Sweaters

Which Sweater Fabric Is Warmest

Wool is not the only way to stay warm, and on this shelf it barely appears, turning up only as a small share in a quarter zip blend, while the rest is acrylic, viscose, polyester or a cotton blend. Each of those behaves differently once you are out the door. Acrylic holds still air between its fibers, so a light acrylic knit feels warmer than it looks. Viscose blends are denser and hang closer to the body, which gives them that heavy, swinging drape. Polyester keeps its color through years of washing and suits cold air better than a crowded room. For a cold commute under a coat, reach for acrylic; for a heated office where you will sit for eight hours, a cotton blend keeps you from overheating by noon. Whatever the yarn, dry knits flat, and keep a hot iron away from acrylic, since heat is the one thing that makes it go limp for good.

Reading the Size Chart on a Sweater

Each letter size here covers two US numbers: S is a 4 or a 6, M an 8 or a 10, L a 12 or a 14, and XL a 16 or an 18, with the Christmas knit running on to 2XL. Product pages often give a chart in inches as well, and those figures measure the garment itself, laid flat and relaxed, not the body inside it. Compare the bust on the chart with your own bust measurement, because the gap between the two is the room you will feel, and a bigger gap means more drape rather than a bigger size. A dolman tunic can carry twenty inches of that room on its smallest size, which is how it covers the hip and still moves. Oversized styles are drafted with the slouch already in them, so your usual letter gives the look in the photos and sizing up only adds sleeve.

Sweaters for Spring and Summer Evenings

The sweater shelf does not close in April. A cap sleeve sweater tee in light acrylic, a star patch knit top that is almost all cotton, and a striped knit top with a notched V-neck are made for the months when a jacket feels like too much and bare arms feel like too little. The crochet pullover is a spring piece by design, since its open stitch lets a camisole or skin show through. Short or cap sleeves, an open stitch or a high cotton share all mean a sweater that keeps working from late spring to the end of summer. The pointelle sweater vest goes one step further and is cut close enough to wear alone, buttons done up, with wide-leg jeans on a warm evening.

Rather have a layer that opens down the front? The cardigans sit one level up in Cardigans and Knitwear, and the varsity stripes, fleece and holiday crewnecks are in Sweatshirts and Hoodies. Pick a stripe here first and build the outfit around it.