Beige Jumpers Archives - Came Saw Wore

A beige jumper is the one you reach for when you want to look put together without having actually planned anything. It sits between your white shirts and your black trousers and makes both of them look more expensive than they are. It's not a statement, it's a background colour that does a surprisingly good job of making your face look rested, which is more than I can say for most of my wardrobe before nine in the morning.

Knitwear in this colour shows wear differently to black or navy, so it's worth knowing what you're looking at before you buy. Check the fibre content with your hands rather than trusting the label alone: rub the cuff between your fingers, and if it feels thin and slightly plasticky it will bobble within a few wears, especially under a bag strap. A decent wool or wool mix will soften with washing rather than felt or flatten. Wash it less than you think you need to, cold, turned inside out, and dry it flat rather than on a hanger, because beige shows a stretched, dropped shoulder far more obviously than a dark colour does. Pilling happens to almost everything eventually, so a cashmere comb is a better investment than hoping for the best.

If you've got none in your wardrobe yet, start with a plain crew neck in a mid weight, nothing too fine or you'll be able to see through it at the shoulders under a light, and nothing too chunky or it'll only work with one coat. A round neck in a shade closer to oatmeal than camel suits more skin tones, and it's the one you'll wear weekly rather than saving for best. Try it on and check where the ribbing sits at the hip, because a jumper that rides up when you lift your arms will annoy you every single day, not just on special occasions.

It pairs with almost everything you already own precisely because it doesn't compete. Dark denim and loafers for the school run, a straight leg trouser and a gold necklace for work, a slip skirt and boots if you want it to do something slightly dressier in the evening. It sits particularly well under a tailored coat, where the collar shows and the rest disappears, and it looks far better with texture nearby, a leather bag, a suede boot, something with a bit of grain to stop the whole outfit reading as flat.

It earns its spot from early autumn right through to the coldest part of winter, under coats, over shirts, with scarves that would clash horribly against anything bolder. It's also a quietly good one for spring, worn with pale trousers when you want to look like you've made an effort without it being obvious that you have.

Reach for it on the mornings you haven't decided what you're doing yet, and need something that will decide for you.