Spring sweaters prove the colder months don't have a monopoly on stylish knitwear. Sure, fall and winter offer ample opportunity to layer up in chunky cashmere cable-knits and funky mohair cardigans, but the lightweight sweaters we’re talking about here play a different role entirely—as the centerpiece of your whole outfit. With no topcoat or puffer to obscure their shine, the right spring-ready sweater can, should, and will be all the outerwear you need from now until T-shirt time.
But their appeal boils down to more than just looks. Spring sweaters also skew more comfortable than the stuff made from wool, mohair, or alpaca—heat-preserving fabrics that, for a sizable chunk of people, mean nothing but off-the-charts itch factor. Instead, they’re usually made from easy-going, low-maintenance cotton; you can toss most of the options below in the washing machine right with your hoodies and tees.
All of which is to say, if you prize your cold-weather knits for their unrivaled ability to bring the heat, their springtime counterparts are decidedly more chill. Which is exactly the point. Wear 'em now with a waxed jacket and beat-up jeans, a slouchy blazer and hefty derbies, or a ‘90s-doused leather zip-up and stiff work pants, and then leave one in your tote when the mercury really skyrockets—y’know, just in case.
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