Closet Notes // My Favorite Sweater Brands
My Favorite Sweater Brands
When it comes to sweaters,
I firmly believe in quality over quantity. And by quality, I don’t necessarily mean price. What I do mean is how well the sweater is made, the materials that it’s made from and how well it fits. Sure, sometimes you pay a high price for high quality, but don’t be fooled into thinking that high price necessarily equates into high quality. I’ve seen super pricey sweaters made from terrible materials and barely last a few wears just as I’ve seen super affordable sweaters last for seasons and still look almost as good as new.
For me, once I find a sweater that checks all those boxes (quality, material, fit), I’m sold. In fact, I have no problem buying the same sweater in multiple colors if it’s truly good enough (see Everlane cardigan below). And, as you’ll see, I also have no problem buying lots of sweaters from the same few brands when it comes to sweaters. Repeat offender, sure, but when you know what you like, you know what you like. And also because if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
MATERIALS I LOOK FOR // ANYTHING THAT IS REAL, NATURAL AND ORGANIC, SUCH AS COTTON, MERINO WOOL, CASHMERE
MATERIALS I AVOID // ANYTHING SYNTHETIC, LIKE POLYESTER, NYLON, ACRYLIC, RAYON (UNLESS THEY HAPPENED TO BE MADE FROM RECYCLED MATERIALS AS PART OF AN ECO-CONSCIOUS COLLECTION
MY FAVORITE TIME TO SHOP FOR SWEATERS // SPRING + SUMMER SALES, ESPECIALLY IF YOU’RE GETTING CLASSIC, TIMELESS STYLES, NEUTRAL COLORS AND/OR HIGH QUALITY SWEATERS. YOU WON’T BE ABLE TO BEAT THE PRICE POINT DURING A GOOD SALE, AND YOU’LL BE GETTING SOMETHING THAT YOU CAN WEAR AND UTILIZE FOR YEARS TO COME.
BROCHU WALKER
If you’re looking for good cashmere sweaters, look no further, because Brochu Walker’s are, bar none, the best! They also have the best lightweight sweaters. They’re definitely my go-to brand when I want a sweater that is light, thin and breathable but still high-quality. They also have so many other wonderful sweaters, including many variations of their infamous lookers, crew neck sweaters, mock necks and so much more. I wrote a whole post going over every single Brochu Walker sweater that I have, and love, from this brand. It’s a pretty lengthy post, which should give you some indication of just how much I truly am obsessed with this brand and their sweaters! You can read the post here.
JENNI KAYNE
Jenni can do no wrong when it comes to sweaters! There isn’t one of hers that I have (and I do have a lot!) that I don’t love! I practically live in JK sweaters fall through spring, or really anytime that it gets chilly, so I’m forever expanding my collection. At the moment, though, I’m at 10+ types of JK sweaters. I absolutely love the Cabin Sweater. It’s just so perfect. Cozy but still lightweight, super flattering fit, high quality materials, comfortable, chic. When I don’t know what else to wear, I throw on this sweater because it’s just one of those pieces that always make me feel good and I know will look good. But I’m also obsessed with the cashmere cocoon cardigan, cropped cocoon cardigan, the fisherman cocoon crewneck sweater and the alpaca cocoon crewneck sweater. So, basically anything Jenni Kayne cocoon, I’m here for! ha! You can read more about all my Jenni Kayne sweaters (colors, fit, how I like to style them, etc.) in this post.
*USE CODE ‘ALYSSA15” FOR 15% OFF ANY JENNI KAYNE SWEATERS!
EVERLANE
My two favorite, most worn, cardigans are from this brand. Well, really it’s the same cardigan, just in two colors, because that’s how much I love it. The material is heavy duty, so it’s great when I’m cold and need to layer, but it’s also still light enough that it’s perfect for cooler summer evenings. Also, the material is great. I’ve had these cardigans for over a year and they still look new. And when I say I wear them all the time, I truly wear them all the time. Another example of something I throw on when I don’t know what to wear. The exact same one isn’t available anymore, but this style is almost identical. The one I got is technically cropped so I went up two sizes to have an oversized cardigan feel.
I haven’t tried any of their other sweaters (yet), but the quality for price seems great and I’ve only heard amazing things. Whenever I get any of their other sweaters, I’ll be sure to update this post and let you all know.
L.L.BEAN
My O.G. sweater favorite. I’ve been wearing L.L. Bean sweaters for as long as I can remember, and I’ve had some of their sweaters for longer than I can remember. Talk about sweaters that are high quality and long lasting. They are super thick and cozy, making them my go-to for winter sweaters. And you can’t go wrong with their classic fisherman cable knit sweaters.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
H&M // A GO-TO FOR AFFORDABLE OPTIONS (THAT SURPRISINGLY HOLD UP QUITE WELL…THERE ARE SOME THAT I’VE HAD FOR SEVERAL YEARS AND THEY STILL LOOK GREAT!)
GAP // ANOTHER FAVORITE FOR AFFORDABLE, YET HIGH QUALITY, SWEATERS. I HAVE THE SAME STYLE IN TWO DIFFERENT COLORS THAT I BOUGHT YEARS AGO AND THEY’RE BOTH STILL FAVORITES TO THIS DAY.
CLOSED // I HAVE A FEW OF THEIR CHUNKY KNIT SWEATERS. SUPER HIGH QUALITY PIECES, GREAT IF YOU’RE LOOKING TO INVEST IN A SWEATER THAT IS COZY, THICK AND WARM.
SUNSPEL // ONE OF MY FAVORITE GO-TO SWEATERS IS FROM THIS BRAND. IT’S JUST A CLASSIC LIGHTWEIGHT, LONG SLEEVE KNIT, HIGH QUALITY, GREAT FOR WHEN I NEED A SWEATER BUT DON’T NEED ANYTHING TOO WARM.
BENETTON // I USUALLY GRAB A SWEATER (OR TWO) FROM HERE WHEN I’M IN ITALY AS THAT’S WHERE THEY ARE BASED, BUT THEY DO SHIP TO THE US (AND HAVE FREE SHIPPING OVER $50). THEIR SWEATERS ARE HIGH QUALITY BASICS AT REALLY REASONABLE PRICES. HOWEVER, NOTHING IS TOO HEAVY OR THICK, SO I’D SAY THESE ARE MORE FOR EVERYDAY WEAR AND NOT NECESSARILY A SKI TRIP IN THE MOUNTAINS.
