Five knits worth paying more for

Knitwear is where most wardrobes waste money. Cheap jumpers pill, stretch and lose their shape within a season; expensive ones sometimes do too. So before the list, the rule we used: a knit earns a higher price only if it has a better fibre, a heavier construction, or a design detail that cheaper brands do not copy well.

This autumn the designer collections give knits more to do than usual. The Mystylebox runway report names heritage knits such as Fair Isle among the season's patterns, and statement necklines, from funnel necks to high collars, as one of the twenty trends of the shows.1 Coveteur saw knitwear used for texture, with FFORME working fur shrouds into knits.2 In other words: the neck and the surface of a jumper matter this year.

1. The cable turtleneck

Toteme's cable knit turtleneck in ecru is the most versatile piece on this list. A high neck answers the necklines trend; a cable stitch gives texture without pattern; ecru sits between white and camel, so it works with both black and brown. It is the knit you wear under a barn jacket, a camel coat and a blazer.

2. The camel hair crew

Camel hair is warmer and lighter than lambswool and has a soft halo that looks expensive for good reason. A plain crew neck lets the fibre do the work. Wear it with grey trousers and the colour suddenly looks deliberate.

3. The oversized lambswool turtleneck

The point of this one is proportion. An oversized turtleneck in a pale sage over a slim skirt or straight trousers is the simplest way into this season's play with volume. Cheap versions of an oversized knit tend to look sloppy; heavier yarn keeps the shape.

4. The merino turtleneck

Merino is the everyday fibre: fine enough to layer under a jacket, warm enough to wear alone. Colorful Standard's coffee brown version is the honest exception to our rule, because it is not expensive at €140 and for a base layer you do not need more.

5. The V-neck cardigan

A cardigan worn buttoned, as a top, is a quiet way to look current. Choose merino, choose a dark colour, and wear it with nothing underneath but a good bra or a thin tee.

How to care for them

The difference between a knit that lasts five years and one that lasts five months is mostly care. Wash by hand or on a wool cycle, dry flat, fold rather than hang, and use a comb on pilling instead of pulling it.

The best knit is the one you can name the reason for.