5 Knitwear Trends Every Fashion Editor Is Wearing This Winter
There is something quietly authoritative about the way a fashion editor gets dressed in winter. It rarely looks effortful, and it almost never looks cold. The secret, more often than not, is knitwear — but not the kind you pull out of a bin bag from the back of the wardrobe. The knitwear a fashion editor reaches for is considered, textural, sometimes surprising, and always deeply covetable. It does the heavy lifting of an outfit while making it look as though no lifting was done at all.
This winter, the knit landscape has shifted in some genuinely exciting directions. Runways from Milan to Copenhagen sent out looks that rethought what a sweater, a cardigan, or a knitted dress could actually be. Street style outside the shows confirmed which of those ideas had legs beyond the catwalk. And now, several months into the season, it is possible to see clearly which trends have genuinely taken hold among the people who think about clothes for a living. Whether you are building a capsule wardrobe, refreshing a few key pieces, or simply trying to understand why everyone in your Instagram feed seems to be wearing the same oversized yarn situation, this guide will walk you through exactly what is resonating right now and why it works so well.
1. The Chunky Cable Knit, Reimagined
The cable knit sweater has been a winter staple for decades, but this season it has been pulled firmly out of its preppy comfort zone and repositioned as something far more directional. The cables themselves are bigger — dramatically so in many cases — and the proportions have shifted toward the oversized and the sculptural. Where a traditional Aran sweater sat close to the body and carried connotations of weekend country walks, the 2024 version is voluminous, almost architectural, and styled with a kind of nonchalant confidence that changes the entire energy.
Fashion editors are gravitating toward versions in cream, oatmeal, and undyed natural wool, which speaks to a broader interest in craft and provenance. There is a quiet sustainability conversation embedded in this trend: the closer a knit looks to its raw material, the more considered it feels. But the trend is not limited to neutrals. Deep forest green, burnt sienna, and inky navy have all appeared in the most talked-about iterations, worn loosely over wide-leg trousers or tucked partially into a high-waisted midi skirt to create that studied half-tuck that is currently everywhere.
What makes this version of the cable knit feel fresh rather than nostalgic is the way it is being styled. The editors pulling this off best are pairing their chunky knits with sleek tailored trousers or even a satin bias-cut skirt — the contrast between the rough texture of the knit and the smooth finish of the bottom half is doing a lot of the work. The shoes matter too. A clunky loafer or a low-heeled ankle boot keeps things grounded and real. Platform heels would tip the whole thing into costume territory.
If you are investing in one knit this winter, a generously proportioned cable knit in a natural tone is probably the most versatile choice you can make. It will outlast the season without question.
2. The Shrunken Cardigan (and the Art of Visible Layering)
While oversized cable knits are dominating one end of the spectrum, the opposite end is equally compelling. The shrunken cardigan — cropped at the waist, with a close fit through the body and slightly abbreviated sleeves — has become the layering piece that fashion editors cannot seem to stop reaching for. Worn over a collared shirt, a floaty printed dress, a crisp white button-down, or even a slip dress, it adds structure and warmth without overwhelming whatever is underneath.
What is interesting about this trend is how much it relies on the visible layering principle: the point is not to hide the other pieces but to reveal them intentionally. A Peter Pan collar peeking above the neckline of a fitted cardigan is a whole moment. A long-sleeved T-shirt extending past the cuffs of a short cardigan adds depth and intention. The fashion editors who wear this best understand that the layering is the detail, and they compose their outfits accordingly.
Colour is particularly important here. The cardigan does not need to match anything else, but it does need to respond to the palette of the overall look. Some of the most compelling combinations this season have involved a caramel or tan cardigan over a burgundy dress, a soft lilac cardigan over a cream blouse, or a charcoal grey cardigan over a patterned vintage shirt. The cardigan acts almost like a filter over the rest of the look, bringing it into harmony without flattening it.
Buttons are having a moment within this trend specifically. Whether pearlescent, tortoiseshell, chunky wooden, or oversized and mismatched, the buttons on the most coveted cardigans this season are doing decorative work as much as functional work. If your cardigan has interesting buttons, leave it open. If it has plain buttons, consider buttoning it to the top for a neat, almost schoolgirl-inflected finish that works surprisingly well against grown-up tailoring.
3. Knitted Maxi Dresses and the Case for Head-to-Toe Texture
Perhaps the most significant knitwear story of this winter is the full-length knitted dress. Not the bodycon ribbed dress of recent seasons past, but something longer, more relaxed, and considerably more interesting in terms of construction. The knitted maxi dress has arrived in earnest, and it is clearly here to stay for at least this season and probably the next.
What distinguishes the versions fashion editors are actually wearing from the more generic offerings on the high street is the fabric and the silhouette. The most desirable iterations use a medium-weight knit with enough structure to hold a shape — A-line skirts, flared hems, or a gentle column silhouette — rather than simply pooling at the bottom. Ribbed construction gives elongation. Interesting stitch patterns add visual complexity without looking busy. And the length, sitting somewhere around the ankle or occasionally just above it, has a quietly elegant effect that shorter knitted dresses simply cannot achieve.
The question of what to wear underneath is relevant here. A knitted maxi in winter needs some kind of base layer if you are going to be walking in cold air, and the editors who have cracked this look tend to wear a fitted turtleneck underneath — either matching the dress in tone or contrasting it sharply. A black turtleneck under a cream knitted dress is a classic combination that needs nothing else. A camel turtleneck under a chocolate brown knitted dress reads as tonal dressing done with real confidence.
Over the top, a longline wool coat or a leather jacket both work, depending on the overall mood you are going for. The leather jacket option is more unexpected and tends to create that slightly off-kilter balance that editors love — the softness of the knit against the hardness of the leather is a reliable formula that rarely fails. Boots are the natural choice of footwear, and knee-high versions in particular have an obvious visual logic with this silhouette.
4. Intarsia and Graphic Knits — Pattern With a Point of View
After several seasons of quieter, more understated knitwear, graphic knits have returned with real momentum. Specifically, the intarsia knitting technique — which involves working different coloured yarns into the same piece to create a picture or pattern that is knitted in, rather than printed or embroidered on — has been championed by a significant number of designers this season, and fashion editors have responded with visible enthusiasm.
What sets the current iteration of this trend apart from previous graphic knit moments is the sophistication of the imagery. Rather than simple Fair Isle geometric patterns or novelty animals, the most talked-about intarsia knits feature abstract landscape motifs, architectural references, oversized florals, and even figurative work — human forms, faces, hands — rendered in a colour palette that feels genuinely considered. The best examples look like wearable art, which is exactly the point.
The styling challenge with a graphic knit is significant, because the piece itself contains so much visual information. The editors who navigate this most successfully tend to treat the knit as the hero and build everything else around it in a supporting role. Plain wide-leg trousers in a colour pulled from the knit, simple leather boots, and minimal accessories — a single gold ring, perhaps, or a thin chain — create a frame rather than competition. Anything that fights the knit for attention will lose.
It is also worth noting that the graphic knit trend has opened up a renewed interest in vintage knitwear, particularly pieces from the 1970s and 1980s when intarsia and bold patterning were at a previous peak. Sourcing vintage pieces from that era currently makes a great deal of sense both aesthetically and from a sustainability perspective, and the knowing, slightly retro edge of a genuine vintage graphic knit carries a charm that even the best contemporary versions struggle to replicate.
5. The Turtleneck as Foundation Piece
The turtleneck has never entirely gone away, but this winter it has moved from supporting player to essential architecture. Fashion editors are treating the fitted turtleneck less as a sweater in its own right and more as a foundational layer — the thing that holds together and elevates everything worn over it. The effect is elegant, effortless, and endlessly adaptable.
In practical terms, this means wearing a slim, fine-knit turtleneck under blazers, over-the-shoulder necklines, and inside dress necklines that were not really designed with a layer underneath in mind. The turtleneck visible above the collar of a sharp blazer, with trousers and loafers, is one of the most consistently useful looks a fashion editor owns. It reads as polished without being stiff, and it works across virtually every professional and social context.
The colour choices for this foundational turtleneck approach are revealing. Black remains the obvious choice and is genuinely reliable, but the editors with the most developed aesthetic sensibility have been reaching for other shades with equal confidence. Chocolate brown has emerged as a dark neutral with more warmth than black and a slightly richer visual register. Ivory and off-white bring brightness near the face, which matters considerably more in winter when daylight hours are short. Deep burgundy and forest green add colour without the difficulty that bolder hues can introduce.
What has also shifted this season is the willingness to wear the turtleneck on its own as a top, without layering anything over it, paired with high-waisted trousers or a skirt. The fine-knit turtleneck tucked into wide-leg tailored trousers, belted at the waist, with a good shoe, is an outfit of genuine authority. It requires almost no thinking because all the components are doing exactly what they should. For anyone who has ever stood in front of a full wardrobe and felt as though they had nothing to wear, this combination is worth memorising.
Beyond the fitted version, there is also a notable thread of interest in the oversized turtleneck this season — worn more like a mini dress, or half-tucked into a skirt, or dropped off one shoulder in a deliberately casual way. This is slightly more fashion-forward and requires a degree of comfort with proportion-play that not everyone has, but when it works it is striking.
How to Wear These Trends Together Without Looking Like You Tried
One of the more advanced skills in understanding fashion editor dressing is recognising how they mix rather than match. No thoughtful wardrobe is built around individual trend pieces worn in isolation — the real skill is in understanding how different elements from the same season can coexist in a single outfit or across a weekly rotation without creating visual noise.
The good news with this winter’s knitwear trends is that they talk to each other very naturally. A chunky cable knit and a fitted turtleneck work together as a layering combination for the coldest days. A shrunken cardigan over a knitted maxi dress creates an all-knitwear look that works because the scales and textures are different enough to read as intentional rather than confused. A graphic intarsia knit in neutral tones can sit comfortably beside the turtleneck-as-foundation approach, with the graphic knit worn as the top layer over a simple black roll neck.
The principle, ultimately, is one of texture conversation. As long as different knits are different enough in weight, stitch, or construction, they can share an outfit. Problems only arise when two pieces are so similar that the combination reads as accidental. A medium-weight ribbed turtleneck under a medium-weight ribbed crewneck in the same colour will look like you put on two identical sweaters by mistake. A fine-knit ivory turtleneck under a chunky oatmeal cable knit looks entirely purposeful.
Building a Knitwear Wardrobe That Lasts Beyond the Season
The broader lesson of this winter’s knitwear moment is not really about trends at all — it is about quality and versatility. Fashion editors, for all their access to new product, tend to gravitate toward pieces they can wear for multiple seasons, styled differently each time. The most useful knitwear investment you can make is in pieces with enough character to be interesting and enough restraint to be adaptable.
Natural fibres remain the gold standard — merino wool, cashmere, alpaca, and lambswool all have properties that synthetic alternatives struggle to replicate, including the ability to regulate temperature, the capacity to soften with wear, and a longevity that justifies the higher price point. A well-made merino turtleneck, a carefully chosen cable knit in undyed wool, or a single beautiful intarsia piece will serve you better for longer than five cheap alternatives ever could.
This winter’s knitwear trends are, in that sense, well aligned with the direction that fashion more broadly is trying to move in. The emphasis on craft, texture, and considered styling reflects a genuine shift in how the most influential dressers are thinking about clothes — not as disposable statements but as invested objects that earn their place in a wardrobe by working hard, wearing well, and continuing to feel like themselves years after the season that introduced them has passed.
