Okay. So I may seem totally insane, but I’ve tracked fashion editors’ sweaters for three years and I really want to tell somebody about the craziest thing I’ve figured out.
It all started when I was browsing through street style images from Paris Fashion Week (you know how I do – examining each outfit for potential content inspiration) and I kept seeing the same navy sweater. Now, I don’t mean a sweater similar to the one that everyone else is wearing, I mean the EXACT SAME sweater. Being styled in such vastly different ways, but clearly the same sweater. I have a strange talent for spotting identical items in photos; I’m guessing it’s due to the amount of time I spend researching influencers and trying to figure out where they got their clothes.
Initially I thought it was just some new designer sweater that everyone was receiving as a gift – since this is usually how it happens when you notice several of the same items at fashion week. Brands send the same item to many editors and suddenly it’s EVERYWHERE. However, this sweater looked so… ordinary? Not in a boring sense, but in the sense that it wasn’t screaming “designer collaboration” or “trendy brand moment”.
I was pretty obsessive about finding out what it was. I began taking screenshots of every time I found it, and zoomed in on the smallest detail. I even asked for help in fashion identification Facebook groups, like I was some kind of sweater detective. The big break came when I saw it on a fashion assistant that I actually follow – she tagged Marks & Spencer in her stories and I literally gasped aloud in my apartment. My neighbours probably think I’m losing it.
Marks & Spencer. The most un-glamorous, un-cool, entirely British retailer imaginable. Where your mom purchases sensible cardigans and your dad purchases his work pants. I had to go see this sweater for myself ASAP.
The Pure Cashmere Crew Neck Jumper, sitting there on a rack between some rather dreadful floral tops and some of those bizarre graphic t-shirts that they always place near the cheque-out. It costs £89 currently. Was less expensive when I initially found it. Still, an entire lot less than what most fashion folks spend on knitwear. I purchased it in navy, naturally. Telling myself it was research for content. Honestly, I just needed to know what the excitement was about.
Over the past three years, I’ve acquired it in five colours and I now understand why a random M&S sweater has developed a cult status among individuals who typically purchase only at Net-a-Porter. It’s actually perfect in the most dull, un-sexy manner possible. Which is precisely why it’s so good.
This sweater has a great fit. Someone actually took the time to consider the shape of humans. Not too tight so you can layer it or eat a complete meal without appearing pregnant. Also not too large so you appear to be disappearing into it. The cashmere feels sturdy, not like the flimsy designer versions that tend to develop holes simply by gazing at them incorrectly. Additionally, the colour palette is thoughtful – not simply “blue,” but the perfect navy that coordinates with approximately every article of clothing you possess.
I’ve subjected this sweater to total torture. Coffee spills, getting drenched in the rain, stuffed into extremely packed suitcases. I even accidentally washed it on the incorrect setting when I was half asleep after a late evening editorial session. And it continues to appear fantastic. Which, honestly, feels revolutionary when you’re accustomed to fast-fashion deteriorating after only three wearings.
Perhaps the most fascinating aspect is that it pairs with virtually everything. I’ve worn mine with vintage Levi’s for coffee trips, with a pleated midi skirt for branding events, and even with leather pants for a night out – why not?! It’s akin to the ultimate clothing equivalent of that ideal Instagram filter that enhances everything – it merely improves whatever you pair it with without attempting to be too dramatic.
However, the truly intriguing component – this sweater has turned into a sort of “secret handshake” among fashion elites. At events, I will occasionally observe another individual wearing it. And there will be a fleeting instant of mutual comprehension. As if we’re both members of an exclusive club. With the exception that the membership charge is under a hundred pounds. And anyone may join by simply entering any M&S.
My stylist pal informed me that she keeps one in her kit bag at every photo shoot since it functions with practically anything and she may readily replace it if catastrophe strikes. An additional editor that I am familiar with ordered duplicates in her preferred hues since she genuinely believed that M&S would stop manufacturing it.
These are individuals who have access to every luxury brand you can envision. And they are purchasing knitwear from Marks & Spencer in bulk.
I believe that what’s occurring is that people in the fashion sector are so exhausted by the continuous trend cycle that discovering something genuinely excellent quality that operates beyond it feels nearly rebellious. Like everyone in the business understands that expensive does not necessarily imply superior – we witness the interior workings of markups and advertising. Discovering something that is genuinely well made at a fair price is indeed more fulfilling than acquiring the latest designer drop.
Additionally, there is a value in items that function effectively without requiring you to devote too much attention to them. When you are traveling back and forth between meetings all day, lugging far too many belongings, and are attempting to create a polished appearance despite existing out of tote bags, having dependable essentials in your wardrobe is genuinely helpful. This sweater serves as the Swiss Army knife of knitwear – it merely manages whatever you throw at it.
Nowadays, I play a game of identifying the various types of sweaters at fashion events. At London Fashion Week the previous season, I counted at least six in a single day. All were styled in quite distinct manners. There was the fashion editor who combined hers with a ridiculously puffed-up ruffled skirt that likely cost more than my rental payment. A street style photographer wore it with vintage jeans and designer shoes. I even observed one on someone I’m fairly certain is Anna Wintour’s assistant, although obviously I wouldn’t simply walk up to her and inquire about her sweater preferences.
What’s amusing is that M&S appears to be completely unaware of their takeover of the fashion world. They continue to produce the identical sweater season after season, possibly introducing a few new hues each time, yet consistently maintaining the same design.
I have attempted other affordable cashmere alternatives, of course – Uniqlo’s is acceptable however thinner, COS has some wonderful pieces but they frequently are too directional, and the grocery versions are… well, you get what you pay for. Nevertheless, there is something unique about this specific M&S variation. Perhaps it’s the heft of the knitted fabric, or the method in which they have sliced it, or perhaps it’s the reality that they have been producing essentially the same sweater for years and thus have the opportunity to fine-tune it.
That this isn’t some new phenomenon is really fascinating – I’ve conducted research and fashion enthusiasts have been quietly fanatically enthralled with this sweater for at least a decade. It has endured numerous trend cycles, industry upheavals, and even M&S’s own questionable endeavors to be more fashion-forward. Do you recall when they were attempting to be trendy and directional? We certainly don’t require to re-visit that period.
The durability of this sweater speaks to how fashion functions, as opposed to how people assume it functions. Many people assume that fashion insiders are continuously seeking out the most recent and most exclusive items. However, the majority of the people I know that are truly fashionable construct their wardrobes using amazing fundamentals and then incorporate trends selectively. This sweater fits nicely into that strategy.
I’ve now arrived at the point where I genuinely anticipate the arrival of the next season’s stock when the cashmere area of the M&S website is replenished. The previous year, I programmed my alarm to acquire the burgundy hue online as soon as it was available for purchase in my size. Which is the type of behavior I normally correlate with limited edition Supreme drops. Not M&S knitwear.
The greatest feature is the covert understanding factor. After becoming aware of this sweater, you begin to see it throughout fashion communities. It is similar to the experience of learning a new term, and subsequently hearing it repeatedly. Except instead of pricey-looking knitwear at industry events, it is merely excellent-quality knitwear.
There is something profoundly rewarding regarding being aware of this private secret, particularly in an industry that can appear to be very exclusionary.
Will discussing this render the underground allure null and void? Almost certainly. Nonetheless, the sweater is sufficient that it doesn’t require exclusivity in order to sustain its popularity. It is famous simply because it merits fame. Which, in today’s fashion environment, is almost unbelievable.
