The Season of the Knits

Published on October 8, 2026

Authored by Toby Standing

This guide for the fashion-fluent has been created as part of a paid partnership, with all products hand-picked by our editorial team. We make a commission on the sale of these products.

There comes a point every autumn when the jumper stops being something you put on because you’re cold and starts becoming the thing your entire outfit is built around. This season, knitwear feels particularly ripe for that kind of attention — not because there’s one new silhouette we all need to buy, but because there are suddenly so many ways to wear it.

Layered under, over, around and sometimes seemingly nowhere near the body at all, knitwear is becoming one of the more interesting parts of getting dressed for winter. And if you find a way of wearing it that feels particularly you, even better.

Wear Two Jumpers (seriously)

Thrown over the shoulders, tied loosely around the neck or draped across the body, having more knitwear on your body adds another hit of color or texture without committing you to actually wearing another layer.

There is something slightly preppy about it, but it doesn't have to be. A chunky knit over a leather jacket feels very different from a bright crew neck over a blazer. The point is less about achieving a particular look but about mixing in another great piece of knitwear into your fit.

Let The Layers Show

For a long time, 'good' layering meant making sure everything sat neat and tidy underneath everything else. These days it's more of an art form with very few hard rules to tie you down.

A shirt collar poking from under a crew neck (very sprezzatura). A long shirt-sleeve extending beyond a jumper cuff. A fine roll neck underneath something considerably chunkier. The small bits of fabric that would normally be hidden become part of the outfit, almost accessories, giving even fairly straightforward combinations a little more juice. It also makes a good case for buying knitwear in different weights. A wardrobe full of chunky jumpers is all very well until you try to wear three of them at once.

£1,895

Polo Ralph Lauren

Lightweight Twill Trench Coat - Natural

From Ralph Lauren

£109

Ralph Lauren

Classic Fit Denim Shirt - Blue

From Ralph Lauren

Out of stock

£1,900

Ralph Lauren

Cable-Knit Cashmere Roll Neck Jumper - Blue

From Ralph Lauren

£515

AURALEE

Garment-Dyed Cotton-Moleskin Blouson Jacket - Blue

From MR PORTER

£360

Our Legacy

Every Checked Tencel Twill Shirt - Grey

From MR PORTER

£245

MR P.

Ribbed Wool And Cashmere Henley Jumper - White

From MR PORTER

The Middle Knit

On Lyst, cardigans have been trending +68% month-on-month, showing strong adoption of the style as fall begins to arrive.

The cardigan is particularly good for this art of layering because it refuses to settle on just one job. It can be a shirt, a jumper, a jacket or the thing you throw over everything when you leave the house.

Cardigans feel like the sensible knitwear option for that useful bit of middle ground in your outfit. Wear a fine cardigan underneath a coat, a chunky one over a T-shirt, or button a more fitted style underneath another jacket. Its slightly awkward position in the wardrobe is precisely what makes it useful.

Make it Your Thing

The best thing about an aesthetic signature is that it usually happens by accident. You wear a particular color often enough, keep buying the same shape, or discover that putting a jumper around your shoulders somehow makes every outfit feel more like you.

Layering lends itself particularly well to this because there are so many ways into it. So many ways to make it feel personal. Maybe your version is pattern clashing. Maybe it's oversized volume or strange motifs, bright color peeking from beneath earthy tones.

Whatever your layering MO, fall is the season to embrace it in full force and experiment with it. Live long and layer up.

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