WearsMyMoney

I don’t know about you, but I LOVE a good bit of knitwear. A cosy jumper is one of the few bonuses of the winter months, and God knows we all need a bit of cheering up during those days when it’s dark at 4pm. We don’t even have real afternoons anymore: it just goes morning, lunch, NIGHT-TIME. So what better way to cheer ourselves up than thinking about a nice new sweater? 

First up, I want to give a shout-out to seven of my favourite small brands that make excellent knitwear. Yes, they will be more expensive than the high street, but remember that when you shop small, you are buying from a real person who has put their heart and soul into making the products the best they can be. So have a click around these sites and explore their wares.

SMALL BRANDS

1. Hades Wool Blondie Knit Jumper
2. Beaumont Organic Shika Lambswool Jumper
3. Slow Love Tutti Frutti Handknit Jumper 
4. Suermondt Knitwear Cashmere Sticker Jumper 
5. Charl Knitwear Shetland Wool Craske Jumper
6. Genevieve Sweeney Brook Textured Lambswool Jumper 
7. Justine Tabak Islay Cropped Jumper in Lambswool

MY FAVOURITE LOOK

I just love the tones here. An excellent chunky knit from Charl (that I now covet, having seen it in real life the other week) combined with the ubiquitous ‘barn jacket’ and my favourite Adidas trainers. I basically wear a version of this almost every day. These Free People jeans are a recent addition to my seemingly ever-growing jeans collection – but I do have a pile to sell on. I’m trying to stick to my ‘one in, one out’ policy. I like these as they are a subtle barrel style but also slightly cropped so will work well with ankle boots too.

1. Charl Knitwear Craske Lambswool Jumper 
2. Rock & Ruby Aran wool beanie hat 
3. Arket oversized long sleeve t shirt 
4. Free People Deep Trance Boyfriend Jeans
5. Stradivarius Jacket with contrast collar 
6. Genevieve Sweeney charcoal alpaca wool socks 
7. Adidas Originals Handball Spezial trainers

LONG SHIRT & LEGGINGS

I saw a lady wearing this outfit the other day and thought, ‘That looks cool, I might try that.’ It was very simple: a longish white shirt over leggings with this COS jumper, that I already own (it’s EXCELLENT, by the way – but size down if you don’t want it too baggy as it does come up big) and an oversized tweed blazer. I usually only wear my leggings (Spanx being my favourite) to slob around the house in, but I thought it might be a change to try and wear them in a smarter way with knee boots instead of Uggs.

1. Arket Relaxed-Fit Poplin Shirt
2. Sezane Joseph Necklace
3. COS Pure cashmere chunky knit jumper
4. Spanx Look At Me Now seamless leggings 
5. Gucci Ophidia medium tote bag
6. COS leather riding boots 
7. & Other Stories Wool Blazer 

SOME SORT OF STRIPE

We love a good stripe and we love a pop of red, so this one is an easy combo to try. I recently bought a pair of these Derbies from Bobbies that I’ve been wearing a lot; they’re a bit of a change from loafers or boots. They seem to have sold out in most sizes, but these from Sézane are almost the same (and slightly cheaper). If I see any that are similar and even more affordable, I will let you know. They look great with short skirts and slightly cropped trousers.

1. M&S Merino Wool Rich Striped Jumper
2. Cos ribbed wool and cashmere beanie hat 
3. Marge Sherwood Soft Baguette Bag
4. & Other Stories Single-Breasted Wool Coat
5. COS ribbed wool and cashmere scarf 
6. Joanie Scarlett Velvet A‑Line Skirt
7. Sezane Markus Derbies

FANCY CARDI

Pick up a textured or embroidered cardigan if you want something that’s a bit jazzy but also easy to take off if you feel a flush coming on, or if you have to use the Central line at any point during your day. (Boiling, even in the bleak midwinter. Woe betide anyone who gets on in a puffer.) Now is also the time to dig out your old DM boots. Believe me, they are NEVER not going to be in my winter wardrobe. May I respectfully recommend investing in a pair of these heel protectors if you’re still trying to break yours in.

1. Damson Madder floral-embroidered cotton-blend cardigan
2. Ganni Racing Red Wool Handknit Beanie
3. Isabel Marant Telia satin puffer jacket
4. Free People Aurora Leather Belt
5. H&M Straight turn-up jeans
6. Hades Wool Alphabet bag 
7. Dr Martens 1460 Soft Leather Lace Up Boots

CASHMERE QUEEN

This, for me, will always be the queen of knitwear. On the high street I think that COS does the best quality cashmere knits. For more affordable versions, look at Uniqlo. I prefer the men’s cashmere jumpers from there. Boden also comes in as a close runner-up. Their Eva cashmere jumper is a lovely neat fit, super soft and available in a wealth of colours.

1. COS pure cashmere turtleneck jumper 
2. TBco. Merino Triangle Scarf in Black Stitch
3. Reiss Wool Blend Herringbone-Twill Coat 
4. River Island Black Faux Leather Pleated Midi Skirt
5. Boden Chunky Chain Bracelet
6. Grenson Philippa Croc print leather loafers 

FAIRISLE FANCY

Fairisle: it’s like a Christmas jumper that you can wear all winter. I have one I bought from Toast about six years ago that I can only wear when the temperature drops below 5 degrees as it’s SO warm. But it’s a great one to put on when my husband refuses to let us turn the heating up. Of course, as soon as his back is turned I’m up there in the boiler cupboard fiddling with the thermostat…

1. Toast Graphic yoke wool sweater
2. Uniqlo Cashmere knit beanie 
3. La Redoute Prince of Wales Check Coat 
4. COS Arch tapered jeans 
5. Massimo Dutti Nappa leather mini bag
6. Massimo Dutti Soft Suede boots 

If you haven’t already seen, the gift guides are starting to go up. You can check them all here and I will be doing more over the coming weeks too.

Kate x