Entering the winter months means layer upon layer of knitwear. Ellie McCreanor offers an alternative to the highstreet this festive season.
The days are getting colder, the nights are getting longer, and it can only mean one thing; sweater season. Instagram feeds everywhere are littered with some form of knitwear, from classic roll necks to on-trend knit vests. Coming into the winter nights and festive season we all want to get our jumper fix, but, this year, consider supporting local. The cardigan in our wonderful fashion shoot (above) is an amazing example of handmade sustainable Irish knitwear by Hope Macauley. Supporting small, Irish brands like this can make such a difference. High street shops aren't jumping up and down when you purchase one of their jumpers, but an independent business owner just might. Furthermore, handmade pieces make truly unique gifts.
In my opinion, vintage shops take the lead when it comes to all things knitwear. If what you're after is the Bella Hadid sweater vest then look no further than your local vintage shop. Sweater vests, ski jumpers, and sweatshirts were rife in the 1980s and 90s, and vintage shops are crammed full of them. Christmas, and the festive season in general, can put pressure on people to overspend on gifts, and many feel that they must gift new. How about a good quality vintage or handmade gift instead? They’re probably more likely to last, and can actually appear more personal and thoughtful than something from the high street. So this sweater season, stop before you spend and think about supporting local.