What to Wear Under an Open Knit Sweater
Holey Moley! Have you noticed all the Open Knit sweaters lately?
Open knit or open stitch is a loose knitting style that creates larger holes, making sweaters see-through and breathable.
These sweaters are trending for spring, and the first question that pops to mind is, what do you wear under an open-knit sweater? Here are a few stylish ideas.
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Wear a Neutral Colored Bra
Open-stitch sweaters, with their semi-see-through nature, are perfect for bridging the gap between spring and summer. They’re warm on cool spring days but not thick and heavy like a winter sweater. They look and feel light and airy.
Sometimes, open-knit sweaters are a little more tightly knitted, sometimes more loosely.
The tightly knitted ones look more texturized than holey, and you can often get away with just wearing a nude bra underneath, and nothing will show through.
For example, this pretty blue open-stitch sweater is a denser knit.
Other open-stitch sweaters are very holey, so you have a few choices. In this case, wearing a nude bra or any color bra is not a choice I would recommend.
I’m not sure if this top above is supposed to look sexy, but I don’t find it flattering at any age.
Wearing a bra under such a holey open knit is too revealing and is “too much information.” I suggest a tank top or camisole underneath to cover the tummy.
Wear a Camisole or Tank Top
For example, I love the look of this open-knit sweater with the built-in camisole. It’s alluring but much classier than baring it all.
What Color Should You Wear Under an Open Knit Sweater?
There are two ways you can go with this. You can wear the same color underneath as your open-knit sweater, so you get a tone-on-tone look that blends.
You can also wear a lighter or darker color underneath to create a high-contrast look. Right now, the high contrast look is big, although I prefer the more elegant monochromatic look.
Orange Open Knit Sweater | Black Open Knit Sweater
Should You Wear something Full Length or Cropped Under your Open Stitch Sweater?
If you want to go with a contrasting look, there are two ways to style it. You can go with a full-length tank or camisole.
Or, I am noticing a lot of cropped tops underneath. These bandeau-type tops and bras are not as revealing as regular bras, but they do show your stomach. It’s more of a younger trend unless you have the confidence to pull it off!
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The Perfect Open Stitch Sweater
Here’s an open-knit sweater that I think is a perfect solution! I Love this chic sweater!
You get the open-knit look at the top where you want it, but your bust and stomach are covered. This is a great find, and it comes in three colors!
Moonlight Open Stitch Cardigan
Wear a Tee Under an Open Knit Cardigan
When you have something like an open-knit cardigan, you can wear a simple white tee under it with white pants, making the sweater stand out. I adore this elegant look!!
Try a Linen Top
You can also wear linen under an open-knit cardigan, which looks great. The key is that a cotton tee or a linen top is lightweight and airy, like the open-knit cardigan, and that’s why they work well together. They have the same natural feel.
Create a Layered Look
When I mentioned that you can wear a tee under an open-knit top, I forgot to mention that you can also leave the tee untucked out for a modern layered look. This open-knit top has the tee built right in. Now, that’s handy!
Open Stitch Sweater and Cardigan
Wear Open Knit Over an Open Knit
How about an open-knit cropped cardigan over an open-knit cropped sweater? I don’t think it looks too heavy, do you? You still might want to wear a nude camisole under this.
It’s Your Choice
Ultimately, what you wear under an open knit sweater is your choice.
There’s no one way to do it. It’s really about what you like and, more importantly, what makes you feel comfortable.
So, what do you think? Would you wear a bra or cropped top under a holey open-knit sweater? What do you think looks best underneath?
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Here are a few other open knit sweaters in stores right now.
Deborah,
As always, your recommendations are classy and appropriate. I would do the tone-on-tone look that blends and a full-length layer underneath. I’m not interested in showing too much. Cheers!
Hi Carolyn, Thank you for the lovely compliment. There are so many variations on how you can wear these tops. One that I saw that was two tones that I did like was all black (top and pants) with a dark brown open-knit sweater layered over top. That actually looked very classy because there wasn’t so much of a contrast, and black and brown together is a very elegant color combo. Thanks for dropping by! Cheers, Deborah