Men’s Vintage Sweaters: Warm, Comfortable & Stylish

There’s a lot that can be accomplished with a sweater. You can layer it for additional style, you can use it for warmth in the cool months, and you can stay comfortable even if the weather’s not cooperating. But even if you’re already sold on the idea of men’s vintage sweaters, the question remains: which vintage sweater should you pick, and why? Let’s look through some of the most important questions and help you figure it out.

Choice #1: Cardigan or Pullover?

There are two basic types of sweaters: the cardigan and the pullover.

The Cardigan is a button-up option that you sometimes wear like a jacket, choosing to button up or keep it unbuttoned as a layering piece. Cardigans, like any other type of sweater, come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes, including zip-ups as you can find with our Block Knit Cardigan.

The Pullover is essentially the same, except without the seam down the middle. You put it on as you would a T-shirt. Pullovers can also include quarter buttons and half-zips up the middle to give you some degree of variability depending on comfort and the weather. The 5 Gauge Pullover is a great example of a classic pullover.

Which to choose? That depends entirely upon the vintage sweater style you most enjoy. If you like a heavily textured look and enjoy the retro feel of a Cardigan, that may be your choice. For simplicity’s sake, the Pullover is one of the easiest items in the wardrobe to—pardon the pun—pull off.

Choice #2: Colors.

When we say the words “vintage sweater,” what do you picture? Likely a brown sweater, or perhaps something in olive green—the kind of sweater you might have received as a gift as a child.

But even men’s vintage sweaters have much more range than that when it comes to colors. The 5 Gauge Pullover you just saw is available in “firecracker,” which is bright and fun. The Block Knit Cardigan comes in “Chili,” which is a bright, spicy red.

There are more traditional options as well, including the Block Knit Cardigan in Blue Graphite. Typically, you can expect traditional colors to give you more versatility—although the brighter colors tend to get noticed, if that’s what you’re going for.

Choice #3: Buttons or Zippers?

Which one is more comfortable? That’s the essential question here. Zippers tend to be more casual, and buttons more formal, but when you’re wearing a quality sweater, that difference will usually get lost on people.

That’s why it comes down to the simple question of which you prefer. Do you like to zip up a cardigan or button it up? Do you like quarter-zip pullovers or pullovers with partial buttons? There’s no right or wrong answer here.

Choice #4: A Matter of Taste

When you boil it all down, the vintage sweater you pick is entirely up to your individual sense of style. Which sweater do you see that piques your interest—which one can you see yourself wearing?

Buying a men’s sweater that you’ll actually wear is more important than you might think. Clothing can be considered an investment. If you buy a sweater and only wear it once a year, you’ve wasted your money. But if you can find something that matches every one of your personal preferences, you’ll get more and more use out of it for years to come.