With the cold weather set to be with us for a while yet, and the prudent man carrying knitwear even during the summer in case of evening chill, now's a good time to look at three British-made knitwear brands you may not know. Each offers something different.
Khunu
Khunu offers knitwear made from yak wool - all of its products are made in England. 'Warmer and softer than merino and more durable than cashmere' is their claim. They sent me two items for review, an Irvine sweater with saddle shoulder, ribbed cuff and corozo nut buttons and a snood.
The wool, sourced from Himalayan yaks, is soft and luxurious, but somehow feels durable. I loved the subtle greys, charcoals and browns, giving an understated appearance to the products. These have become favourites. See Khunu for more information.
Tailor Retailored
The Tailor Retailored draws on the impressive fashion marketing, design and cashmere production experience of its founders, John MacEwan and Richard Olive, to bring a fresh, modern and seasonal relevance to men’s cashmere knitwear. Using the best cashmere, each piece is made in Tailor Retailored's Scottish workshops.
I was sent Rothko chunky roll neck in thick pure cashmere. Probably one of the thickest and softest cashmere jumpers I've owned, it offers a slight twist to traditional styling, with a large, warm roll neck, generous sizing and side vents. This is a seriously luxurious yet chunky piece of knitwear and I've been wearing it a lot on the coldest days when it's ideal under a tweed jacket. Highly recommended. See The Tailor Retailored for more information.
Neil Wildman-Whitten weaves scarves and blanket from wool from The Falkland Islands. Each item he makes takes several hours of work and he applies to each a very personal touch as he weaves it on his own loom.
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| The scarf made in aid of Combat Stress |
He designed and made a Grey Fox scarf from blue/grey and orange wool and I also bought from him a scarf produced in aid of Combat Stress, a charity that supports servicemen and women who suffer from this condition.
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| The scarf designed for Grey Fox is styled with an outfit for spring |
These scarves are ideal for this time of year as they are made of a lighter weight yarn, often blended with silk, making them ideal in spring. The scarves take about two and a half hours to make, exclusive of the dying process, so these are products into which much work, time and expertise have been invested.
All Neil's work is produced very much with customers' requirements in mind and I suggest you get in touch to see what he can do for you. Just Wool Textiles.
Note: In all the features above I was sent products free of charge for review.
Note: In all the features above I was sent products free of charge for review.