The Saviors of the Transition Season: Merino and Cotton Sweaters
How Different Materials Can Help us Navigate the Transition Season
The transition season is upon us, the summer weather has passed us (mostly), the American’s have celebrated Labor Day and in traditional circles the boat shoes, linen, and white clothes must be left for next year. Although there is something people don’t tell you about this season: no one knows what to wear and you’re not alone. In this guide I will show you what I’m wearing this season and how you can feel more comfortable, not having to worry about the small pockets of heat or oddly cold mornings.
The key to the season is versatility and layers. Whether that means wearing a sweater over your shirt in the morning or a light coat for those frigid evenings, you should always be prepared, rain or shine. Here in New England, we have temperatures ranging from 9C (48F) to 24C (75F) in the same week, which leaves us clothing lovers somewhat of a dilemma. Grab our wool sweaters or our cotton shirts. Luckily, we have a happy medium known gratefully as the Cotton Sweater. While the cotton sweater gets a lot of hate for its lack on insulating properties and lightweight, during this transition season that is its greatest strength. Cotton sweaters often come in thick ribbed knits that are perfect for this season, with the appearance of a wool sweater and weight of a light jacket you can rest easy knowing that you won’t be sweating or freezing during the day.
Speaking of sweating and freezing, the more expensive and utilitarian alternative to the cotton sweater is Merino Wool. Merino can be used in a multitude of applications, from light sweaters, to thick brushed goods, to hiking socks and anything in between; It really is the do-it-all material. Merino not only insulates but also wicks moisture very effectively and won’t smell like cotton due to the natural antimicrobial properties of wool. Air drying the material will allow it to breathe and reset its fibers, getting rid of any odors that may have accumulated during the day. Where cotton really falls short is where Merino excels. Ask any mariner what material they would want on the boat, and they would say Merino, this is because it is incredibly good at insulating even when wet. On a rainy-day cotton absorbs and holds onto moisture making it incredibly cold, but wool continues to insulate. Wool is said to maintain almost 80 percent of its insulating properties when wet which makes it the first choice for skiers, sailors, and hikers alike.
If you are looking to buy a new sweater this season there are a few notes that I took while doing some research online. The only brand that I saw that had Merino in their fall collection this year was Brooks Brothers with their Ultimate Merino Crewneck offering, which was a shocking surprise especially considering the recent environmental trends that have brought it into the spotlight. Cotton sweaters on the other hand seem to be everywhere now. J Crew has made most of their sweater lineup in the material. From the heavily pushed Rollneck style, which is defining the 2025 collection to the classic crewnecks, ribbed knits, and the new basket stitch sweaters. If you are in the market for a V-Neck sweater sadly there are not too many options but J Press has their traditionally styled “Made in Scotland” V Neck Cotton Tennis Sweater although for a price of $540 it is definitely not for the masses. Polo made some interesting choices with the materials in their wool-blend this year which includes a 60-20-20 blend of Viscose and Nylon. Viscose is meant to mimic the softness of wool in a blend although being an incredibly weak fiber it is often supplemented by the nylon. In my experience it is best to stay away from these blends as the strength benefits of nylon are counteracted by the viscose material to save money in manufacturing. Be careful with what you buy when it comes to sweaters as the wrong material can leave you incredibly cold or burning hot during this time of year, when the goal is not to find many materials; just one jack of all trades.
It’s definitely cotton sweater time here now. As you say, just the right amount of extra layer. It’s too soon for lambswool and Shetland sweaters, but I’m looking forward to it.
Vintage Jos. A Bank Travelers sweaters can still be bought, new with tags, from eBay for a reasonable price, in navy and burgundy, classic trad colors. I don’t know if they’re still making these. Brooks Brothers still has cotton sweaters, I believe.