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Novelty sweaters have gotten a pretty bad rap over the years and I think we can lay the blame squarely at ugly Christmas sweater parties. When these events became popular, we began looking at some of these amazingly detailed works of art as tacky when the reality is: they are amazing!
And modern designers have caught on in a big way! The king of resurfacing vintage designs, BODE, has an entire section of its website devoted to “novelty knitwear” and none of them are under $800.
This Stella McCartney number, meanwhile? $1,890.
But you know what? You can get handmade knit sweaters just like those for far less. In fact, those very expensive sweaters wouldn’t exist without the much more affordable versions I am about to show you.
cowboys and horses sweater, $199
Below, I’ve rounded up some of the best vintage novelty sweaters on the market today, plus the specific brands to look for and keywords to search to keep the hunt going on your own.
The Brands to Hunt For
Jack B. Quick: These sweaters are peak ’90s, thanks to embellished details and a theme for everyone (black cats, Halloween pumpkins, Santas, flip-flops). They’re less precious than Berek but very cute, and you can find them more affordably.
Bolivian dancing people folk art sweater, $195
Berek: I get so excited if I see this tag in a thrift store or estate sale, because Berek makes a great sweater. In fact, these were often hand-knit in Uruguay, of wool, and are covered in incredibly fun designs: think safari scenes, for instance. Some have a “Marta D” label.
3D children playing sweater, $44
Other brands to keep an eye out for:
Michael Simon
Marisa Christina
Susan Bristol
Mary Maxim
Raquel’s Collection
checkered and rose sweater, $110
The Cowichan
I would be remiss to write an entire article about novelty sweaters and not mention the cowichan, which belongs in the conversation. A cowichan is a thick, shawl-collared sweater that either zips up or buttons and it often features animals or figurative scenes. These are rare and very collectible, with a nice history, as they were developed in the late 19th century by Coast Salish knitters on Vancouver Island, who combined their weaving traditions with European knitting.
1950s dancing blades sweater, $143
There are tons of imitations out there, but a genuine Cowichan will be hand-knit by a Coast Salish knitter and made of raw, unprocessed wool. If you stumble upon a vintage cowichan with a knitter’s label, you’ve got yourself a find.
hand-knit folk art sweater, $159 // hand-knit cardigan, $139
Keywords to Search
“Hand knit” + the motif: “hand knit sheep sweater,” “hand knit safari cardigan,” “hand knit cat sweater”
“Intarsia sweater”: intarsia is the knitting technique behind most picture sweaters, and sellers who use the word usually know what they have
“Ramie cotton cardigan” + “beaded” or “embroidered”: this brings up the ’90s Jack B. Quick type designs
“Cowichan” or “Coast Salish sweater”, plus “shawl collar” or “eagle”
“Novelty sweater”
“Made in Uruguay” sweater or “Peruvian sweater” (a roundabout way to turn up Berek and some of the other brands listed above)
1970s French Folies Bergere sweater, $40
One of my go-to skincare brands, Uni, has already started early access for their Black Friday sale and everything is 30% off. I am a huge fan of the Sunset perfume and the 24-hour body serum, which I use every single day.
It’s starting to get a little bit chilly in Florida (temps are slated to drop to the 40s this weekend!) so I bought a winter coat. This one is super chic and wearable.
I also bought a case of this peppermint mocha made with pistachio milk. ‘Tis the season, right?