In this first part of New Season Knitwear, I look at the trend for oversized sweaters on the catwalks- and give suggestions for how knitters can be inspired by this trend, including some pattern suggestions.
Oversized sweaters continued to dominate the designer knitwear collections for winter 2018-19.
Whether boxy, slouchy, highly textured or elegantly simple, these sweaters all share a relaxed, comfy feel. Combined with fluffy, soft fibres like mohair and alpaca, these oversized pieces become the ultimate in cosy winter clothing.
Clockwise, from top left: Stella McCartney Oversized patchwork cotton-blend and faux fur cardigan (here), Miu Miu Oversized Intarsia Mohair Blend Cardigan (here), Acne Studios Striped Open-Knit Sweater (here).
Designers also played with the length of garments: some sweaters were extended to tunic length and cropped sweaters became increasingly commonplace. While some had a close fit, 1930-40s style, the majority preserved the boxy, wide fit of their longer counterparts.
From left: Miu Miu Cropped Fair Isle Cardigan (here), Isabel Marant Haylee Cashmere Jumper (here)
Styling
While cardigans were mostly left to hang down, loose and slouchy, many designers chose to give jumpers some definition and shape by tucking them in to the tops of skirts and trousers. In the case of longer and bulkier sweaters, a partial French tuck was very popular, while the cropped and lighter weight tops were often worn completely tucked in.
From left to right: Isabel Marant Sayers Knit Jumper (here), Saint Laurent purple black (here)
Knit-inspiration
The simplest way to emulate this look in your knitting, is to make a size that gives you extra positive ease, ie a bigger fit! You can also easily make a cardigan or sweater design longer or shorter to give either the tunic-length or cropped fit.
There are also many designs available that are already intended to be worn oversized- see below for a few suggestions.
Clockwise from top left: Franziska by Galina Carroll (here), Ridgeline Wrap Cardigan by Purl Soho (here). meander by Lori Versaci (here).
Clockwise, from top left: Balmaha by Kate Davies (here), gramps revive by Isabel Kraemer (here), Sous Sous by Norah Gaughan (here).
For more in the New Season Knitwear series, see category ‘Trending’ or see the complete collection listed in the post New Season Knitting.
Over to you
What do you think of the oversized look? How do you wear oversized sweaters? I’d love to hear your recommendations for any oversized sweater knitting patterns!
knitting through the back loop 
I love the look of longer or looser fit sweaters, but being incredibly petite, they just don’t seem to work:(
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Hi, thanks for your comment!
I think one of the main issues with choosing oversized sweaters is making sure that they look oversized rather than just too big for you! My petite mum has tried on a few sweaters that have absolutely swamped her and somehow make her seem inches shorter-so I completely understand your hesitation in wearing them!
Maybe knitting a sweater yourself and customising it for your measurements might enable you to wear this look? I.e. adjusting stitch counts etc. to make sure that the final measurements give you the positive ease suggested in the pattern, rather than just making the smallest size that might still be too big and give you even more ease than suggested. (I hope that makes sense!)
If you’re not already familiar with customising patterns, I’ve found Amy Herzog’s Craftsy classes really helpful, and she’s written some really well-received books all about fit- Knit to Flatter and Knit Wear Love.
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I love the Amy Herzog books!!!
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Me too! 😀
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