Sweaters for All

Unpacking the ubiquitous winter staple.

via Giphy.com

Jeans, t-shirts, boots. We all own them. Same with sweaters. Sweaters are a wardrobe staple that transcends gender identity, trends, style preferences, and even geographic location. In other words, everyone wears them.

As someone who has a love-hate relationship with sweaters, I often find them bulky or matronly and don’t usually feel cute in them. It’s taken me years to thrift and curate my collection, some of which I have grown tired of (cue the striped sweaters from Free People and Urban Outfitters).

Though there are countless types of sweaters to choose from, I’m going to list some of the most of-the-moment iterations, along with the best thriftable styles. Splurges, saves, polished, oversized, unisex, handmade—there’s surely something for everyone in this bunch.

The rib knit

I am a longtime fan of rib-knit sweaters—and we have Mary Quant (the pioneer responsible for delivering mod clothing to the masses in the 50s and 60s) to thank for these. They’re both classic and retro, not to mention great for layering and keeping you warm, but not too toasty in case the heat is blasting (New Yorkers will know what I mean). I love Anna Quan and Libanati’s elevated ribbed basics, and turtlenecks (and anything, really) from Paris/LA knitwear brand Giu Giu. You also can’t go wrong with any rib from Courreges, the iconic brand that started it all—space age, vinyl mini skirts, go-go boots, you name it—in the 60s. You can find archival Courreges pieces like this and this on Depop for a fraction of the original cost.

From left: Giu Giu, Anna Quan, and Courreges.