The Three Sweaters I’m Buying This Winter and How to Style Them
Living in a warm climate forces me to be selective about my knitwear purchases. These three styles made the cut.
I am a sucker for a great sweater. If I’m being completely honest with myself (and you), this affinity stems in part from laziness. After all, if you’re wearing a gorgeous, textural sweater, you don’t need to do much else to end up with a great-looking outfit. As someone who prides herself on getting ready quickly, I find this quality very appealing.
Of course, there’s also the undeniable wash of comfort that comes with sliding into an oversized cardigan or a fluffy turtleneck. A sweater is a style for slowing down, for savoring the moment, for sinking into indulgence. It’s the closest thing we get to daytime pajamas.
Unfortunately for my knit-hoarding tendencies, I live in Austin, where sweater weather lasts a few months at best. This means I need to be selective about the sweaters I add to my wardrobe, no matter how much I want to take them all home with me. So today, I thought I’d share the top three styles I’m adding to my cart this year, plus some inspiration on fun ways to style them (though, again, it doesn’t take much to make these look great). Scroll on to see the outfits!
Shop all the outfits from this story here.
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A Funky Cardigan
Wearing a funky cardigan instantly makes your outfit unique and personal. The Rayna in pom pom knit gets its texture from zingy light green, cool forest, and crisp ivory threads—a combination that feels current but not overtly trendy. Although its silhouette is slightly slouchy, the bold black border gives this sweater a structured, polished look. (Side note: In case you’re looking for stocking stuffers, I’m obsessed with these long-lasting press-on nails.)
How I’m Styling It
The Rayna sweater brings a heaping portion of personality to the party, so you can keep the rest of your outfit quite simple. For a chic weekend look, I went for a winter white base of stretchy wide-leg jeans and a classic tee. My waterproof Doc Marten Chelsea boots make the ensemble ultra-practical, while a subtle pearl choker (similar) brings in some elegance.
There are endless ways to spice up a simple, comfortable shift dress like the Maaza, but this cozy outfit is one of my favorites. To make the Maaza more fun without sacrificing polish, I added the sumptuous Rayna sweater, semi-sheer black tights, and my chain-adorned loafers. Not only is this an easy work-day look—it also makes me feel slightly witchy, which is exactly what I’m looking for after seeing Wicked last weekend.
A T-Shirt Alternative
Long-sleeved T-shirts are layering essentials that I find myself reaching for multiple times per week. But sometimes, the occasion calls for more polish than a cotton tee can offer. I think of the ribbed merino Beck sweater as my “fancy T-shirt”—I can style it exactly how I’d style any other long-sleeve, but it looks far more sophisticated (not to mention, it’s much warmer).
A note on the buttery softness of ribbed merino: I typically wear a cotton layer under my wool sweaters to prevent itchiness, but in the Beck, I found that I didn’t need one. Zero itching or discomfort here!
How I’m Styling It
Much like a T-shirt, the soft Beck sweater provides the perfect base for your layered winter outfits. For a casual yet put-together look, I tucked the sweater into dark-wash jeans and draped the taffy-pink Larissa sweater over my shoulders for an unexpected pop of color. Chunky gold hoops and the brown croc boots I snagged during Black Friday finish off the ensemble.
The Beck sweater can play a part in your more formal looks, too. Here, I wore it with the double-breasted Kati jacket, the stretchy Amara skirt, and the knit Lana boots for an outfit so powerful it almost cured me of my fear of public speaking. While you only see a peek of the Beck sweater in this photo, the great thing about wearing it as an underpinning is that I could take the blazer off, and I’d still have a spectacularly elevated outfit.
A Cozy Turtleneck
I’ve been drooling over the Lea sweater in loop knit since I first saw a sample months ago. And let me tell you, it lives up to the hype (it’s kind of like if the magical first snowfall of the year was something you could wear. Does that make sense?). As with the Beck sweater, I tried the Lea on without an undershirt to gauge its softness and found it to be miraculously itch-free. That said, I’ll most likely wear it over a tank top or cotton turtleneck for extra warmth.
How I’m Styling It
The Lea sweater is impactful enough that you could simply wear it with jeans or black cigarette pants and look incredibly stylish. But it’s the holiday season, so why not have a little more fun with it? For a festive outfit I plan to wear to the office and to a holiday potluck, I paired the Lea with the pleated Arlo pant in dusty pine—a sleeper hit that’s sure to be sold out soon. The pants are wide enough that I was able to wear knee-high boots underneath—a sneaky way to get some extra leg insulation with lighter weight pants.
With the right styling, the Lea sweater can also be a fancy party staple. Here, I wore it with the ultra-luxurious Italian Jersey Misty skirt and the Lana boots for an elegant black-and-white ensemble. The sweater’s whimsical texture, combined with the gorgeous drape of the skirt, makes this look feel festive despite its lack of flashy colors.
Shop all the outfits from this story here.
