These 3 Winter Sweaters Are A-Listers' Seasonal Secret Weapons—Here's How I Wear Them IRL
Anyone can pull off these knits.
Hi and welcome to The A-List Edit! I’m Halie LeSavage, Marie Claire’s senior fashion news editor. A big part of my job at MC HQ revolves around celebrity style: tracking down exactly what the likes of the Hadids, KarJenners, and Danielle Goldberg girls wear on a daily basis and figuring out how to rework it for a less…red carpet context. Every other week, I’ll drop by your inbox (and later, MarieClaire.com) with the latest on what they’re wearing—and ways I’ve styled similarly A-list-approved pieces beyond the Sushi Park balcony.
I want to get started with sweaters, the category at the front of all the aforementioned ladies’ closets right now. With step-and-repeat season almost wrapped for the year, celebs are changing into their comfy-cozies and offering some casual styling advice along the way. So ahead, I’m breaking down the three best celebrity sweaters of the season: two silhouettes and one It-knit worth trying now. If your sweater collection is already sorted, they’re a great last-minute gift for the stylish pop culture-obsessive in your life, too.
The Rugby Sweater
Gigi Hadid's rugby sweater is still everywhere over a year later.
ICYMI, striped rugby sweaters are having a bit of a moment this winter, both in runway collections (Prada, Celine, et cetera) and in celebrity street style. Kaia Gerber wears hers draped across the shoulders of a plain crewneck; Hailey Bieber and Rihanna prefer cropped versions over low-rise cargos or jeans.
My favorite take has to be Gigi Hadid’s doubling-up of a warm-toned striped rugby with a contrasting striped sweater around her waist. (Can you tell she runs her own knitwear brand?) It’s preppy without going full-on Connecticut country club; a little nostalgic and infinitely easy to wear.
How I Style It
I like my rugby sweaters with a preppy twist, too—but I don't mix and match patterns.
My own rugby sweater styling falls into the same “preppy with a twist” camp. I didn’t already own two complementary striped sweaters in Gigi’s vein—but I did get my paws on one of the best-selling rugby sweaters from her criminally underrated line, Guest in Residence. When I want to go a little dressier than throwing it on over jeans, I’ll layer it with a GWS (Great White Skirt) and a suede boot. I know, I know, it’s December: so I’ve got Heat Tech tights underneath.
Here, I’ve tracked down a few more sweaters I love in various stripes, fits, and price points. Note: a cotton rugby shirt is not the same as a rugby sweater! These all have a more hearty knit to stand up to winter temperatures.
The Crewneck Sweater
Jennifer Lawrence's black-and-brown color combination is right up my alley.
Crewnecks are the greatest common denominator of celebrity-approved sweaters and closets worldwide. But I’m not bringing them up because of how good they look with a white T-shirt peeking out from underneath—you know this without an A-lister’s help. I’d instead like to point out how celebs tend to pick out a crewneck when they want to dress down more elevated pieces like a holiday pump and a skirt, or feather-trimmed pants.
See: This Jennifer Lawrence sighting from a few weeks ago, when she doubled up on The Row sweaters (one for her shoulders, one to actually wear) over a black slip skirt. Aspirational!
How I Style It
I took the crewneck sweater craze to F1 in Las Vegas.
I liked the principle of teaming a slouchy crewneck sweater with a dainty slip skirt, but I wanted a bit more texture in the mix. I tapped another Lawrence-favorite knitwear brand, La Ligne, for the Val sweater, to stack over a J.Crew lace-lined slip and an oversized bomber jacket. With knee-high boots, it fit the dress code for my recent visit to the Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix paddock. Back home and out to dinner with my husband, I swapped in some slingback heels.
These cozy crewnecks have the same styling-up potential—and yes, they’re great with a tee and jeans, too. (Pro tip: Turn your T-shirt backward for the optimal pop of white underneath the neckline.)
The It-Girl V-Neck Sweater
Selena Gomez gave a classic V-neck the It-Girl Effect.
“It” is not a fashion term I use lightly…but Reformation’s Jadey cashmere V-neck has a celebrity résumé unlike any other. Taylor Swift has worn it at least twice, in two different colors; so has Jessica Alba. When Selena Gomez picks up her frequent flier miles out of LAX, it’s often in her dove grey rendition of the same oversize top.
This is a knit A-listers pick up for the vibes—like an afternoon cuddling up with The Holiday and a Christmas cookie sampler, in sweater form. (The cashmere really is that soft.) Naturally, it’s most often seen in the wild with upmarket sweatpants or leggings and shearling-lined slipper-shoes.
How I Style It
I approve of the same V-neck sweater for working from home.
I’m also guilty of ordering this in multiple colors over the years. (With help from my trusty, under-$10 fabric shaver, my first one from four years ago still looks brand-new.) I spend most work-from-home days wearing mine with Leset lounge pants or plain-old Aerie pajama bottoms. Heading into the office, I swap in barrel-leg jeans, coordinating flats, and a sprinkling of my favorite jewelry. I think the other Ref girlies would approve.
An oversize V-neck silhouette isn’t exclusive to just one label, of course. Here are a few alternatives with the same lived-in feel.
