Style by Claire Lopez

The Knitwear Edit

Autumn is a time for red wine and snuggly knitwear and this season it is all about playing with proportions. So get oversizing with your skinnies and go cute, cropped  fitted with boyfriend jeans or skirts. Yes you can oversize from top to bottom too, but beware this is a trickier look to pull off and which may leave you looking more vagrant than you intended.

Here is my knitwear edit for the season. Go forth and get cosy.

Coatigans

I love a ‘coatigan’ – it does what it says on the tin and sits in that middle ground between a coat and a cardigan which is more or less where the temperatures are right now too. There are definitely some that are more casual than others and some which sit on the knitwear end of the spectrum and some that are basically unlined coats. Whatever, there is a coatigan for all occasions and here are a few to tempt you.

Starting off with a casual option, Boden’s Double Faced Coatigan £129 is lovely and works very well with denim. This is a great colourway, but it also comes in an ivory and oatmeal combination.

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They also have this Celeste Coatigan £119 which also comes in a charcoal grey.

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At the smarter end is this Zoe detail zip coatigan now £71.20 which is one of my favourite bits of knitwear out there. Two cardis for the price of one as the zip cleverly goes all the way round leaving you with a little cropped jacket too should you wish. Genius.

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Warehouse also has this Colourblock Cardi Coat £65. Now whilst I would never in a million years wear this outfit, it would look very sophisticated over a pair of black tailored trousers – slim or tapered legged – or over a pair of culottes. I have hunted this out in stores but as yet have not managed to locate anywhere.

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Chunky cardigans

Mango has a lot to offer including this Pocket Long Cardigan £49.99.

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And this Flecked Wool Blend Cardigan £34.99.

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If you want something a bit more interesting then this has a rather nice subtle pattern: Fluffy Herringbone Knit Cardi £75 from Gray and Willow at House of Fraser.

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Classics – with a twist

You can’t beat a simple round necked sweater but I found this little gem in M&S: Removable Collar Jumper £29.50. Great for the frilly Victoriana look that is everywhere but with a couple of poppers, the collar is gone and I have a basic black sweater which looks good with boyfriend jeans or a skirt. (You have to take off the collar to get the jumper on though – even me with my pin-head had to do this).

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Talking of Victoriana there are a whole load of ruffles around and knitwear has not escaped the historical influences. Topshop has this Ruffle Shoulder Jumper £36. Great for pear shapes, but not so good if your shoulders are prominent as will only serve to accentuate.

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Roll Necks

In the world of sweaters, roll necks are top of the list. Do avoid if you are short in the neck department and large in the boob department as the style will seriously do you no favours whatsoever. Zara does a good line in basic coloured roll necks and this Turtle Neck Sweater is £19.99. It comes in this navy, a light grey, black, red, ecru, sand and grey marl. I have far too many navy sweaters – but it is a great option because it is softer against the face than black which can leave you a bit Morticia Adams-like.

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If you want something with a bit of detailing then they also do this Turtle Neck Sweater £19.99 with the buttons which comes in white, navy, black and grey. This is actually a roll neck not a turtle neck – subtle difference.

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It doesn’t just have to be fine gauge, a chunky polo neck can also works well: ME+EM Cable Weekend Sweater £149 in soft white (also in navy, soft grey and blush). Pair with coated jeans and trainers. Although this has been styled with a pair of wide legged trousers, I would approach that look with some caution. It is fine if you are a tall, skinny minny but for people with some body fat, it can just be extremely unflattering particularly if the oversizing on top is chunky (not soft drapey knitwear). So keep your volume in one area unless you are the aforementioned tall, skinny minny.

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Alternatively go for a cropped sweater like this one from M&S: High Neck Ribbed Jumper £19.50. Not one for skinny jeans – a bit twee- but great with boyfriend jeans or a skirt.

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Oversized

I have nabbed a couple of my husband’s chunkier knitted sweaters – much to his annoyance given the few clothes he actually possesses and the comparatively large numbers I own – which I have been wearing with my coated/skinny jeans in lieu of a coat. If you don’t have that option then &Other Stories has this great style: Sparkling Knit Sweater £65. The sparkle is pretty subtle and it also comes in black.

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Zara also has this Round Neck Sweater £29.99 which actually works nicely with the mini skirt.

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A stripey oversized knit is another option like this Soft Oversized Sweater £29.99 from Zara. Again rocking the mini skirt look.

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All these would look great layered over a crisp whit shirt – not school-shirt but oversized dress shirt. Think I may be pilfering some more items from the other side of the wardrobe – oops.

Sparkle-tastic

In case you hadn’t noticed, there is a lot of glitz around not just because it is the run up to Christmas but because metallic and high shine is still a big presence on the catwalks. You can just dabble with this very classy and useful Annie Sparkle Knit £65 from Whistles. They did these sweaters last autumn and have clearly been a huge success, as they are back in this lovely and on-trend burgundy colour, as well as a grey. Perfect with trousers of any variety and also great with pencil skirts, leather skirts, pleated skirts. The list goes on.

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Another very lovely sweater that is most definitely not just a Christmas Day jumper is this Beaded Cropped Sweater £120 also from Whistles. This would look lovely paired with peg leg trousers and brogues/loafers for work or with a leather mini/midi skirt and boots for a night out.

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All that lovely knitwear to keep you warm. Go on treat yourself – it’s half term next week!

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