In my past life, I had a tendency to get a bit excessive when shopping for sweaters upon the arrival of colder weather. It was as if I completely forgot that I’d stocked up on them just 365 days prior (not to mention 365 days before that). Of course, by opting for quantity over quality from the start, my knitwear budget was pretty much dried up early on, and I had no room to purchase any of the sweaters I really wanted—the ultra-luxurious ones that feel like butter as opposed to scratchy synthetics. Instead, I mostly bought fast-fashion alts that clearly didn’t satisfy me in the long-term.
For the sake of my wardrobe (among other things), I’ve since learned that less is more when it comes to clothes, sweaters especially. And now that I’ve experienced the draw of a top-tier cashmere knit from a brand like Khaite or The Row, I’ve transitioned into being a strict “one or two sweaters per year” type of shopper who only buys a knit if it’s really good and will last me, well, forever with the right care. To help steer others toward the same conclusion, I decided to round up some of the absolute best designer sweaters on the market right now. I promise—once you’ve felt the good stuff, you’ll never go back to prioritizing quantity over quality when it comes to knitwear.