American Vintage’s iconic pieces have always included knitwear. Meet Alexia Peraferrer, Quality Manager at American Vintage, and Charlotte Allègre, CSR Manager. Together, they compiled a list of all the things you (absolutely) have to know about it.
Photos: American Vintage
1. Knitwear is more than just sweaters
“When we talk about American Vintage knitwear, we are talking about sweaters, of course. But this also includes jersey, such as our iconic T-shirts, as well as fleece pieces,” explains Alexia Peraferrer. In short, knitwear groups together knitted pieces and cut & sewn knitwear.
2. There are several types of wool
At American Vintage, most of the knitwear contains wool. And there are several categories: classic lambswool, alpaca, mohair (goat), but also cashmere. “We obtained the RWS label for our RAXOW range, composed of 71% wool,” points out Charlotte Allègre.
3. Wool takes a bright approach
Fluorescent Yellow for a VITOW cardigan or Natural Beige for a RAXOW sweater: at American Vintage, colour is essential. “The spinner starts with the raw material and transforms it into spools of thread. This yarn is sent to the dyer and then to the knitter,” explains Alexia Peraferrer.
4. Caring for wool is child’s play
Who has never shrunk a wool sweater? Here are some tips to make sure this never happens again. First: when a piece is made almost entirely of wool, don’t wash it; let it clean itself. To do this, simply air it out for a night to let the smell dissipate. For pieces containing less than 50% wool, opt for hand-washing. Be sure to dry your piece flat on a towel — never on a hanger. “In case of pilling, use a special sweater shaver. For alpaca wool, I always recommend using a small baby brush. And for snags, call Tilli, our AMV partner,” concludes Alexia Peraferrer.
AMV Journal is a space dedicated to encounters, discovery and travel. Every week, explore the musts, portraits and inspirations of American Vintage and its creation studio.