Decent knitwear that lasts?

[EBoo80]

I have a bit of a cheap knitwear habit (supermarkets and H&M) which I’d like to break this year. I’ve started taking note of the jumpers and cardigans that I wear loads, and am keen to find better quality versions that might last.
What should I be looking for: any brands or label compositions in particular? I really won’t hand wash, but don’t mind spending for things that will last and not bobble after two washes.
Specific things that I keep reaching for are a soft, quite neat shaped, toffee coloured crew neck cardigan from H&M, and a big oversized very soft bright green jumper from Asda…

I've got a few pieces of knitwear from Uniqlo that have lasted well. Also from Seasalt. I always go for 100% cotton (wool allergy!).

Woolovers

A few to start you off:

https://www.and-daughter.com

https://shop.colenimo.com

https://communityclothing.co.uk/collections/womens-jumpers-knitwear

https://www.cos.com/en_gbp/women/knitwear.html

https://hades-shop.co.uk

https://www.jogordon.com

https://www.lafetiche.com/shop/?sortBy=myOrder#

https://www.margarethowell.co.uk

https://www.plumo.com

https://www.youmustcreate.com

None of these are cheap - obviously there are sales, or you could look for the brands on pre-owned sites.

My longest lasting jumpers that I wear year after year are from Toast and Eribé but they were quite pricey. I have some great quality ones from Finisterre and Cos as well - pure wool, not as spendy but very good quality.

Following as I’ve decided I’m done with sweating in acrylic jumpers.

Bosie of Scotland
Bosie of Scotland

Palava
Palava Heritage Knitwear

Justine Tabak
Justine Tabak knitwear

The Croft House
The Croft House

Jane Forbes knitwear
Jane Forbes

I really won’t hand wash, but don’t mind spending for things that will last and not bobble after two washes

Up to you but for the brands suggested I think it would be unwise not to hand wash. Keep in mind that wool needs very little washing.

From & Daughter - care of wool. The other brands listed will give same advice.

"The best way to protect and care for your jumper is to hand wash it carefully and not very often. We wash our knitwear once a year. The rest of the time we air dry or spot clean"

Care of wool

Can't sleep- OP, re washing all the brands I listed are sold as hand wash or dry clean only. On TheOriginalFrench's list , the same except Cos and Community Clothing which can be machine washed on wool setting. Eribé is hand wash only.

Probably obviously but read the lable, unless you are paying big money, most knitted things are 100% acrylic not actual wool and won't last that long.

Would you really say most, @WellsAndThistles?

In truth I haven’t personally encountered an acrylic knit this century. (But ahhh! the happy hours spent scurrying around Top Shop in times gone by, interrogating every single label. And the delight on finding the single actual wool jumper amongst sixteen hundred equally pretty acrylic things. Wondrously, the most magnificent item of knitwear I own was from Top Shop - they reproduced Simone Shailes’s entire graduation collection and I have never moved so fast. She went on to be Head of Knitwear at Hermes; I wore that jumper relentlessly, even after the neck became so ragged that people assumed it had been expensively and artificially ‘distressed’. Now it’s carefully stored away.)

https://www.vogue.co.uk/article/simone-shailes-at-topshop

(Mine isn’t the one pictured in the article.)

Sugarhill Brighton has some funky knits in the sale.

Nord is made in Scotland, and the quality is excellent. &Daughter has a sale on, John Smedley and the Knotty Ones are also good.

I've stopped buying acrylic two years ago, I only buy merino wool or cashmere, I can't wear shetland wool to itchy for me, the cashmere do ball up a bit but I have one of those shavers for knitwear that helps.

Try & Other Stories. Excellent sales.

I can't wear wool as I'm a bit allergic, but have a couple of nice cotton knit jumpers from seasalt

Apparently it's the lanolin, which is absent in alpaca knitwear, so no allergy ...

Community Clothing stuff is amazing.https://communityclothing.co.uk/collections/womens-jumpers-knitwear

Another two
https://www.norlender-uk.com/shop-womens

https://www.hollandcooper.com/collections/knitwear?msclkid=805114221a8a1f812b687d7ff95869a1&page=3&utm_campaign=M_HOC_UK_SEA_GEN_CLOT&utm_content=CLOT_Knitwear&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=bing&utm_term=womens%20knitwear

Ooh thanks for re posting my old thread. I’m delighted to report I have weaned myself off my supermarket acrylic jumper habit and bought some beauts from

• Knotty ones
• John Lewis cashmere
• Chinti & Parker via TK MAXX

mainly I just find that looking at the composition label of knitwear has saved me a fortune in bits of random stuff that then looks crap after one wash. Still getting used to the faff of hand washing but washing much less often. It would be cheaper to stop dropping food and coffee on myself but since it’s been 44 years already…

Hadn't spotted this was from last year when I commented on alpaca being good for those with allergies to wool!

Glad you've discovered your jumper style mojo, OP! It does make all the difference, wearing natural fibres or just a high percentage of them - in terms of sustainability, warmth, softness & feel, & longevity. Have fun exploring - lots more gorgeous sweaters & cardigans out there!!

my cat goes batshit crazy for alpaca wool - maybe its related to this, she once tore into a double wrapped package and got to the alpaca bed socks

I'd better watch out - I've just ordered an alpaca jumper! Mine has a thing for mohair ... I've an old mohair cardie that she loves kneading (like a kitten feeding from its mum). But tearing into the packet must be a smell thing?

yes must be! I didnt realise until my hsuabdn said why are there purple socks everywhere! I ahd bought a job lot for Christmas presents!

@EBoo80
So pleased you came back to the thread. I have just gone and bought 2 fab jumpers from The Knotty Ones. Thank you!!