Oversized knit jumper with contrast whipstitch

A knit jumper, cut wide, with a ribbed crew collar and a contrast whipstitch running along the shoulders and down the sleeves.

That contrast yarn is what makes the piece. It draws a clean line from the collar to the cuff, like a stitch sewn by hand, across an otherwise plain knit. On the light colours and on the black, the yarn is white; on the ecru, it is black.

The cut is wide by design. The shoulders are markedly dropped — 58 cm across the shoulders in S, up to 66 cm in XL — and the chest measurement runs from 108 to 124 cm depending on the size. The body stops at the low hip: 64 cm in S, 67 cm in XL.

The details

• Ribbed crew collar
• Contrast whipstitch along the shoulders and sleeves, front and back
• Long sleeves set on dropped shoulders
• Ribbed cuffs and hem
• Plain knit, medium thickness
• Pulls on over the head, no buttons

How to wear it

• Over straight jeans or white trousers, as in the photos.
• Half-tucked into the waistband, to mark the waist under the volume.
• Under a coat or jacket: the dropped shoulder adds no bulk at the armholes.
• Over a long skirt, to set a fluid fabric against volume on top.

Sizing

Sizes S to XL. Measurements taken flat as supplied by the manufacturer, with a tolerance of 1 to 3 cm; the knit has stretch, so values may vary slightly from one piece to another.

The piece is meant to be roomy: take your usual size for the drape shown in the photos. If you prefer a more contained volume, go down one size.

Fabric and care

Composition: 100% viscose. As stated by the manufacturer.

Viscose is a fibre made from wood cellulose. In this knit it gives a soft, matte fabric that does not itch and hangs well: it is what produces that fluid drape despite the volume. It breathes, but it does not hold heat the way wool does — this is a mid-season jumper, or a layer to wear over a warmer top when it turns properly cold.

Care: viscose is fragile when wet, and that is the one real point to watch. Hand wash for preference, or machine wash at 30 °C on a delicate cycle in a mesh bag. Do not wring. Dry flat, never in a tumble dryer or over a radiator: the knit would stretch out of shape lengthwise. Cool iron on the reverse if needed. Do not bleach.

Good to know

• Sleeves of 51 to 54 cm — isn't that short? The measurement starts at the top of the dropped shoulder, not at the joint. Since the shoulder line already sits down the arm, the sleeve reaches the wrist on most body types.
• What makes it different from an ordinary jumper? The shoulders. At 58 cm in S against roughly forty on a straight cut, the shoulder seam falls on the upper arm: that is what gives the volume across the back and the ease at the armholes.
• Viscose — does it keep you warm? Not as much as wool. Viscose is soft and breathable, and insulates moderately. This is an autumn and spring jumper, or a winter layer over a warmer top. In exchange it does not itch at all, which settles the problem for anyone whose skin reacts to wool.
• Do the sizes run true? Yes: the manufacturer supplied a full measurement chart, size by size. The figures above come straight from it.