensemble.

Mango
Mango

Mango Taldora jumper dress, £35.99, buy now

Net-A-Porter
Net-A-Porter

Michael Kors Tan Ribbed-knit Turtleneck Mini Dress, £295, buy now ​

Image courtesy of Farfetch
Image courtesy of Farfetch

Nanushka Leah knit mini dress, £390, buy now

Simply the vest

Sweater vest weather at Prada's autumn/winter 2020 show
Sweater vest weather at Prada's autumn/winter 2020 show

Harry Styles may have got us all hot under the collar with his JW Anderson cardi that spawned a thousand TikTok knock-offs, but your new wardrobe's real vacancy this winter is sweater vest-shaped. Riffs on the quintessential golf dad sleeveless sweater were seen at Prada, Gucci and By Malene Birger.

The perfect autumn-winter transitional tank; it’s no surprise online searches for sweater vests have risen by 133 per cent since the beginning of August.

& Other Stories
& Other Stories

& Other Stories Short Fitted Cable Knit Vest, £55, buy now

Ganni
Ganni

Ganni Cotton Cable Knit Oversized Vest, £205, buy now

Liberty London
Liberty London

Isabel Marant Megan Turtle-Neck Knit Vest, £290, buy now

Cut-out cables

Cut-out knits at Christopher KaneIMAXtree
Cut-out knits at Christopher KaneIMAXtree

The autumn/winter runways were awash with cut-out detail knits; a new breed of jumper which implores us to flash our flesh more than its swaddling peers. Khaite, Monse and Christopher Kane offered up their interpretations of cut-out knits, while Rejina Pyo and Burberry embraced the cold shoulder.

Once the weather turns its back on us and we reach the throws of winter, holey knits can often be discarded. Instead of throwing yours to the bottom of the pile, wear over a crisp white poplin shirt for Zoom (or perhaps even office) appearances, or throw on over a tight-fitting tee to keep the warm in and the cold out.

Ganni
Ganni

Ganni Alpaca Knit Cut-Out Jumper, £215, buy now

& Other Stories
& Other Stories

& Other Stories Long Sleeve Cut Out Knit Top, £55, buy now

MyTheresa
MyTheresa

Self-Portrait Cotton and wool-blend cut-out knit, £161, buy now