How to style a baggy sweater

If you’re looking for a little extra warmth and comfort on colder days of the year, a sweater can be the perfect item of clothing. Traditionally knitted or crocheted garments, they're often worn over shirts or T-shirts to help trap heat.   

Whether you don’t know what a sweater is, have never worn one before or simply want help with how best to wear one as temperatures gradually begin to drop, our guide will help to address all of your concerns.

What to wear under a wool sweater

How you wear your sweater is of course entirely up to you, but there are some general pointers you might wish to bear in mind. Because of how thick and warm wool sweaters can be, you may decide to wear one without a t-shirt or shirt underneath. However, if your wool sweater is a little abrasive on your skin, it could be preferable to wear a layer underneath it to prevent any itchiness.   

If you decide to wear a t-shirt underneath your sweater, you need to check that the colour doesn’t clash with your sweater. There’s always a chance that you’ll be able to see it popping up around your collar, and even if you’ve chosen a sweater that’s tight around the neck, there’s a risk that a bad colour combination will ruin your outfit.   

T-shirts are well suited for wearing underneath sweaters, but if you’re looking for a more smart casual or even formal feel, you could consider a polo shirt or smart shirt.

How to wear a shirt with a sweater

Whether it’s appearing smart casual for Christmas day with your family or attending an upmarket event, wearing a shirt under a sweater offers a suitable mix between looking relaxed and formal.   

To pull off this look, your sweater must be big enough to fit comfortably around your shirt. You should tuck your shirt into your trousers and place the jumper on top of it, ensuring that the shirt doesn’t bunch up in areas underneath your sweater. You then have the option of putting your collar over the sweater, but it often looks better and more natural to fold the collar under the sweater.

How to reshape a sweater

After several uses, your sweater may look and feel different to when you bought it and wore it for the first time. However, the good news is there are some methods you can try to get this garment back to its original condition.   

Your main focus should be on how you wash your sweater. If you’re washing and drying your sweater along with other items of clothing, you may not recognise the harm you could be doing. For instance, too much heat is often bad for knitted garments, as it can damage the fibres and undo the threading of the material.   

However, when done correctly, washing can restore your sweater back to its original condition, so it’s worth taking extra measures to get this right.  

How to reshape a sweater by washing it:   

-       Start by pretreating any stains with products that specifically work on the sweater’s material. 

-       Fill a bowl with cold water, add half a teaspoon of detergent and mix.

-       Wearing rubber gloves, soak the sweater in the bowl and leave it for five minutes.

-       Remove the sweater from the bowl and rinse the water from it, but don’t wring the water out of it as that could cause further damage.   

-       When you’ve got as much water out of it as possible, lie it on a flat, absorbent towel. 

-       If the towel becomes too wet, move the sweater to another towel and use a third towel to pat down the side facing up. 

-       You can now begin to massage the sweater into its original shape. 

-       Leave the sweater for 24 hours and if it’s not dry after this time, flip it over and leave it for another 24 hours.   

If you’re washing your sweater in the washing machine, try using a laundry bag, change the settings to a cold temperature and only use minimal detergent. Once it’s out of the washing machine, reshape and dry it in the way outlined above.