It’s important to distinguish between knits and wovens in your wardrobe. Knits are fabrics like jersey, mesh and knitwear. Wovens are fabrics like denim, twill, tweed, raw silk and satin (refer back to my detailed post if you need to refresh your memory on the differences). Each fabric has a set of good and bad properties and there is room for both in your wardrobe.
The pros of knits:
- Predominantly casual
- Comfortable to wear and always stretchy
- Easy to launder
- Relatively inexpensive
- Often wrinkle-resistant (e.g. mesh)
The cons of knits:
- Lack a certain “crispness”
- Never as dressy as a woven
- Shrink and stretch-out
- Look shabby fast (less stable fabric composition)
- Can cling in the wrong places thereby spotlighting muffin top
The pros of wovens:
- Tend to look “crisp”
- Offer a smarter appearance and luxurious integrity
- Add structure to an outfit
- Look pristine for longer, seldom shrinking and losing shape
- Have a rigid fabric composition that combats muffin top
The cons of wovens:
- Not as soft as knits
- Don’t always stretch and sometimes feel restrictive
- Can be laborious to launder (dry clean and press)
- Wrinkle quite easily
- Relatively more expensive
Knitted tops are ideal for busty gals because they stretch comfortably over the bosom (no woven gaping). They also tailor the waistline in ways wovens won’t unless they’re altered, or contain a stretch component. Wovens are a must for all bottoms because they create structure. Knitted bottoms are for lounging and gear only.
I have a strong preference for wovens. I love the way they look and last. I’m usually sporting woven tops, jackets, dresses and skirts. I often wear knitwear and sometimes knitted tops, but I always wear woven bottoms. I seem to be in the minority with my woven preference here in the US. Do you prefer wearing knits, and if so, why?
