Knitted textiles are used to create clothing known as knitwear. In comparison to woven clothing, knitwear is softer and comfier. Plus, it has superior flexibility, absorption capacity, and wrinkle resistance compared to woven fabrics, making it a superior material for the aforementioned application categories.
So, most female consumers love rocking it, especially as the colder months approach.
Here’s how businesses can excel in making sales this season by following the market trends. But first, how big is the market?
Table of Contents
A brief rundown of the women’s knitwear key items market
5 premium women’s knitwear key items of A/W 22-23
Get the most out of these trends
A brief rundown of the women’s knitwear key items market
The knitwear market is expected to reach over $1.6 trillion in the year 2030, rising at a CAGR of 12%. In 2021, the market for knitwear was estimated to be worth approximately $582 billion.
The increase in sporting activities like aerobics, athletics, football, and cricket can be linked to the rising demand for various knitted sportswear (t-shirts, pants, shorts, socks, etc.). Also, more consumers are seeking more lightweight and high-performance wear, especially during the colder months.
The Asia Pacific region has the largest pie of the market, mainly due to countries like China, India, and Japan. Following, there are Europe and North America, which are also key players in the knitwear market.
5 premium women’s knitwear key items of A/W 22-23
Crew
This core group is responsible for a mature aesthetic that emphasizes useful simplicity. Although business casual attire used to predominate, now the crew trends come with color and yarn updates in the form of warm earth tones and autumnal oranges.
This style boldly features plush wear from fabrics like wool, cotton, fur, and sheepskin. They are extremely comfortable and durable—so most female consumers love rocking them.
Another worthy mention is the brushed and velvety textures of the crew trend—upgraded into more sophisticated matched sets and wiser parts. With its prominent geometrics and contemporary elements, the graphic pattern also sends a strong fashion message.
Fur coats are key examples of the crew trend, a sweater made entirely of fur can be paired with leather or faux leather trousers. Female consumers can also opt for denim pants.
A prominent style in this category is the crew matching set. With the top and bottom matching in both material and style, it could go in different ways. These matching sets are perfect for semi-casual and formal events.
The business casual attire features suits and jackets incorporated into the entire look to make it more formal for events in the fall and winter seasons. Coming in beige and camel colors, these wears are perfect as work material for women in the autumn and winter seasons.
For work leisure styles, which are adored by all women, a soft sweater or coat does the trick. Women who are inherently experimental can hook this crew neck sweater up with satin and linen skirts or trousers, which are really light materials and contrast well with the thickness of the top.
Knitted dress
The season’s major elements include flexible dressing, and designers are exploring the knitted dress appeal as a work-leisure and business-casual mainstay. In keeping with the well-known awestruck trend, smooth polished yarns offer a refined effect, which many females love to rock in knitted dresses during the fall and winter season because of its cozy and warm feel.
Off-the-shoulder silhouettes aren’t the only major new focus with the knitted dress; shoulder details are another. Showing some skin has always been a key favorite for women who love to go to the occasional bars and pubs.
These knitted off-shoulder dresses feature designs like the corset top look, the nipped-in-waist, and even statement sleeves that are oversized.
In soft brushed yarns for comfortable party fashions, comfort-led silhouettes have evolved into more elegant designs. These also usually come with statement sleeves that drape over the wrist.
Consumers can wear this knitted dress as a gown, and women who are feeling adventurous can adorn it with netted socks.
The elegant comfort style trend bleeds fashion from every orifice as it features gowns that are out of this world. Ankle length and made entirely of plush materials like wool and fur, every woman would want these in their wardrobes.
Fluffy yarns and maxi silhouettes prioritize comfort over fashion in the autumn and winter seasons. But they don’t fall behind on the latter—as the fabrics used for these are also aesthetically appealing while completely weather friendly.
Cardigan
The adaptable cardigan’s market share in the knitwear selection keeps rising. There were styles for every occasion, from slouchy to slim-fitting and cropped.
To capitalize on this trend, smarter features like the collar and delicate brushed textures were added. Every lady aims to have a cardigan in her wardrobe; they are excellent for layering during the cold months.
These cardigans are composed of a variety of fabrics, and each material has a specific purpose. In terms of vital clothing, the cardigan plays a greater role in keeping the body warm during the winter and autumn seasons.
They are also great pieces to layer over dresses to create a distinct look from a fashion standpoint. An example is the belted cardigan with a nice and truly distinctive design. It features a belt that may be tied to fit around the waist. In the winter, this style of cardigan is ideal for a relaxed appearance. The layout is quite straightforward and uses neutral tones like beige and nude. The cardigan is encircled by the belt. Consumers can pair it with beautiful blue denim trousers or satin pants.
Wool serves as the primary component of this cardigan, along with other materials like cashmere, mohair, polyamide, lurex, and elastin.
As evidenced by the cropped cardigan, there are occasions when purchasing a shorter white cardigan is the ideal way to look stylish. This cardigan’s biggest feature is that you can wear it with both dresses and jeans. The design is really straightforward and uses few colors. It has little silver buttons in the middle and full sleeves.
Sweater vest
The retail market for adaptable knitwear is expanding and refreshing traditional knitwear assortments. This item has gained popularity in tandem with the layering trend and may be found in both casual and elegant looks.
In support of wiser styles, plunging necklines, lifted ribs, and funny-shaped straps add glitz to create the sweater vest clothing, which consumers can wear both on cold nights and during the day.
The knitted vest with cozy cables gives off a cozy vibe. The knitted vest cardigan can be fashioned from cool or woolen materials. Female consumers can make their choice whether to rock the wool or fur sweater vest based on the autumn and winter seasons. The knitted vest tops are one of a kind and have distinctive designs.
The engineered ribs knit vest top looks great with a long skirt, leggings, or denim pants. The knit vests are all one color; they don’t have any accent colors. To provide a straightforward yet stylish look, they feature many design patterns and styles.
Poncho
The poncho is designed in a variety of silhouettes to go with various looks, including shawl, cape, and over-the-head looks.
Cropped shapes are streamlined and simple, following the trend for multifunctional pieces that are visible, while cocooning styles in winter brights and glowing autumnal tones underscore the growth of pared-down boho styles.
The poncho is essentially a sweater scarf shirt as it has one hole which the neck passes through and the rest of the garment drapes over the torso, shoulders, and back. They come in kaleidoscopic patterns which are optically appealing.
The cropped poncho is another magical style that feels like a turtleneck with its robust and draped neck. But it’s also cut around the torso and back. It pairs well with chinos trousers and regular satin pants. Consumers who want to give off a Mexican-cowboy look can pair the poncho with blue or black denim pants.
Get the most out of these trends
Because these knitwear trends are the focus and top choice for autumn and winter this year, the market for women’s apparel will most likely not see a shortage of demand. So, retailers can capitalize on these trends. The knitted ponchos are for buffets and get-togethers, and the crew tops are for women to sleep in or layered with outerwear jackets.
The knitted cardigans are for less formal parties with friends and family. Then there are the crews and dresses for seminars and business meetings, as well as sweater vests for women who prefer to hang out or go for dinner dates.
