The real joy of colder season is the cosy knit

You can leave your party clothes languishing in the wardrobe. Forget the tedium of dressing up and the trudge in uncomfortable shoes through rain-lashed streets, trying to find a taxi after the work Christmas bash. The genuine style connoisseur knows that the real joy of the colder season lies not in the razzmatazz of winter occasions, but the delights of an enveloping knit. 

Oh, the pleasure to be had in unpacking your knitwear which, if you’re like me, has been vacuum-packed like some unloved slab of meat for months on end. The tactility of nubby cable-knits and silky cashmeres; the memories of pub firesides and cold, clear walks. Of course, within the wider category of ‘knitwear’, there are myriad variations to choose from.

Are you more at home in a swaddling, cocooning shawl-collar cardigan? Perhaps the subtle sensuality of a clinging knit, à la Marilyn Monroe or Audrey Hepburn? Then there’s the whole world of sensible, thin-gauge men’s knits that everyone from Tom in The Good Life to Paul Newman has tried on for size. Or the chunky fisherman’s knit, delightfully evocative of Scandinavian hygge. 

Knits have also become unlikely familiars on the catwalks, thanks in part to a verve for all things giant and swamping; see cult brands like The Row and their knack for hugely oversized knitwear deemed ‘cool’ by those in the know. They’re a playground for a bit of experimentalism, too: intarsia patterns, vivid prints and peekaboo weaving techniques. Yours needn’t pass nebulous (and, let’s face it, often short-lived) tests of what’s ‘in’, but there are certain things to note. 

For men, a thin cashmere or merino knit is a handy alternative to a shirt with a suit these days, and a good deal warmer. Likewise, the sweater vest – a 1950s mainstay that was briefly revived in the ’90s – has become something of a cult item among Gen Z. Forgo their oversized styling and opt for a neat, preppy variety with a T-shirt instead. 

In women’s fashion, the oversized trend is somewhat easier to negotiate; a funnel-neck sweater in a baggy shape is as fitting with smart jeans as it is with a dress skirt when evening cocktails are calling but you still want that touch of cosiness. 

As the days get colder still, embrace the warm comfort of the right knit.  

Try these...

Wool jumper, £245, Herd; Souffle crew neck, £34.90, Uniqlo and JW Anderson

Wool cashmere blend cardigan, £135, Jigsaw; lambswool cardigan, £335, & Daughter

Cashmere zip, £170, Rise & Fall; alpaca wool roll neck, £159, Percival

Wool and alpaca polo, £395, Ami; merino cashmere cable knit, £290, Sheep Inc.