Here, take this insider tip, free of charge.
The summer months are the absolute best time to stock up on sweaters and actively search for new knitwear to keep you warm and stylish in the fall and winter.
Now, we get how crazy that sounds. It’s the middle of July, you’re probably thinking, hardly the most appropriate time for sweaters!
And hey, you’d be right, sort of. Now isn’t the time to be wearing knitwear, but it sure as hell may be worth your while to start looking for some new pickups.
See, while most brands do in fact operate with seasonal collections, meaning that retail stores aren’t currently carrying fall/winter items, and likely won’t be until late August or so, there’s a secret source of quality men’s knitwear that you may be overlooking.
That would be the secondhand market. From eBay, to Poshmark, to Depop, and others, there are a ton of places online where you can find great clothing, from designer and/or vintage manufacturers, at even greater bargains.
Naturally, this applies to knitwear, too. Instead of shelling out $150 to $600 for a good sweater, you can regularly find excellent options on the online secondhand market for next to nothing.
So, Why To Buy Sweaters Now?
We’ll tell you why. Because while secondhand shopping is a bit of a golden goose for fashion and menswear enthusiasts, the best items and deals will be significantly harder to snag once the fall is in full swing and everyone and their grandpa is looking for a quality vintage fair isle knit on eBay.
In today’s modern fashion landscape, built heavily upon fast-fashion industries and an instant-gratification mindset amongst most consumers, people are somewhat averse to the idea of buying something now that they may not be able to use until later.
In this case, the item in question would be sweaters. Way less people are buying them up now in thrift stores and online marketplaces because they’ll likely be sitting in a drawer or closet until October.
But once those leaves start changing? There will be a mad dash, of sorts. People clamoring for the best finds they can manage. But you can be ahead of that curve!
What to Look For
1. Wool
We can’t make this one much simpler. You’re going to want to prioritize natural fabrics while scouring eBay and the like for good sweaters, and almost none do it better than good old, 100% wool.
The tighter knits still have pockets of air allowed by the natural composition, allowing heat to travel throughout the body while also still remaining breathable.
2. Shetland Wool
A somewhat rougher, more textured type of wool, this variety gets its namesake from the Shetland Isles in Scotland, featuring natural elasticity and a tougher construction.
While not as soft to the touch as other wools, shetland wool sweaters offer incredible visual appeal and look great when worn over another shirt, minimizing any scratchiness.
3. Cashmere
It’s no secret that quality cashmere can be quite expensive. Thankfully, the secondhand market typically offers a ton of solid vintage cashmere options in great condition, at fair prices.
Arguably the most luxurious of wools, opt for cashmere knitwear if you’re looking for a posher, more sophisticated look.
4. V-Neck Sweaters
If you’re into classic menswear and sporting a good necktie, make sure you get a few v-necks to properly display them. Crew neck sweaters and the like don’t usually look correct for this purpose, so this is the way to go.
5. Textured Pieces
Try looking for cable-knit, waffle-knit, and other textured sweaters for easy extra style points. These types of pieces tend to add a lot of visual interest over flatter knitwear.
6. Non-Brand Names
Some of the very best deals available are from lesser-known vintage labels, but be careful. You don’t want to end up with some mass-produced junk.
Look for tags that emphasize 100% natural and/or wool fibers, any pieces manufactured in England, Scotland, The USA, and Italy, as a starting point to identify quality.
7. Brand Names
Of course, some brands are renowned for their quality knitwear, so it can’t hurt to prioritize these at times. Keep an eye out for Ralph Lauren, Dior, L.L. Bean, J. Press, Pendleton, and others.
What to Avoid
1. Synthetic Sweaters
To be blunt, polyester knits or blends simply don’t do as good a job at keeping you warm. Synthetic fibers also tend to break down and/or shrink significantly faster than natural ones, shortening the lifespan of your garment.
2. Smooth Merino Wool
This one is less of a hard wool and more of a friendly suggestion. There’s nothing wrong with merino wool sweaters, but compared to lambswool, cashmere, shetlands, and other options, it’s significantly less interesting and a bit bland.
Good knitwear is all about visual interest, and the ultra-smooth merino wool pieces you see at the mall? Not quite.
3. Stretched Sweaters
Not everyone knows that knitwear should be folded, not hung. And so, many used sweaters will appear a bit misshapen and stretched out along the neckline and shoulders. This isn’t always a deathspell, but most of the time, these pieces should be avoided.
How to Ensure a Good Fit
Much like any other garment bought online, it helps to know your measurements. The best way to figure this out is to take a sweater or shirt that already fits you well, lay it flat, and use a clothes measuring tape to document its precise lengths.
These will include, most importantly, pit-to-pit, shoulder-to-shoulder, shoulder-to-sleeve, and collar-to-hem.
Often, sellers on eBay and the like will already have this information provided in the product listing, but if not, it doesn’t hurt to message them and ask.
It can be a bit of a gamble if you just go off of your typical size, because different brands often have different interpretations of Small, Medium, Large, etc.
Not to mention the fact that a lot of knitwear, especially used, goes through some shrinking over its lifespan. Though the tag may read “large,” it’s entirely possible that the garment in fact fits like a medium, or even a small.
Good sellers will take note of this and provide the measurements beforehand, but again, you can always ask if they haven’t already.
Next Sweater Season
If secondhand shopping isn’t your thing, or you just haven’t had any luck with it, there is another time of year where you’ll have some opportunity to snag some sweater savings. You’ll just have to be a bit patient, as well as willing to spend a bit more, even so.
At the end of the winter months, just before brands debut their spring/summer collections, they typically run some decent clearance sales on their winter items – including sweaters. Bear in mind though, that less sizing option will be available at this time, and it’s still likely to cost more than scrappy secondhand shopping.
That’s why we think that right now, in the heat of summer, while everyone else is distracted…is the best time to hunt down great secondhand options in thrift stores and online.
Beat the crowds! You just might find your new favorite sweater, and you’ll be excitedly counting down the days until fall when you can finally show it off.