Knitwear is where most of the winter wardrobe actually lives, because it is what you wear indoors as well as out. The useful distinction is not jumper versus cardigan but how the knit is built.

Cardigans open, which sounds obvious but is the whole point: you can put one on at nine and take it off at eleven without changing your outfit. They are the answer to an office that runs cold. Jumpers and roll-necks are warmer for the same weight because there is no opening at the front, and a roll-neck covers the gap a scarf usually has to fill. Knitted vests add a layer over a shirt without committing to sleeves, which works better than it sounds on a mild autumn day.

On texture: cable knits are heavier and hold their shape; ribbed knits have more stretch and follow the body; fine knits layer flat under a coat without bulking up the shoulders. Cropped styles sit with high-waisted trousers, longline styles work over everything.

Care. Where the supplier has specified the composition it is listed on the product page. As a rule, a cool wash and drying flat keeps knitwear in shape far longer than a tumble dryer will.

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