Sweatering

By Scott Fraser, Founder of Scott's Sweaters | 35 Years of Sweater Design I've been designing men's sweaters for 35 years. Using mostly fibers such as angora, mohair, and alpaca, I've fitted everyone from everyday guys to primetime television celebrities — including one famous actress who told me she receives free sweaters from the world's most famous designers, yet still comes to me because she actually wants to wear what I make. In three and a half decades, I've heard nearly every sweater frustration a man can have. "I'm a big guy and sweaters make me look even larger." "They're too itchy." "I run hot — I'm always taking them off." These aren't minor complaints. They're the reason so many men have given up on sweaters entirely. That ends today. Here's what I've learned about choosing the right sweater for your body type, your lifestyle, and your life. First: Get Your Measurements Right (And Ignore the Label) Before we talk body types, let's talk about the single biggest mistake men make when buying sweaters: trusting the size label. Manufacturer sizing is wildly inconsistent. Different brands use completely different standards, and a "Large" in one label is a "Medium" in another. Never assume that because your favorite sweater is a size large, another brand's large will fit the same way. Here's what actually works. Take a sweater you already own that fits you well. Lay it flat and measure:   Armpit to armpit Mid-shoulder to bottom hem Sleeve length from shoulder edge to cuff Those three numbers tell you everything. When shopping — especially online — match those measurements to the garment's listed dimensions and you'll get a guaranteed fit every time. One more tip: if you see a sweater being modeled in an unusual or awkward pose in an advertisement, it's usually because the garment doesn't fit the model well. That's your cue to keep scrolling. For Larger Men: The Cardigan is Your Best Friend If you're a bigger guy who avoids sweaters because they make you look even larger, I understand — and I have good news. The key is the cardigan. Because the front opens, you can wear it casually unbuttoned, which drapes your frame rather than wrapping it. This creates a relaxed, cloaking effect that a pullover simply cannot. Pullovers draw the eye directly to your size; cardigans redirect it. A few more rules for larger men: Stick to solid colors. Plaid patterns, in particular, actively emphasize size. Avoid them entirely. Loose fitting is your friend. A sweater that hugs your frame will highlight it. Give yourself room. Watch out for pullover length. If you carry weight in your midsection, pullovers have a tendency to ride up at the waist, making them look too short. Cardigans eliminate this problem. Choose soft, fuzzy fibers like angora or mohair. Beyond the practical benefits, these fibers have a visual softness that actually affects how people perceive you. Larger men who wear angora or mohair cardigans tend to come across as more approachable and less imposing. It's a subtle but real effect I've observed over decades. Avoid cotton sweaters. Cotton deforms quickly to your shape and loses its structure fast. A quality natural wool fiber sweater should last a lifetime. A cheap cotton one won't survive a single winter looking good. For Smaller or Average-Framed Men: The World Is Your Oyster Smaller framed men have a genuine advantage when it comes to sweaters — almost any style works. But that freedom comes with its own set of choices. Mohair is a particularly striking choice for slimmer men. A fluffy mohair sweater makes a bold statement and signals a confident, individualistic sense of style. Men who wear it tend to be the kind of person who isn't dressing to blend in — they're dressing to be remembered. Plaids, stripes, and colorful Nordic yoke designs all work beautifully on smaller frames. These are patterns that would overwhelm a larger silhouette but add energy and personality to a slimmer one. One word of caution: alpaca. I love alpaca — it's a wonderful fiber, heavier and incredibly warm. But because of that weight, alpaca sweaters tend to droop and elongate. For smaller men, this can be unflattering. My advice: don't avoid alpaca entirely, but find somewhere you can try-on a few before you buy. For average-framed men, the options are even broader. A thin crewneck or V-neck sweater layered under a suit jacket or over a collared dress shirt and tie looks polished and professional. A striped sweater takes on a sporty, outdoorsy feel. Plaids read as relaxed and casual. The key is matching the sweater's personality to the occasion. The Itch Problem: What's Really Going On "Sweaters are too itchy" is one of the most common things I hear — and it's worth understanding why some sweaters itch before you can solve it. Natural fibers — wool, mohair, angora, alpaca — all have microscopic scales on their shafts. The coarser those scales and the wider the gaps between them, the itchier the fiber feels against skin. Standard wool is quite coarse. Merino wool (from specially bred sheep) is meaningfully softer, but it's still wool. Mohair is lighter than wool but retains heat almost as well. The tradeoff: both mohair and wool will itch if worn directly against bare skin. The solution is simple — layer them over a thick long-sleeved shirt. Worn over a flannel shirt, you'll never feel the itch, and you'll be extraordinarily warm. For those who want maximum warmth with little itch concern, consider Icelandic sweaters. They deliver the full warmth of wool without the heavy weight, come in stunning intricate hand-knit designs, and worn over a hoodie, they're among the most comfortable frigid-weather garments a man can own. As for angora — my personal specialty — it is among the softest fibers available. The softness comes at a price, but it also comes with something you can't fake: an unmistakable luminous luster that is immediately visible the moment you walk into a room. I have high-end sales professionals among my most loyal customers — jewelers, luxury car salesmen, entertainers — who wear angora precisely because people notice it. In their world, you display wealth to make wealth, and a fine angora sweater does that quietly but unmistakably. The Temperature Problem: Cardigans, Again If you move between cold outdoor temperatures and warm indoor offices throughout the day, pullovers are working against you. Peeling off a pullover in a meeting or a lobby is awkward. Putting it back on when you head outside is equally so. The answer, again, is the cardigan. Unbuttoning or unzipping a cardigan to let heat escape is effortless and discreet. It's the most practical solution to temperature regulation I know of, and it works regardless of your body type. Don't Buy Cheap Sweaters I'll be direct: a $50 "cashmere" sweater from a chain department store contains, at best, barely perceptible amounts of actual cashmere — and what's there comes from the reject fiber bin, used only so the manufacturer can print the word on the label. These sweaters will look tired after a single season. A quality natural fiber sweater — properly cared for — should last you a lifetime. The math actually favors investing in quality. One sweater at $300 that lasts 20 years costs you far less than replacing a $50 sweater every year. One Final Word: If You've Never Found the Perfect Sweater, Have One Made Years ago, I surveyed my customers with a simple question: When you walk into a crowded room wearing a very nice sweater, do you prefer to (A) blend in casually, (B) not be noticed more than anyone else, or (C) immediately stand out as discernably different from everyone else? Almost universally, they chose C. My customers aren't buying sweaters just for warmth. They're buying them for presence. If you've never found a sweater that felt truly right — a great fit, the nicest fiber, the right look — consider having one custom made. The options are genuinely limitless: fiber, color, pattern, fit, style, length. Everything. A knitter once told me something when I was just starting this business, and I've never forgotten it: "It's just knitting. We can make you whatever you want." That's still true. And it's where the perfect sweater has been waiting for you all along. Scott Fraser is the founder of Scott's Sweaters, a men's luxury knitwear brand specializing in angora, mohair, and alpaca designs. He has been designing sweaters for 35 years.

Resizing a sweater via a process called "Blocking" can be useful when a sweater would fit better if just a bit larger or sometimes when a sweater has begun to loose its shape. This method can increase a chest size from two to four inches, body length by two inches and sleeve length by a couple of inches.  The blocking method probably isn't a cure for a sweater shrunken from accidently being put through a dryer cycle. If you haven't any other options you can try blocking it, but there's little chance it'll return to its original size.  (More on that in a future blog post.) To block a sweater with relative ease, it's best to have: Felt blocking board with a one-inch grid pattern Small diameter steel rods "T" pins Clothing measuring tape Clothing steamer Using the steel rods and "T" pins, the sweater is stretched both horizontally and vertically to the desired size and pinned into place. A steamer is slowly run across the fabric causing the yarn to relax and change the memory of the knitted stitches.  Watch the video of me blocking a cardigan sweater

Knitting a sweater designed using artificial intelligence.

.. there are a surprising number of men nick-named "Pink." 

... three people – on the first day - asking where they could obtain one...