What Is Waffle Knit Sweater? New Season's Trends
A change of clothing always accompanies the change of seasons. In a previous post, we introduced the beloved cardigan sweater, and now I'm introducing another late-fall friend: the waffle knit sweater. Its lightness and texture add a touch of spontaneity and style to fall and winter. Let's step into the world of waffle knit sweaters and feel the warmth and beauty of the details.
This post will also teach you how to better match the waffle knit sweater and provide other useful tips about it. Please take a few minutes to learn more about it with me.
What Is Waffle Knit Sweater?
As the name suggests, a waffle knit sweater is made using the waffle knitting process. Waffle knitting, also known as honeycomb knitting or mesh knitting, is a knitting technique in which yarn is knitted in a specific way to create a mesh-like texture that resembles the uneven surface of a waffle. This knitting process not only gives the sweater a unique visual effect but also achieves a good balance of warmth and breathability.
Why Waffle Knit Sweater Is So Popular?
In recent years, as the understanding of fashion has become increasingly diversified, many styles of sweaters have been included in the fashion list, such as cardigan sweaters, zipper sweaters, and waffle knit sweaters.Below, I will give you a few reasons why it is so popular:
Unique Visual Effect: The waffle knit sweater gives a fashionable and edgy visual effect with its unique grid-like texture. This texture not only breaks the monotonous feeling of traditional sweaters but also visually increases the sense of layering and three-dimensionality, making the sweater more vivid and interesting.
Good Warmth: Although the texture of the waffle knit sweater seems to be more transparent, in fact, due to its unique knitting process, the interweaving between the yarns is more tightly knitted, which effectively locks in the heat, making the sweater not inferior to traditional sweaters in terms of warmth.
Excellent Breathability: The waffle knit sweater's grid-like texture not only gives it a unique visual effect but also excels in breathability. This breathability makes the sweater more comfortable to wear without being too stuffy and uncomfortable.
Variety of Styles and Colors: As fashion trends evolve, waffle knit sweaters are becoming increasingly diverse in style and color. From simple basic models to complex patterned models, from classic black and white gray to bright color families, consumers can choose according to their own preferences and needs.
Is there a waffle knit sweater that has all of these benefits? Yes, there is.
The Waffle Knit Sweater Everyone Is Choosing: GentleKnit Buttoned Waffle Sweater
Waffle knit is designed to create a honeycomb effect, trapping warm body air within the fabric. This makes it perfect for layering or wearing alone. This waffle sweater features a classic Henley design and a single chest pocket for a casual look and comfortable fit.
The Do's and Don'ts of Picking a Waffle Knit Sweater:
If you don't know how to pick a waffle knit sweater that suits you, read our suggestions.
Material selection: when choosing a waffle knit sweater, you should focus on its material first. High-quality materials such as wool and cashmere keep you warm and feel soft and cozy. At the same time, these materials are also very breathable and moisture-wicking, making the sweater more comfortable.
Size selection: Choose according to your body characteristics. For thin consumers, choose a slightly loose style; for fat consumers, choose a slightly slimmer style to show a better body line.
Color selection: In the color selection, consumers can choose according to their own skin color, temperament, and wear occasions. For consumers with white skin, they can choose sweaters of various colors; for consumers with darker skin, they can choose some bright or light-colored sweaters to brighten their skin tone. At the same time, consumers can also choose different colors of sweaters for different occasions to create a different atmosphere and style.
Detail check: when buying a waffle knit sweater, carefully check its detail parts. Whether the collar, cuffs, hem, and other portions of the sweater are level and symmetrical; whether the texture of the sweater is clear and even; whether the sweater's workmanship is satisfactory; and so on, these details not only affect the beauty of the sweater but also its wearing comfort and service life.
How to Style a Mock Neck Waffle Knit Sweater?
When you have a satisfactory waffle knit sweater in your hand but don't know how to style it or are still hesitant to buy one, I can tell you clearly: you can buy it, and you won't regret it! I will give you a detailed outfit matching, so you will become a fashionista after a minute.
Basic Matching: A waffle knit sweater is a basic item that can be matched with all kinds of underwear. For example, pairing it with jeans and casual pants can create a casual and easy-going style, while pairing it with sweatpants can show a sunny and positive temperament.
Layering: Layering is a popular way of matching in the fall and winter seasons. Waffle knit sweaters can be used as an inner layer with jackets, coats, and other items to keep you warm and stylish. Because the sweater texture and color are more prominent, layering can also play a good role in embellishment.
Color matching: Waffle knit sweaters are also highly malleable in terms of color matching. For consumers who like simple style, you can choose to match the sweater color with similar or the same underwear to create a sense of wholeness; for consumers who like color collision, you can choose to match the sweater color with contrasting underwear to create a fashionable and avant-garde visual effect.
Accessory embellishment: In the matching process, appropriate accessory embellishment can be the finishing touch. For example, a delicate necklace or bracelet can add male-trend temperament, while a fashionable hat or scarf can enhance the overall sense of fashion.
How to Shrink a Waffle Knit Sweater?
To shrink a waffle knit sweater, you can try the following methods. However, some of them may cause irreversible damage to the sweater, so please consider carefully and test them on an inconspicuous part of the sweater first before proceeding. This method also applies to other types of sweaters, provided that you first look at the sweater's material, which has a different degree of temperature control from one material to another.
Hot Water Immersion Method:
Fully immerse the sweater in hot water (the water's temperature depends on the sweater's material and the desired degree of shrinkage, but it is usually recommended not to exceed 60 degrees Celsius to avoid deformation or damage to the sweater).
Let the sweater soak in the hot water for 15 to 30 minutes. Take off the sweater and, without pulling or wringing, slowly squeeze out the extra water.
Place the sweater flat on a clean towel. Roll the towel and sweater up together, and then press them together gently to remove any extra water.
Drying Method:
If conditions allow, you can use a dryer to speed up the shrinking process of your sweater. Place the sweater in the dryer and select the low-temperature drying mode.
Keep a close eye on the condition of the sweater during the drying process so that over-drying will not cause deformation or damage.
Once drying is complete, remove the sweater and immediately sort it to ensure its shape and texture meet expectations.
Steam Treatment Method:
Steam treat your sweater using a steam iron or steam hang iron.
The steam causes the sweater fibers to shrink with heat, but this method requires precise control of the temperature and duration of the steam to avoid unnecessary damage to the sweater.
After the steam treatment, following the above steps for drying and finishing is necessary.
Can I Wash My Waffle Knit Sweater in the Washing Machine?
Due to their special knit structure and material, waffle-knit sweaters may be fragile and susceptible to damage from mechanical forces. If the sweater's label clearly states "not machine washable" or "do not tumble dry," it is better not to tumble dry the sweater in a washing machine to avoid deformation, shrinkage, or damage.
If the sweater's label does not clearly state that machine washing or tumble drying is prohibited, it is recommended to avoid using the tumble dry function, even if the sweater can be washed in a washing machine, considering the special characteristics of waffle knit sweaters.
Conclusion
Waffle knit sweaters have become a favorite fashion item for many consumers due to their unique knitting craftsmanship and fashion sense.
By understanding the definition, characteristics, matching techniques, and selection considerations of waffle knit sweaters, we can better choose and match this fashion item to show our personality and style. We hope this article can provide useful references and help for our readers.
