I need a good jumper

[Duskwriter]

Hi all

i’m in the market for a good quality snuggly jumper. Ideally something natural fabric but practical too- not too shrinkable, and not something that will be moth eaten in a week. I’m thinking oversized , maybe a large roll neck (although usually I like boat neck). Autumn colours suit.

Amy thought on where I might look and what fabrics to go for?

Thanks, but I don’t need anyone to reinterpret what I wrote. There’s nothing specific about knitwear. In 100% of cases, if I’m looking at an item of clothing with a view to buying, whether online or in person, I check the label for fabric content and provenance first. I’ve been doing that since I was about six years old, so more than five decades.

I am genuinely (no shade) surprised to learn that other people may not do that - but I guess we’re all different.

Thanks (I think?!) for the mention of Jenni Kayne, which I'd not heard of before. Some lovely colours, not just the beiges, greys & taupes that often dominate (lovely on others, horribly draining on me). There are a surprising number on eBay, & not just in the US either - so I'm saving that search! In particular a gorgeous rust-coloured jumper ...

That's exactly what I do now - check the fabric label, but only after spending the last couple years educating myself about good quality fabrics, good brands, fashion practices - good and bad. This took some effort and trial and error and I am now really happy with my wardrobe. This isn't something that is common knowledge or taught in school, so I wouldn't assume anyone does that as standard. The fashion industry doesn't have any interest or incentives in producing good quality garments, since using synthetics is so much cheaper and delivers the biggest profit margins, coupled with the consumer who is only interested in following the latest trends and expects to pay rock bottom for clothes- this is a recipe for the current sad state of things, which I blame squarely on fast fashion popularity and dragging the standards for the rest of the brands on the high street down.

That's a lovely jumper - I like the subtle seam details. Did it come in other colours three years ago? Burgundy & brown aren't for me ...

I like the felted wool ones from Celtic and Co - loose fit, nice tight but very soft wool, suitable for the very cold days - I have the oatmeal one with grey piping around the neck, and for Christmas received the wine red one with oatmeal piping - super warm and lovely.

No … I certainly wasn’t taught anything about fabric quality at school, @Howmanyroses. It was just something I absorbed at home - I had parents who cared about clothes and liked/expected to be well dressed. We weren’t poor, but there wasn’t money to waste so clothes were bought with care and looked after properly.

I probably spent the better part of twenty years checking the fabric content of every single jumper in Topshop, looking for the maybe 5% of things that were not acrylic. So I still have a 100% wool Topshop jumper from 2008/9 that was part of the graduation collection designed by someone who’s now head of knitwear at Hermes.

I have a couple of jumpers/cardi from celtic and co however my latest purchase bobbles (not the other 4 items i have).
how can i choose to mimimise risk of bobbling. Someone here mentioned picking wools with longer fibres but how would i know that? Especially that i buy mostly online

for info, this cardigan is listed at 100% british wool but no other details. Here is the blurb: MATERIALBritish wool is a durable, resilient fiber known for its natural warmth and texture. Sourced from hardy native breeds, it offers excellent insulation, breathability, and longevity—making it ideal for robust, timeless garments.

someone else in their reviews (same item) complained about the bobbles and celtic&co’s response was: As for the little bobbles under the arms, that’s a really common occurrence with natural fibres, especially when the yarn has a softer twist for that beautiful drape and lightness you mentioned. It’s not a fault, just a natural characteristic of the fibre.

yet my other jumpers/cardi from them dont bobbles…. How do i choose better.
thank you im advance for your insight and experience

Sorry to hijack the discussion - i looked at my other celtic&co cardigan which does not pile and it is made of 100% pure new wool, made in romania. Blurb: Pure new wool refers to wool that is freshly sheared from sheep and has never been processed or recycled. It’s known for its natural warmth, durability, and softness—ideal for high-quality, long-lasting woolen garments and textiles.

This cardigan is great, i wouldnt describe it as particularly “soft” but it has been washed (handwash prg + woolite), has retained its shape and does not bobbles/piles…
it does have a tiny, timy smell, like i know it is proper wool, i can almost smell the sheep!!!

so from the descriptions it is impossible to decide which cardi is going to be piling which one is not? The blurbs are essentially saying the same, just using different words

They seem to bring out a new colour every now and again. There are other colours on the website (camel, grey and black I think) and I suppose you might find old season colours on Vinted.

IME even my cashmere jumpers bobble a bit so I use a little ‘de-bobbling’ (that’s not a word is it?🫠) machine.

I've got 3 Celtic & Co Geelong jumpers and sadly they've all bobbled terribly. Only hand washed (very occasionally) and well cared for, it's a shame as they're lovely.

That's likely because Celtic are now doing the same and compromising quality by using short fibers. Bobbling is fine, just use an electric shaver and they will be like new

I've debobbled lots, but it's an endless job. Lovely jumpers, but the worst bobbling I've ever had so I won't be buying any more.

All bought in the last year or so you could be right about the short fibres.

https://charlknitwear.co.uk/?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22691905887&gbraid=0AAAAA_nrhRmWCWJh3YwyNlNW13gUdV-XB&gclid=Cj0KCQiAyP3KBhD9ARIsAAJLnnYdMl6A8RS_3JL0bkAJTyFFBHMR7g6omUAAuvzv2AcVWsFj80-i64saAoyEEALw_wcB

I love her stuff - expenny but gorgeus. Also Baaba as others have said above.

https://www.folkclothing.com/collections/womens-sale/products/open-funnel-neck-jumper-navy

A bit less expensive but also great quality (and always lots on Vinted)

Oh bloody hell - I really shouldn't come on these knitwear threads!!! Every time I spot another recommendation I like ... some of these are gorgeous! Birthday coming up though ... 😁

I'd forgotten about Folk doing women's wear! I've bought quite a few pieces (on eBay mostly) for my boyfriend, but not for myself. They have been great quality. I did buy him a great pair of mustard, cream & black socks from a stockist here in Edinburgh - but somehow they found their way into my sock drawer ... 😁

I think the one that comes in black etc is a slightly different style to the burgundy one you posted? Might try it anyway though!!

It’s well nigh impossible these days to get a good quality warm jumper which doesn’t look like shit in a month. They all bobble badly and fray. Jumpers in the 70s and 80s of just reasonable quality did not do this. The wool ones are as bad now; they never used to be. The only decent jumpers I find these days are from vintage shops, including men’s crew necks.

It’s far from impossible @Fernsrus. All my jumpers are excellent quality; no pilling, bobbling, shrinking, fading at all. Over years.

I do think there’s a difficulty in that most brands interested in attractive design don’t have access to decent materials. And brands focused on high quality wool don’t realise they need talented designers, so their garments tend to the dowdy. There is, I’m afraid, a price threshold in order to get both style and the best wool.

People need to stop kidding themselves that £50 (new, from a shop) will get anything worthwhile.

I know that’s true @NorWouldTilly, as I’ve tested the concept to death 😂. Can you recommend me brands please?

Im also fairly big busted, which I think makes matters worse . A friend with a flatter chest had fewer problems with the same jumper, and neither of us had yet washed them.

I’ve made recommendations in my posts above, @Fernsrus.

Go to a big Tesco. Today I saw several wool+cashmere mix (nothing else) jumpers in a dark chocolate colour on sale at £35. Loose fit, turtleneck

It's very possible, but I've accepted that I can only buy certain brands of knitwear and the RRP needs to be in the region of £250+ in order for it to stand a chance of being good/excellent quality, which is why I've been picking up knitwear on Vinted secondhand, which is obviously much more cost effective. I've then learned what type of wool I prefer to wear etc. I rate highly anything from &Daughter, Margaret Howell, Charl, Navygrey. There is also plenty of vintage Scottish-made knitwear you can pick up secondhand that is similarly excellent quality