STYLE – 4 Of The Best Cable-Knit Jumpers
Words: Violet
If there’s one thing we can embrace about the onset of the winter chill it’s loading on the layers and bulking up a bit with some knitwear. If you are going for a dressed-down vintage look then by all means pull out last year’s moth-eaten collection. Personally, we don’t recommend it. You’ll look more Fishermen’s Friend or even ‘The Old Man and the Sea’ than anything and, despite being an insightful writer, we wouldn’t count Hemingway as much of a style icon to channel. He certainly was fond of wearing the odd roll-neck though so we’ve spotted. The beard just doesn’t help. We’re thinking more along the lines of Steve McQueen in his cream Aran sweater below. That’s how to wear a cable knit effortlessly!
Why a cable knit, what’s wrong with just a knit? For one thing, ‘a knit’ is something your grandfather wears, second, there’s a lot more to the cable knit – patterns, texture and so on – than your average plain knitted sweater. Third, the style is heaped in tradition, belonging to tales told of humble Irish fisherman at the turn of the century. The cable knit has the added edge of historically serving a practical purpose which sets it apart from its dowdy counterparts. Just look out for the knitted effect of a ‘twisted rope’ and you’ll know you’ve got your hands on one. Today, this trusty garment belongs on the catwalk, as proved by the seasons AW designs.
This means you need to brace the cold and get a couple of proper, hardy cable-knit jumpers. Trust us, they’ll swiftly become an essential part of your day-to-day ‘unaffected man in the freezing cold look’ – aka your winter wardrobe. So where do you start?
We recommend buying a selection of styles to switch between so you can help maintain the quality and shape of your sweater for longer, as well as add variations to your look. We’ve picked out our top five styles below to give you an assortment of options to go by.
The Round-Neck
Givenchy, Chunky wool cable-knit sweater, £481 – matchesfashion.com
Multi-tone
Etro, Cable-Knit Wool and Cashmere-Blend Sweater, £550 – mrporter.com
Cardigan
Hackett, Hunt Shawl Cardigan, £275.00 – hackett.com
Roll-neck
Busto, Heavyweight Roll Neck Knit Emerald, Reiss, £110 – reiss.com
By Emma Corbett
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