The new knits to know about

One of the few good things about a bleak, endless January is the knitwear.

OK, I don’t feel I’ve done that proposition justice.

Knitwear, these days, is not the slightly uninspiring, slightly blobby, quite matted and decidedly un-chic option it once was. Thanks to minuscule doses of elastane, Lycra et al, it can be shapely and flattering.

We know that, you say. We’ve monitored the actor Katie Holmes’ adventures in knitwear, from 2019’s bradigan saga to 2022’s oh so on-trend Fair Isle.

But honestly, they’re just the beginning. 

The latest evolution is the ‘neat knit’ – the one you can wear to work or dinner while still feeling a smidgeon of glamour. (Same goes for the ultra-versatile, day-to-night sheer eye colours from Jones Road.) 

The neat knit is cut straight over the torso. It doesn’t bag and it doesn’t cling. It may, like Clements Ribeiro’s deluxe versions, have a contrasting trim to give it an urbane, Chanel-esque vibe, buttons at one shoulder, patchwork or piping… anything to make it distinctive.

It is cropped around the hips (because chances are you’re not a Gen Z-er) and while it’s long enough to cover your tummy, it sits well with high-waisted trousers and skirts without you having to fiddle around with French tucks.

Many of us have already tried out the neat silhouette via the tank tops that have become an indispensable component in our year-round wardrobes. But now the cardigan has embraced neat – good news if you’re on the petite side and are swamped by oversized boyfriend cuts.

Even if you’re tall you can benefit from a neat knit: the wide placards and deep hems of Aethel’s Crucial Cardigan (which I’m wearing here) mean it hangs beautifully on the body – like a properly thought-out piece of clothing rather than something that’s solely keeping you warm.

Lisa wears: Cashmere cardigan, £315, Aethel (aethel.com); Lurex skirt, £220, Cefinn (cefinn.com); Leather boots, £359, LK Bennett (lkbennett.com); Earrings, from a selection, Pippa Small (pippasmall.com); Leather bag, £475, Strathberry (strathberry.com); Gold-plated and pearl ring (ring finger), £130, Carolina de Barros (carolinadebarros.com), Amethyst, topaz and gold ring, £1,400, By Pariah (bypariah.com) 

Aethel’s are knitted from five-gauge yarn from Loro Piana and Cariaggi, designed to be worn with anything from jeans to prom skirts. Not cheap, but highly cherishable. It’s worth checking out Chinti & Parker’s generous sales, too.

After some weepy moments with the moths, I now store all my knitwear in clear zip packing cubes from Amazon, into which I generously stash supplies of Road Scents’ KateMoth sachets (the best name and the best scented moth deterrent I’ve come across). 

Obviously nothing’s stopping you wearing knitwear all year round, but in spring or autumn, other things get in the way. Blazers, for instance. I’m not going to rubbish blazers just because I’ve put mine away for the moment – this isn’t that kind of column. They’ll come back out when it’s warmer. But at the moment, the only thing that comes between me and my extra-thick duvet coat is a neat knit.

Try these

Left to right: Wool cashmere cardigan, £88.50 (reduced from £295), Chinti & Parker (chintiandparker.com); Wool jacket, £350, Winser (winserlondon.com)

Clockwise from left: Wool cardigan, £87 (reduced from £175), Jigsaw (jigsaw-online.com); Just a Sec eyeshadow  in Golden Peach, £25, Jones Road (jonesroadbeauty.com); KateMoth, £11, Road Scents (victoriahealth.com)

Read more: My 6 best fashion buys of the year