Journal

How to Wash, Store and Refresh Wool Sweaters (Without Ruining Them)
How to Wash, Store and Refresh Wool Sweaters (Without Ruining Them)
A good wool sweater — especially a vintage one — can last a century. But wool fibres are covered in microscopic scales that lock together under heat, agitation and alkaline... Read more...
Decoding Norwegian Knitwear Patterns: Snowflakes, Roses and Lice
Decoding Norwegian Knitwear Patterns: Snowflakes, Roses and Lice
Every pattern on a traditional Norwegian sweater is a word in a visual language that knitters have been speaking for two centuries. Once you can read a few of its... Read more...
The Snowflake Sweater: A Nordic Christmas Classic
The Snowflake Sweater: A Nordic Christmas Classic
Every December, the same sweater returns: white or cream, patterned with snowflakes across the chest, maybe a reindeer or two. It's the Nordic Christmas sweater — and unlike most holiday... Read more...
From Ski Slopes to Streetwear: The Story of the Nordic Ski Sweater
From Ski Slopes to Streetwear: The Story of the Nordic Ski Sweater
The quarter-zip ski sweater is having another moment — on runways, in streetwear lookbooks and all over second-hand marketplaces. But its story starts somewhere much colder and more practical: the... Read more...
Norwegian Wool Explained: What 'Ull' on the Label Really Means
Norwegian Wool Explained: What 'Ull' on the Label Really Means
Pick up a vintage Norwegian sweater and you'll often see a single word on the label: ull. It simply means "wool" in Norwegian — but in knitting terms it signals... Read more...
Dale of Norway Sweaters: How to Spot an Authentic One
Dale of Norway Sweaters: How to Spot an Authentic One
Few garments carry as much quiet authority as a Dale of Norway sweater. Since 1879 the mill in the village of Dale, on Norway's west coast, has knit wool sweaters... Read more...
Barbour, Paul & Shark and the Case for Heritage Menswear
Barbour, Paul & Shark and the Case for Heritage Menswear
There's a category of clothing that never really goes out of style because it was never really in style — it simply endures. Heritage menswear: the waxed jackets, the oxford... Read more...
The Beginner's Guide to Buying Vintage Designer Clothing Online
The Beginner's Guide to Buying Vintage Designer Clothing Online
A genuine Max Mara coat or Escada blazer for a fraction of retail sounds too good to be true — until you understand why it isn't. Designer clothing from the... Read more...
6 Ways to Style a Vintage Wool Sweater (That Don't Look Costumey)
6 Ways to Style a Vintage Wool Sweater (That Don't Look Costumey)
The best argument for vintage knitwear is simple: modern fast-fashion sweaters are thinner, scratchier and fall apart within a few winters. A 1990s merino or lambswool knit was made to... Read more...
Vintage Lacoste: How to Spot an Authentic Piece Before You Buy
Vintage Lacoste: How to Spot an Authentic Piece Before You Buy
Lacoste has been making the same quietly perfect pieces since René Lacoste founded the brand in 1933: piqué polos, dense cotton knits, trench coats in muted colours. That consistency is... Read more...
Vintage Sizing Explained: Why the Label Size Doesn't Matter
Vintage Sizing Explained: Why the Label Size Doesn't Matter
The single biggest source of disappointment in vintage shopping is trusting the label. A "size 40" tag tells you almost nothing: sizing systems differ by country, by decade, and by... Read more...
Fair Isle Sweaters: A Short History of an Alpine Icon
Fair Isle Sweaters: A Short History of an Alpine Icon
Ask someone to picture a classic winter sweater and chances are they'll picture a Fair Isle: bands of geometric snowflakes, stars and crosses in two or three colours across the... Read more...
How to Buy Vintage Knitwear That Lasts
How to Buy Vintage Knitwear That Lasts
A great vintage sweater is one of the best values in fashion: dense natural fibres, construction that predates fast production, and a patina no new garment can copy. But not... Read more...