See full version: The Right Cable Knit Sweater Can Transform Anyone Into a Bona Fide Sweater Guy
Nothing smacks of casual refinement more. Nothing screams "I'm a senior partner at a pedigreed white shoe firm who spends most of my time indulging a passion for refurbished sailboats" as effectively. Nothing looks, well, richer. (The cable knit budget on Succession alone has got to be enough to keep the cashmere experts in Solomeo churning out sweaters for years to come!)
Not sure if you're a knitwear enthusiast? Now you are. [links]
Cop a cable knit and be prepared for whatever life throws your way. Especially if what life throws your way is a family full of conniving backstabbers dressed in matching shades of unassuming beige vicuna, all vying for control of the slowly disintegrating media empire you want no part of. Because as long as the family business keeps you in cable knits, you've got everything you need.
You've stocked up on cardigans. Made your peace with crewnecks. Maybe even considered vests. But cable knits? Man. *Whistles softly* Cable knits hit different. Everything looks better as a cable knit. In the grand matrix of dueling social media platforms, the cable knit sits somewhere between LinkedIn and Instagram—sexy enough to warrant posting to the latter but smart enough to be appropriate on the former. here
Not entirely sure you're ready to give up on the chance to take over from your father/brother/uncle as a ready-made titan of industry? Feast your eyes on some of the best cable knits money can buy and then mull over your decision. I know you'll make the right call.
If a traditional cable knit sweater feels a little too, well, traditional, then try this offbeat take from Ralph Lauren. It has a classic Aran knit pattern but is dyed in a white and indigo tie-dye color. The splotchy white on blue look resembles clouds passing across a sunny sky, meaning you can bring blue skies to even the gloomiest days. [links]
A traditional Aran knit sweater has a complex mixture of weaves, including the distinctive braided look of a cable knit, as well as stitches like honeycomb, zig-zag and diamond. They were made from undyed wool, giving them their cream or off-white color. The thick layered fabric provides insulation and warmth, with the added benefit of adding texture and visual appeal to your outfit.
What could be preppier than a cable knit sweater from Brooks Brothers? How about a cable knit tennis sweater from Brooks Brothers, made in collaboration with Italian sportswear brand Fila? This sweater comes in white with a classic red and blue contrast collar, hem and cuffs. The Fila and Brooks Brothers logos are on the chest. more
This cable knit sweater embodies Rowing Blazers’ characteristically offbeat take on classic prep. The crewneck has a traditional braided cable knit design. It comes in pink or dark green and has a mini skull emblem on the chest. It’s made from lightweight lambswool. [links]
There’s nothing that exudes comfort quite like a cable knit sweater. With its warm and inviting feeling and textured goodness, a cable knit sweater is basically the clothing equivalent of a cinnamon roll. Cable knit sweaters are also stylish, too, owing to the fact that they’re a classic piece that’s been around for a very long time. The origins of the modern cable knit can likely be traced back to the Aran sweater, a wool pullover first worn in the islands off the coast of Ireland. They were worn by fishermen, who needed something warm and naturally water-resistant.
Another heavyweight of Americana, Tommy Hilfiger also has a streetwear side that shows in its cable knits. Yes, it sells straightforward styles in sober colours like everyone else, but you can also pick one up in a louder colour or with bold stripes that would work nicely with some nineties denim. Buy Now: £80.00
How you wear it depends on how chunky you go with the knit. The thickest versions recall the style’s windswept roots and work best with other practical items like hardy raw denim, corduroy and hiking boots (you should also have a coat with a slightly relaxed fit to go over the top). “I love a chunky cable knit with denim and boots, it’s easy and practical on a cold day,” says Glover. A thinner example with narrower designs is more at home as a mid-layer. Wear one under your blazer in the office or under a denim or bomber jacket at the weekend for maximum prep points.
By the middle of the 20th century, the wider world knew about this Celtic couture. Cable knit jumpers became popular with both sexes and found a home with preppy fashion, middle-class cricketers and anything in between. Elvis had one for Jailhouse Rock. Steve McQueen had one for The Thomas Crown Affair. Ralph Lauren had one for everything, and still does. These heroes of mid-century fashion knew that a cable knit is a good all-rounder: luxurious but practical, chunky but slimming, useful for the open sea and open-plan offices alike. “Cable knitwear is unique and can’t be replicated by woven or printed effects,” says Tom Glover, managing director of Peregrine, a British knitwear company with over 200 years of heritage. “It’s a three-dimensional design with every stitch, transfer and loop carefully thought about and programmed. Cable knitwear is constantly changing with new machines and different yarns which makes it so diverse.”
Don’t tell your gran, but Inverallan is responsible for what might be the best hand-made knitwear in the UK. The Scottish brand is a relative new-comer (it was founded in the seventies), but its expertise is as plain to see as the chunky cable patterns crisscrossing its jumpers. Made entirely from Scottish lambswool, this is a buy-once-wear-a-thousand-times kind of garment. Buy Now: £219.00 more
When hibernation mode kicks in, style can easily become an afterthought, or at least something you do unconsciously. You get dressed in the dark, literally and figuratively. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing. In winter, you reach for a cable knit jumper with the same cold-snap reflex that causes you to start ordering real ale at the bar and making stodgy one-pot meals every Sunday. Trust your instincts. As well as being a rarely bettered winter warmer, cable knits (or Aran jumpers as they’re also known) offer impeccable cold-weather style, considered but comfortable. Their origins lie in Irish fishing villages where, in the 19th century, untreated wool jumpers retained their natural oils and kept their wearers sort of warm and sort of dry on the Atlantic Ocean. The distinctive knitting style sees the interweaving cables raised off the main body of the garment usually running vertically to the hem. Aran jumpers often feature other patterns, from basket weaves to chevrons. These have been linked – mistakenly, in the most part – with folklore and ancient knot-tying traditions. It’s also said that different villages had different designs so that the bodies of fishermen claimed by the sea could be more easily identified when they washed up. That’s functional fashion for you.
Few brands do smart-casual gear with J. Crew’s consistency. Its cable knitwear spans traditional fisherman jumpers and business-casual V-necks. The brand has been one of the go-to options for an all-American wardrobe since the mid-eighties, and we can’t see that changing any time soon. Buy Now: £119.00
If you’re seeking a classic look for those cool summer evenings, a crew neck is just the thing: and Sunspel‘s Marble Melange offering is as stylish as they come. Pure cashmere, it was crafted in the Scottish Borders by a traditional knit specialist: so this one’s the real deal, gents.
As you’ll no doubt be aware, the cable knit was inspired by fisherman’s ropes — and it’s remained a notable beacon of the renowned brand for more than 50 years. Crafted from pure, unfiltered Italian cashmere, it’s as luxuriously soft as you’d naturally expect from such a cashmere paragon; and the hand linked seams guarantee a precise, refined fit — just the thing for the elegant gentleman we know you are.
Softness is the word of the day where this particular jumper is concerned, thanks to the gauge of the knit which leaves it with the softest handle imaginable. So while you’re the envy of everyone at your late August (or early September) barbecue, you can rest assured that while you’re the epitome of sleek, sophisticated style, you’re also reclining in replete comfort.
And when it comes to charcoal cashmere jumpers, Turnbull & Asser — as usual — really know their stuff. This particular jumper is crafted from the very finest Scottish cashmere (meaning it’ll be as soft as one could hope for), and it’ll look just as suave when paired with a shirt for the office (making that post-summer return to work infinitely more bearable) or with a blazer for supremely stylish take on that ever-confusing ‘smart casual‘ dress code. [links]