Eight of the best lightweight knits for men to see you from summer to autumn
Jumpers made for summer have never been an easy sell; they are known as sweaters with good reason. But they can prove very useful, seeing you through the season’s chillier tail end and bridging the transition into autumn.
As a man in my early 50s, I can’t own enough plain-coloured, crew-neck jumpers. One of the most versatile of wardrobe staples, they are a safe option when paired with jeans or chinos, and are an age-appropriate substitute for a shirt when worn with tailoring.
For summer you should look for fine-gauge yarns; meaning they will be super-light in weight and usually thin enough to see through if you hold them up to a window. River Island has a great example in a cotton-mix with a subtle ribbed pattern.
Marks & Spencer, however, is a hotspot for staple crew-necks; the fit is right and prices aren’t crazy. One of my favourite pieces from the current M&S Collection is a sweatshirt/sweater hybrid (looks like a jersey sweatshirt but is knitted), that is made for Sunday mornings.
Emporio Armani’s silk-blend knit follows a popular trend for transforming stalwart summer materials such as silk and linen into knitting yarn, which adds texture and breathability. French Connection’s cotton-mix chain-yarn sweater works in much the same way by allowing air to circulate.
Of course, knitwear doesn’t only mean sweaters. You can find almost any kind of top in a knitted fabrication. Frescobol Carioca’s camp-collared resort shirt and Sirplus’s short-sleeved button-through polo prove the point, while Zara has gone one better with a knitted interpretation of a classic short-sleeve tee.
Eight knits for now
Silk-mix sweater with wave motif, £162, Emporio Armani
Organic cotton, short-sleeve knit shirt, £95, Sirplus
Cotton-rib fisherman crew-neck £60, John Lewis
Textured weave lyocell-thread knitted T-shirt, £25.99, Zara
Lambswool crew-neck, £215, Sunspel
Maison Riviera slim-fit jumper, £26, River Island
Camp-collar cotton/wool mix shirt, £215, Frescobol Carioca
Mixed cotton chain yarn sweater, £27, French Connection
