Now, this is a topic one would expect this blog to cover, as it’s certainly relevant for life in a cold climate. One could get through the year in Estonia or Belgium without a dress, but I challenge you to do the same without any knits in your wardrobe. They are practical, they are easy to wear and they are, of course, warm.

Knits are probably not the first that come to mind when thinking of workwear: we still tend to think that office style is mostly blazers and formal skirts and classic shirts, even if that’s not necessarily what we see when we get to our desks. In reality, I believe sweaters and cardigans are what many people wear almost daily, especially in places where layering is critical for one’s survival.

A Chunky Knit

It is my firm belief that a chunky knit is a contemporary classic. There is a special breed of Instagram people who hardly ever wear anything but jeans and an artfully tucked-in slouchy sweater. And I understand why. It gives a modern silhouette that is not too strict, while still providing some definition.

Work-appropriate is not my favourite phrase, but a big knit can definitely fit the criteria. If you want to look polished, I would go for a relatively streamlined version and I always feel that a white or cream sweater looks the most luxurious. My ideal chunky work knit would be a thick, ribbed, cream cashmere rollneck – I am currently desperately searching for one that doesn’t cost 1000 euros. Meanwhile, I have purchased this Massimo Dutti cable knit version.

This Max Mara jumper is close to what have in mind: it’s not cashmere and instead of ribbing, it has different textures. But it definitely has that sumptuous vibe that I appreciate and the warmth factor is pretty high, too. It works equally well with trousers, skirts and jeans; I especially like it with gorgeous food colours like cafe au lait, caramel and cognac. A word of caution: your knit has to fit under your coat, so if you gravitate towards fitted coats or love particularly large knits, keep that in mind.

A Light Knit

I admit that this is not the most glamorous category, but trust me, it’s endlessly useful. A slim-fit cashmere crewneck sweater is possibly my favourite work top type of all time (try Uniqlo for an affordable option) and a layer-able poloneck is of course an essential for many. But there are other options: cardigans are making a comeback, a shrunken fisherman sweater looks cool and I always have a v-neck knit in my collection, no matter whether it’s on trend or not.

The short-sleeved knit I’m wearing doesn’t look much on the pictures, but is in fact very flattering in real life. It’s the type of thing you might wear when you don’t really care much about fashion, just want to look comfortable and broadly elegant. Of course, if you wear it in a top-to-toe beige (or any other shade) outfit, you’ll let everyone know gently that you are in fact perfectly aware of recent trends, thank you very much.

Are you a knit person? And of what kind?

Clothes by Max Mara (press loan), MUAH Erle Taklai, images Laura Nestor. More about this series in this post.