Too many sweaters are purchased based on initial softness and end up pilling by February. To choose the best sweaters for work we should instead focus on design, fiber and gauge and where they are made. Those facts decide whether a regularly worn sweater still looks good five winters later.
This guide names one pick in each sweater category that a professional wardrobe could use, from a fine merino crewneck to a knit dress. It includes a lower priced alternative where one exists, that also passes the same test.
This buying guide is different from many you will see. The goal was a list of sweaters that help us get dressed more easily, that are of excellent quality so we don’t have to replace them often. Each sweater here was judged against the four requirements behind The Standard: style, quality, function, and cost per wear. More specifically, will the style still look right in five years? Is it well-made? Does it provide the fit, warmth and comfort a workday requires? Will it have a reasonable cost per wear? Well-made is judged on the specifics a brand publishes, not broad claims. Every label says cashmere or merino because it has to by law. If a maker will not go further and publish at least the ply or gauge and where the sweater is knitted, we assume that information would work against a sale and we skip it. That rule is why a few brands appear multiple times in this guide and why some familiar names are missing. No brand paid to appear here. Where Credence earns a commission on a link, the pick was made first and the link was added after.
The Only Knitwear Worth Buying for a Professional Wardrobe gives the more in-depth reasoning behind the choices below. For the boots to wear with these sweaters, evaluated against the same Standard, see The Best Knee-High Boots for Work.
Top Picks
BEST MERINO WOOL SWEATER
John Smedley Dillie Jumper, $400
BEST CASHMERE V-NECK SWEATER
BEST CHUNKY CARDIGAN
BEST CASHMERE TURTLENECK SWEATER
Johnstons of Elgin Superfine Cashmere Roll Neck Jumper, $895
BEST ARAN CARDIGAN SWEATER
Inis Meáin Aran Cardigan, $565
BEST MERINO CARDIGAN
John Smedley Anika Cardigan, $445
BEST STRIPED SWEATER
BEST POLO SWEATER
Chinti & Parker Polo Sweater, $175
BEST SHORT SLEEVE SWEATER
John Smedley Nell T-Shirt, $295
BEST RED CARDIGAN
BEST SWEATER DRESS
Chinti & Parker Sweater Dress, $265
Best Sweaters for Work
BEST MERINO WOOL SWEATER
John Smedley – Dillie Extra Fine Merino Wool Jumper
100% extra fine merino knitted at 30 gauge in Derbyshire, England. Relaxed crew neck with turn-back cuffs. It can be worn under a blazer without feeling bulky. The tight 30-gauge knit and long-staple yarn resist pilling better than most mid-market merino sweaters, though elbows and bag-strap points will still need some attention. This one is as pill-resistant as a fine merino sweater can get. Fits true to size, relaxed through the body. Size down for a closer fit.
Best for: Someone who wants a polished, very versatile, layerable crew that can be worn most days of the cold season.
Shop the John Smedley Dillie Jumper →
BEST CASHMERE V-NECK SWEATER
Eric Bompard – Faustine V-Neck Pullover
From Bompard’s Superfine line, in 2-ply extra-fine cashmere, it’s light enough to sit under a blazer and over a silk blouse without bulk. Straight cut with a clean v-neck. OEKO-TEX certified. Machine washable on a cold wool cycle, which keeps ownership cost at zero. In pale shades expect a little show-through from what’s underneath because of the fine knit. Navy and the darker colors hide more.
Best for: Someone who wants a cashmere v-neck for under a blazer, over a blouse, washed at home. If you want the same neckline in the heavier version Bompard’s Lily is 4-ply, twice the yarn. It has a relaxed fit with side slits and a contrast rib at the cuffs and back shoulder. At $580 that’s about $1.38 a wear over seven years. The Faustine is the one for under tailoring. The Lily is the one for weekends.
Shop the Eric Bompard Faustine Pullover →
Shop the Eric Bompard Lily Pullover →
BEST CHUNKY CARDIGAN
N.Peal Myla Cable Cashmere Cardigan
This beauty is 2-ply organic cashmere in a cable knit, which gives its fine, soft yarn the body and depth of a heavier knit without the weight. Round neck, button front, fine rib at cuffs and hem, streamlined fit, hip length. It comes in 4 gorgeous colors. Hand wash.
Best for: Someone who wants the cable cardigan in cashmere instead of wool, neat enough for work and warm enough for the weekend. Not for anyone who wants a heavy, oversized knit; this is refined rather than rugged, but still warm.
BEST CASHMERE TURTLENECK SWEATER
Johnstons of Elgin Superfine Cashmere Roll Neck Jumper
A clean, minimal roll neck with subtle structure, cut to sit under a blazer or coat without adding bulk. It comes in black, navy blue and bottle green. 3-ply superfine cashmere, three strands twisted into one yarn, gives the fine fiber enough body to hold a roll neck’s shape and resist wear at the collar and elbows. Knitted in Hawick from yarn spun at Johnstons’ own Elgin mill. Hand wash, which keeps ownership cost at zero. De-pill the underarms and cuffs once a season and it will look right for a decade.
Best for: Someone who wants one black cashmere roll neck that can hold up and not look out-dated in ten years, versatile enough to wear under tailoring on weekdays and with jeans on the weekend. If $895 is out of reach, N.Peal’s Luna at $395 is the lighter 1-ply version of the same idea. Not for someone who wants a slouchy or oversized shape; this one has some structure.
Shop the Johnstons of Elgin Superfine Cashmere Turtleneck →
Shop the N.Peal Luna Sweater →
BEST ARAN CARDIGAN SWEATER
Inis Meáin Women’s Patented Aran Cardigan
The Aran sweater from the only knitwear workshop still on the islands. Baby alpaca with silk rather than traditional wool. At under 22 microns, it’s much softer than a wool Aran and better for people who can’t wear wool on their neck. Button front, hand-finished. Wear it open over a tee on the weekend or buttoned up. Hand wash at 30 degrees, dry flat. The trade-off for the softness is that alpaca-silk can snag on jewelry and relaxes a little over the years, so treat it as a garment to be a little careful with.
Best for: Someone who wants a real Aran without the itch. The same stitch without buttons is the Patented Aran Mock Turtleneck at $495 if a pullover is your preference.
Shop the Inis Meáin Aran Cardigan →
BEST MERINO CARDIGAN
John Smedley Anika Extra Fine Merino Wool Cardigan
30-gauge extra fine merino, knitted and fashioned at Lea Mills, thin enough to button up under a blazer and light enough to wear open over a tee in the shoulder seasons. Round neck, fashioned shoulders, finely ribbed cuffs and hem, and a standard fit that stops at the hip. It comes in 11 colors including black. Machine wash at 30 degrees.
Best for: Someone who wants the cardigan that works both ways: buttoned as a fine crew, open as a layering piece. Not for anyone who wants a long, slouchy shape or a heavier knit for warmth. If you want a cashmere version, N.Peal’s Olivia at $395 is an excellent alternative to the wool here.
Shop the John Smedley Anika Cardigan →
Shop the N.Peal Olivia Cardigan →
BEST STRIPED SWEATER
&Daughter Sligo V-Neck in Hazelnut/Smalt Cobalt Blue Stripe
Made from Geelong lambswool, the finest grade of lambswool at around 19 microns, spun in Scotland and hand-linked in Hawick, so it has merino’s softness with lambswool’s body and recovery. A mid-weight 7-gauge V-neck in a hazelnut and smalt blue stripe, the cobalt blue color of the moment. Slightly shrunken fit that sits just above the hip, ribbed v-neck, cuffs and hem. Hand wash cool, dry flat; air it between wears and it needs washing rarely.
Best for: Someone who wants a striped sweater with a modern neckline or who is bothered by wool on the neck. If you’re looking for a traditional Breton wool stripe, the real sailor sweater, Le Minor’s striped sailor sweater in virgin wool is about $200 on sale plus $59 duty-paid shipping. It’s a close fitting crew in a dense wool that will outlast this by years but will prickle at the neck for some. &Daughter ships to the US duty paid and offers repairs.
Shop the &Daughter Sligo Sweater →
Shop the Le Minor Striped Sailor Sweater →
BEST POLO SWEATER
Chinti & Parker Wool-Cashmere Polo Sweater
90% wool with 10% cashmere at 12 gauge is the right blend for a polo. The wool keeps the collar and placket crisp and the cashmere makes it soft. Made in the supplier’s vertically run factory in Inner Mongolia. Neat open collar. Eight colors to choose from. Hand wash or dry clean. Relaxed fit, true to size. Sits flat under a coat like a crewneck should.
Best for: Someone who wants the modern alternative to a crewneck, worn under a coat or blazer with the collar out. Not for anyone who wants a slouchy, oversized knit. Lisa Yang’s Etta at $770 is the more luxurious feeling version, but pure cashmere at a loose 7 gauge will pill sooner than a dense 12-gauge wool blend. The slouchier shape is also a weekend look instead of an office one. At about $3.21 a wear versus $0.58, it is an indulgence, not the best investment.
Shop the Chinti & Parker Polo Sweater →
Shop the Lisa Yang Etta Sweater →
BEST SHORT SLEEVE SWEATER
John Smedley Nell Sea Island Cotton T-Shirt
Sea Island cotton, the longest-staple cotton grown, knits into a fine, cool, faintly lustrous fabric that resists pilling and holds its color through years of washing. Knitted at Lea Mills. Slim 1950s-inspired crew with short sleeves and fine ribbed trims. Navy, black and cream available. Machine washable at 30 degrees. Expect it to soften and nothing else to change. Fits slim, true to size. Sizes run S to L only. If you’re between sizes go up, as the knit is close.
Best for: Someone in a warm climate, or anyone who wants a knitted tee under a blazer that survives being washed every week. Not for anyone outside a S to L unfortunately. For cashmere softness, N.Peal’s Milly ($295, 6 colors) or Begg x Co’s Abbie (Scottish-made, about $650 delivered) are excellent cashmere alternatives.
Shop the John Smedley Nell Short Sleeve →
Shop the N.Peal Milly Short Sleeve →
Shop the Begg x Co Abbie Short Sleeve →
BEST RED CARDIGAN
&Daughter Ada Crewneck Cardigan in Poppy Red
Mid-weight Geelong lambswool, the finest grade of lambswool, spun in Scotland and knitted and hand-linked in Hawick. That’s the construction that keeps shoulders and side seams from stretching over years of wear. Full button front with Trocas shell buttons, ribbed trims. Hand wash cool. Lambswool at this gauge pills a little in the first weeks and then settles. If the contrasting white shell buttons aren’t for you, a tailor will swap them in an afternoon. Classic with a slight slouch, true to size; sits at the hip.
Best for: Someone who wants one bold sweater she’ll wear as often as her navy one, open over a tee or buttoned as a crew. Not for fine-gauge layering under tailoring; this is a mid-weight outer layer. &Daughter repairs, and ships to the US duty paid.
Shop the &Daughter Ada Cardigan →
BEST SWEATER DRESS
Chinti & Parker Wool-Cashmere Midi A-Line Polo Knit Dress
90% wool with 10% cashmere, which is the blend you want at dress length: the wool carries the weight of a maxi through the day and recovers at the seat and hem where pure cashmere bags. The cashmere softens the feel of it. Knitted in their supplier’s vertically run factory. Polo collar, long sleeves, A-line skirt; a shape that still hasn’t become outdated in sixty years. Black or chocolate available. Hand wash, cool iron. The shape to measure it against is The Row’s Paru, the same polo-collar knit dress to the ankle in seamless single-ply Italian cashmere, at $2,300 and currently waitlisted. It is the more beautiful object and the worse purchase: pure cashmere at that length will stretch in the seat years before a wool blend does, and at about $8.21 a wear it fails the test this guide is built on. The Chinti & Parker’s A-line gives up the column shape for a skirt that moves more freely, and keeps everything else for almost 1/10th out of pocket.
Best for: Someone who wants one-piece winter dressing that still has a collar. Boots, a coat, and this together is easy. Not for anyone who wants a column or a clinging knit.
Shop the Chinti & Parker Sweater Dress →
Common Questions
Is merino wool itchy?
Fine merino isn’t, for most people. Itch is mechanical, not an allergy: fibers thicker than about 30 microns have ends stiff enough to press into the skin, so what matters is how many of those a yarn holds. Extra fine merino, the kind John Smedley knits, is the trade term for 19.5 microns and finer, and it sits next to the skin without complaint. If wool has bothered you before, a V-neck in fine merino is the safer buy than a roll neck in heavier lambswool.
Cashmere or merino: which should I buy?
Merino for the sweater you wear most. It costs less, and its longer staple means it usually pills less and holds its shape at the cuffs and elbows longer than cashmere of the same weight. Choose cashmere for warmth without weight, and from a maker who publishes the ply and where it was knitted. A 30-gauge merino crew will usually outlast a 1-ply cashmere at the same price.
Does cashmere pill, and does expensive cashmere pill less?
All cashmere pills; the question is how soon and how much. Pilling is short fibers working loose where things rub: underarms, cuffs, under a bag strap. Longer fiber, more plies and a tighter twist mean fewer loose ends, so a well-made 2-ply or 3-ply pills lightly where a soft, cheap sweater pills heavily. It peaks early and then slows as the loose fiber sheds. Buy from a maker who publishes the fiber grade, and use a cashmere comb for any pills rather than your fingers.
How do I wash a cashmere sweater?
Hand wash in cool water with a wool shampoo, press the water out without wringing, and dry flat away from heat. Machine wash only if the label says you can: untreated wool and cashmere felt irreversibly under heat and agitation, and a mesh bag won’t prevent it. Most of the makers in this guide specify hand wash. Wash every five to ten wears and air the sweater in between. Store it folded and clean, in a cotton bag inside a lidded box. Clean and sealed is what protects a sweater; cedar does very little.