6 summer knitwear labels that Instagram is obsessed with right now

By Julia Hobbs22 May 2020

From the return of grandad tanks to crochet bralets, a summer knit is 2020’s ultimate wardrobe power move. Here are six independent craft-led labels you need to know now

Beyond backyard sunbathing snaps (thanks to Europe’s recent soaring temperatures), our IG feeds are also witnessing an influx of impeccably styled summer knits. Cropped (and mostly unbuttoned) cardigans, which Kaia Gerber, Bella Hadid and Dua Lipa wear on repeat, are this year’s warm-weather fixture; styled over tennis dresses or swimsuits and paired with last year’s cycling shorts.

But that’s not the end of social media’s current obsession with all-things knitted. This season, we’re also welcoming the return of homespun grandad tanks, pointelle bloomers and tactile bralets, as the craft-led fashion movement continues to temper our wardrobes.

Here are the six summer knitwear labels to know now.

1. The label: Pretties

Who wears it: All your favourite 1990s icons (Winona Ryder, Jennifer Aniston, Drew Barrymore, Sofia Coppola) and next-generation Hollywood star Rowan Blanchard

What to buy: The pointelle bloomer and ‘cardi p’

The facts: If you follow @90sanxiety, take note. Back in the early 1990s, LA-based film and music video stylist Linda Meltzer was sourcing French-cut children’s T-shirts from thrift stores, before she struck upon the idea of starting her own label (originally calling it Tease Tee’s). The look took off. Two coveted wardrobe appearances in Clueless followed, plus Meltzer’s baby tees were a Rachel Green staple in those early seasons of Friends. In 2020, it’s all about the pointelle bloomer (because the whole ‘dressing from the waist up’ movement isn’t only about sweatpants…)

2. The label: House of Sunny

Who wears it: Bella Hadid and the Danish fashion set (including Emili Sindlev and Anna Sarlvit)

What to buy: the Day Tripper Cardi

The facts: The sun is continuing to shine on the cardi that was initially inspired by an Ibizan sunset, but the mood-lifting appeal of House of Sunny’s highest-performing knit doesn’t end there. The label’s ‘holidaying at home’ styling approach to summer 2020 (brainchild of founder Sunny Williams) is typically tuned in, as are their sustainable credentials. Consider the Day Tripper Cardi’s low-maintenance, retro-inspired ethos as a sartorial balm for the soul, but move fast: word is it’s back in stock now.

3. The label: Rua Carlota

Who wears it: IG style stars Destiny Joseph and Emma Breschi

What to buy: Anything and everything (each piece is completely unique)

The facts: When UK-based Rua Carlota founder Charlotte Rose Kirkham drops a new piece on Instagram, she specifies the exact time when it will be available to shop. The result? Reaching the label’s website in time is now something of a race for her loyal followers (she’s known to sell out in 3.5 minutes). These experimental, upcycled knit camisoles and tanks use only deadstock materials, meaning that not only is each one entirely original, but you’ll be supporting Kirkham’s mission to challenge waste culture.

4. The label: Nith Studio

Who wears it: IG style stars Maria Bernad and Marie Jedig

What to buy: the Marie vest

The facts: Handcrafted in Copenhagen by co-founders Thelma Steimann and Nico Golden, Nith Studio’s sustainable take on the retro grandad tank offers the body-skimming fit that we’re into right now. Shop the striped Marie vest for its refreshingly homespun finish, and style with everything from cotton boxer shorts to checked pyjama bottoms.

5. The label: Paloma Wool

Who wears it: Kaia Gerber, Spanish art director Carlota Guerrero and Berlin-based artist Riya Hamid

What to buy: The Agua drawstring bralet

The facts: Before we talk about how much we’re into wearing soft, knitted bralets in place of rigid, underwired bras right now, we should probably take a moment to worship at the altar of Katie Holmes and the Khaite cashmere twinset she stepped out in last autumn. Paloma Wool’s 1970s spin on the knit underwear-as-outerwear look belongs in the same style family—that is it makes women everywhere feel good.

6. The label: Hope Macaulay

Who wears it: Halsey

What to buy: The Wonderland Chunky Knit Cardigan

The facts: The rainbow-hued ‘colossal’ cardis that super knitter Hope Macaulay handmakes in Northern Island (using 100 per cent jumbo merino wool) read as a homage to Laurel Canyon’s early 1970s hippy set. If you’re looking for an ultra-comforting alternative to the hoodie you usually wear for Netflix binges, or a love-forever bikini coverup when backyard sunbathing, Macaulay’s made-to-order designs-cum-art-pieces are very much on point.