How to Read a Knitwear Label: Yarn, Gauge and “Responsibly Sourced”
Two sweaters can look identical on a rail and behave completely differently by the end of a winter. The difference is written on the label and in the construction — if you know what to look for.
1. The fibre
Start with the composition. 100% wool, merino, cashmere, silk or cotton blends will wear, breathe and wash differently from acrylic or polyester. Acrylic is warm on day one and pilled by week three. Fine merino is soft, elastic and odour-resistant; cashmere is lighter and warmer still. For blends, the higher the natural-fibre share, the better the sweater will age.
2. The yarn
The label rarely says it, but a good brand will: where was the yarn spun? Italian spinners — many in and around Biella — are the reference for fine wool and cashmere yarns. What sets them apart is fibre selection (longer fibres pill less), gentle processing that keeps the fibre’s natural softness, and dyeing with real depth of colour. A sweater knitted from Italian yarn tends to feel better in the hand and, more importantly, feel the same after twenty washes.
3. What “responsibly sourced” should mean
The phrase is easy to print and hard to earn. When we use it, we mean a yarn whose origin can be traced and whose production respects three things: the welfare of the animals it comes from, the land they graze on, and the people who spin and dye it. Recognised standards exist for parts of this — schemes covering animal welfare and land management in wool and cashmere, for example — and a brand should be able to tell you what its yarn is certified to, or say plainly when it is not yet. We will always do the latter rather than overstate the former.
4. The gauge
Gauge is the number of stitches per inch — effectively how fine the knit is. A high gauge (fine, dense knitting) makes a lighter, smoother, more refined sweater that layers under a jacket. A low gauge (chunky) gives you a heavier, cosier piece. Neither is better; the point is that gauge should suit the yarn and the purpose. Fine Italian merino wants a high gauge; a cabled cashmere wants room to breathe.
5. The construction
Turn the sweater inside out. Fully-fashioned knitwear is shaped on the machine, panel by panel, and then linked together stitch by stitch — you can see the neat, slightly raised seams. Cut-and-sew knitwear is cut from a large knitted sheet and overlocked, like a T-shirt, which is faster and cheaper but wastes yarn and loses shape more quickly. Look, too, at the neckline and cuffs: a well-made sweater has a firm, even rib that springs back.
6. Where it was knitted
Knitting is a technical craft. Portugal has a long tradition of fine knitwear production — precise, consistent, and well suited to the gauges Italian yarns deserve. Our knitwear is made there, from yarns spun in Italy. Italian fibre, Portuguese knitting.
7. The care
Finally, the care symbols. Good knitwear does not need frequent washing — air it, fold it rather than hang it, and hand-wash or use a cool wool cycle when it needs it. Dry flat. A cashmere comb removes the occasional pill. Treated this way, a well-made natural-fibre sweater should last a decade.
Read more about how our garments are made, or our note on natural fibres versus synthetics.