Fashion · Summer Knits
Summer Knits
A summer knit is not a T-shirt in disguise. Fine gauge, a house, then stop.
A summer knit is not a T-shirt in disguise. Fine gauge, a house, then stop.
The T-shirt is easy. A summer knit is a decision: fine gauge, a house you can name, a tank that replaces cotton without looking like lingerie. The Row set that standard with the Katara, then kept going — Juyah, Anthea, Corin, Noelia. That is one house arguing that warmth can be elegant when the sun is still up.
Khaite answers with Sani, Ennio, Davet, Scarlet, Cosette. Hearst cuts Nevin in cashmere-and-silk pointelle. Brunello brings rib, lurex, sequin, an open-knit cardigan. Loro Piana does cable and the Nikko. Bottega buttons a ribbed tank and cuts cashmere as a cardigan. Those are not “light sweaters.” They are summer clothes with a house behind them.
The tank is the most summer-specific piece. Wear it as the top. The sweater is for when the sun drops — Corin, Amia, Garderob, Zaq. The cardigan is the French habit: Noelia on the shoulders, Scarlet buttoned, Ben in yellow if you want one colour.
The mistake is a knit look. Tank plus cardigan plus a knit skirt, all fine-gauge, all the same oatmeal. One knit. A trouser that still looks like a trouser. A sandal you can walk in.
Buy Katara or Noelia if you want The Row to do the work. Buy Sani or Scarlet if you want Khaite. Buy Éterne only if you will treat jersey as a cut, not as a stand-in. Then stop. A drawer of nearly identical tanks is still shopping.
If it pills after two wears or looks like underwear in daylight, it is not this edit.
Mine is The Row Katara in black. I wear it as the top. The cardigan waits in the car.— K.W., Editor-in-Chief
Katara or Sani. Tailored trouser. Leather sandal. Arms bare.
Corin or Garderob over the same trouser. Fine gauge. No second knit.
Noelia or Scarlet, open, tank underneath or nothing. Shoulders first.
Nevin pink, or Ben in yellow. One colour. Ivory or navy below.
Tank plus sweater plus cardigan in the same oatmeal. That is a knit look.
Fine rib, worn as the whole top half. The Row, Brunello Cucinelli, Róhe and Bottega Veneta.
The Row Katara, black. Fine rib. This is the summer tank.
Katara in off-white. Same cut. Pick one colour and live in it.
Anthea stretch-knit. Body-close. The Row without the rib.
Cucinelli ribbed tank, brown. Italian knit. Texture.
Róhe knit tank, brown. The everyday one.
Bottega button-embellished rib, ivory. Quiet special.
Where the knit lets the light through. The Row, Khaite and Gabriela Hearst.
Juyah, open-knit silk, ecru. Air. A tailored trouser.
Ennio scalloped pointelle, cream. The scallop is enough.
Khaite Sani, brown. Knit tank as a house, not a tee.
Hearst Nevin, black. Cashmere-and-silk pointelle.
Nevin in pink. Same tank. One Nevin this season.
Tap any piece below to shop the whole edit.
Shine once, and let everything below it be plain. Both Brunello Cucinelli.
Cucinelli lurex rib. Shine once. Black below.
Cucinelli sequin open-knit, white. Evening tank.
The fibre you buy once and keep. The Row, Loro Piana, Toteme and Altuzarra.
Amia cashmere. The Row. Fine enough for day.
Nalini cashmere. Pick Amia or this.
Sibem wool-cashmere. A little more weight.
Loro Piana cable cashmere-blend. Summer cable.
Toteme Garderob cashmere. The modern essential.
Altuzarra Zaq cashmere. One cashmere sweater.
Air through the stitch — the summer answer to a sweater. Loro Piana, Khaite, Another Tomorrow and Aimé Leon Dore.
Nikko open-knit cotton-silk. White. Air.
Khaite Davet silk-cotton. Open knit. Relaxed.
Another Tomorrow open-knit cotton. Air through.
Aimé Leon Dore open-knit cotton. Casual house, serious knit.
Weightless, and still a sweater. The Row, Loro Piana, Saint Laurent, Brunello Cucinelli, Khaite and Éterne.
The Row Corin silk-blend. The sweater when the sun drops.
Ocari cashmere-silk polo, brown. Collar, then stop.
Loro Piana cotton sweater. The quieter LP.
Saint Laurent ribbed-cotton. Knit as tailoring.
Cucinelli knitted sweater. Soft, still a sweater.
Khaite Cosette ribbed top. Not a third Khaite tank.
Éterne cotton-jersey. The quieter price. Still a cut.
Worn like a jacket, not a layer. The Row, Bottega Veneta, Khaite, Lisa Yang and Dôen.
The Row Noelia cashmere cardigan. The platonic cardigan.
Bottega cashmere cardigan. Investment, buttoned or open.
Khaite Scarlet cashmere. Named. Wear it like a jacket.
Lisa Yang Agata ribbed cashmere. Fine gauge.
Dôen Danae cropped cable cashmere. The crop is the line.
The stitch is the idea, so everything under it stays severe. Auralee, Calle Del Mar, Simone Rocha and Veronica Beard.
Auralee crocheted silk-cotton. Craft. Simple below.
Calle Del Mar crochet. Texture. Severe trouser.
Simone Rocha floral-knit. One print idea.
Veronica Beard Lira pointelle. One pointelle cardigan.
The one you actually reach for in July. Bottega Veneta, Brunello Cucinelli, Lemaire, Joseph, Aimé Leon Dore and La Ligne.
Bottega knitted-silk, white. The silk sister.
Cucinelli open-knit cotton-blend cardigan. Air.
Lemaire knitted cardigan. Everyday refined.
Joseph cotton-silk, ivory. Soft. Shirt instinct.
Aimé Leon Dore cotton cardigan. Casual, clean.
La Ligne Ben, soft yellow. Colour once.