‘Green’ Jumpers For Chilly Weather

TOAST Remnant Yarn Hand Knitted Sweater, £395, toa.st

TOAST has been steadily decreasing the use of manmade fibres in its garments, with over 85% of the materials now used being natural. For the Remnant Yarn Sweater, TOAST collaborated with B Corp knitwear brand KOCO, who empower rural communities of women in Southern India by teaching them to read and write whilst equipping them with traditional hand knitting skills. The sweater is made by hand using reclaimed remnant yarns, a handmade yarn created by tying together leftover threads from previous garment production.

Chinti & Parker Pink Two-Tone Textured Wool-Cashmere Sweater, £250, chintiandparker.com

Chinti & Parker has been working on making its supply chain completely traceable for the public. While much of production still happens abroad, the brand currently produces 10% (a percentage Chinti & Parker plan on increasing in the future) of each collection in the UK at a London-based factory not far from its headquarters. The Two-Tone Sweater is a blend of wool and cashmere, which are both highly renewable and long-lasting fibres that make them a great sustainable natural material.

SEP Jordan Organic Cotton Hoodie Sultan Han®, £189, sepjordan.com

SEP Jordan is a fashion and lifestyle business with a social impact focus. Founded in 2013 by Roberta Ventura, the brand employs its artists from the refugee women living in the Jerash ‘Gaza’ Camp in Jordan. The brand has a goal to be carbon neutral by next year, and continues to do so by creating handmade products that are stylish, eco-friendly, and create opportunities for women to be economically independent. The 100% Organic Cotton Hoodie is a greener alternative option to mass-produced outerwear, as it is made entirely from natural materials and is decorated with hand-embroidered designs to reduce carbon emissions.

An Interview with Roberta Ventura, Founder of SEP Jordan

Celtic & Co Statement Donegal Jumper, £108, celticandco.com

Taking a slow approach to fashion is Celtic & Co, who has been a pioneer of slow fashion since the brand launched in 1990. With a circular business model in the works and the majority of products made within the UK, Celtic & Co seek to create garments that have longevity and trans-seasonal value. The Statement Donegal Jumper is crafted with yarns spun in Ireland and is blended with pure new wool to create a textured effect. To be exact, the jumper is made from 85% Donegal and 15% pure new wool, and is comprised of fully traceable guaranteed non-mulesed wool.

Johnstons of Elgin Cropped Roll Neck Cashmere Jumper in Cashew, £335, johnstonsofelgin.com

Johnstons of Elgin has worked with natural, renewable and biodegradable fibres since 1797, and has been working to drastically reduce its environmental footprint. With the motto ‘The single most significant commitment we can all make to sustainability is to buy less and buy better’, the brand has dedicated itself to creating high-quality products are made to last and will biodegrade naturally when they finally reach the end of their life. The Cropped Roll Neck Jumper is made locally in Hawick, Scotland using 100% cashmere, one of the best sustainable and renewable fibres for manufacturing long-lasting clothing items.

Needle & Thread Pretty Cable Midline Jumper in Sweet Green, £250, needleandthread.com

Patagonia Women’s Lightweight Synchilla® Snap-T® Fleece Pullover, £110, patagonia.com

American outdoor clothing company Patagonia has been spreading the word about the environmental crisis since is launch in 1973, and commits 1% of total sales to environmental groups and charities as part of One Percent for the Planet. The brand, who achieved B Corp status this year, uses 100% traceable down throughout its product lines and uses recycled materials in 87% of its lines. The Lightweight Synchilla Fleece Pullover  is made with 100% recycled Synchilla polyester fleece and is Fair Trade Certified™ sewn.

Mara Hoffman Olla Sweater, £237.86, marahoffman.com

Mara Hoffman has openly shared its journey to being a better clothing manufacturer – including the challenges it has faced along the way. When sourcing materials for its designs, the brand prioritises natural, recycled and organic fibres, while avoiding fur, leather, mulesed sheep wool or feathers. The Olla Sweater is made using 90% organic wool and 10% spandex, the former of which is grown without the use of pesticides or synthetic fertilizers and requires less irrigation as it relies mainly on rainwater. Mara Hoffman only use Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) certified organic cotton fabric, which is widely recognised as the gold standard of sustainable processing for clothing and textiles.

Baukjen Brooklyn Organic Zip Sweatshirt in Bright Emerald, £85, baukjen.com

Holding the title of the No. 1 Certified B Corp in the UK fashion industry and the second highest ranking in Europe, Baukjen have shown they produce products that kind to people and planet. Famed for re-commerce initiatives like rental, subscription and care and repair, Baukjen is a brand you should have at the top of your eco watch list. The Brooklyn Organic Zip Sweatshirt has a list of sustainable attributes, including low water usage and impact during manufacture, which have been kindly outlined by Baukjen on its website.

Finisterere Lammer Jumper, £95, finisterre.com

Certified B Corp Finisterre has held sustainability at the heart of its practice since its conception in 2003, and has continued to create products that highlight the brand’s love of the sea (and its mission to protect it). In 2017, Finisterre made a commitment to reduce its reliance on conventional cotton and instead increase its use of alternative natural fibres, which require reduced water and pesticides to grow. The Lammer Jumper is just one example of this goal, as it is comprised of 80% Extra Fine Merino and 20% Polyamide. The jumper itself is also traceable to the factory it was made in: R Todds in Romania.

Green Heroes: Tom Kay, founder of Finisterre

Stella McCartney Keep in Touch Cropped Jumper, £775, stellamccartney.com

When we say sustainable luxury, we think of Stella McCartney. Alongside championing innovative sustainable material such as Coreva™ biodegradable stretched denim, Aquafil Econyl® and ROICA™ elastane, the brand is a big fan of animal alternatives and natural materials. For its jumpers, Stella McCartney opts for virgin wool, a material that is rapidly renewable, biodegradable, recyclable and produced organically – making it a greener choice than other blend jumpers.

Sheep Inc V-Neck in Poppy Red, £160, sheepinc.com

Sheep Inc are dedicated to contemporary knitwear that has a positive impact on the world, without the use of synthetic materials and micro-plastics. The V-Neck jumper is made from 100% Merino wool sourced from regenerative New Zealand farms and is knitted using solar-powered, zero-waste machines in a seamless knit. It also includes a removable NFC tag to trace the garment’s origins to the farm it came from – and give you updates on your very own sheep.

Berjoan x A. Goacher Hand Emboridered Citrine Jumper, £280, berjoan.co.uk

Berjoan works with UK manufacturers to produce clothing in small batches – and with as little waste as possible. Using remnant yarn from its British wool knitwear production, this limited edition hand embroidered jumper was created in partnership with A. Goacher, a designer tackles waste by utilising what has already been made. The jumper is fully traceable, having been made with Yorkshire-spun British wool that featured in Berjoan’s SS21 collection.