The classic sweater
Released in October 2024
This is still the first generation of this sweater. But we didn't start from scratch: we use the same fabric and the same type of stitching as for the men's thick sweater, which we've been improving continuously since 2017.
Wool keeps you warm because it traps nearly 80% air in its fibres. For this piece, we use a fine merino wool: at just 19.5 microns in diameter, it makes for a sweater that's soft as well as warm.
Our wool comes from Tollegno 1900, a well-known Italian spinning mill.
Sweater built to keep you warm: it weighs about 500g in a size M
The wool is treated so it can go in the machine without shrinking. We still recommend using the wool cycle, or better yet, just airing it out now and then (wool doesn't really need washing).
This sweater is made in Portugal, at the Elmate factory we've been working with since 2018.
Worn, tested and approved by thousands of customers, this sweater is the result of a quality-ethics-price balance that we consider optimal today. For instance, we could opt for a more natural virgin wool, but this sweater would then risk felting in the wash.
The techniques that ensure quality
Sewn assembly
Usually, "fully fashion" sweaters knitted in shaped panels (like ours) are joined by linking, a technique where the stitches are knitted back together one by one. We prefer assembling them with seams: in our experience, this stops the seams from splitting at the shoulders or underarms.
Sewn assembly
Total Easy Care treatment
Knitted as tightly as possible
Pre-washing
Total Easy Care treatment
With water, friction and heat, untreated wool shrinks and compacts (this is called "felting"). On a microscopic level, it's because the scales of the fiber cling to one another. To prevent this, a Total Easy Care treatment is applied, also known as Superwash or KROY-ERCOSETT. The principle: the fiber's scales are oxidized, then a very thin resin is applied to form a continuous film, which stops the fibers from clinging together and therefore keeps the wool from felting.
This treatment, when carried out in countries with low environmental standards, can be polluting. That's why we source from a factory based in Italy and known for its high environmental standards (Oekotex 100 and 4S CHEM certification, more info here).
If you prefer virgin wool sweaters (meaning untreated) and don't mind hand-washing them, take a look at our turtleneck sweater.
Sewn assembly
Total Easy Care treatment
Knitted as tightly as possible
Pre-washing
Knitted as tightly as possible
The stitch is knitted as tightly as possible. This uses more yarn and therefore costs more, but it helps limit pilling and gives the sweater more structure.
Sewn assembly
Total Easy Care treatment
Knitted as tightly as possible
Pre-washing
Pre-washing
This sweater is pre-washed at the factory (before it's sewn, while it's still in flat panels).
Sewn assembly
Total Easy Care treatment
Knitted as tightly as possible
Pre-washing
The no-risk sweater.
No risk of getting cold with its nice and thick 100% wool material. No risk of it being itchy, thanks to the extra-fine merino wool fibers. And no risk of "OH NO IT SHRANK THREE SIZES": our wool is treated so it won't felt in the wash.
In detail
Classic fit
The cut follows the body's line without clinging. And since wool is naturally stretchy, this sweater adapts to every body shape.
Jersey stitch
A smooth knit that fends off snags and pilling.
"Fully fashioned" knitting
Also known as "fully fashioned": the panels (back, front, sleeves and collar) are knitted straight into the right shape to avoid wasting any wool.
How to wear it
A few ideas if you're stuck
Composition
100% wool
Origin and certifications
- Wool: Australia
- Spinning and dyeing: Poland
- Knitting, tailoring and pre-washing: Portugal
... not wool from French sheep? Sadly, because it's less fine than wool from the southern hemisphere, and because the French supply chain has almost entirely disappeared. We explain it all in more detail on this page.
How this product will age
How do we know? We ask our customers what they think of the product one year after they've bought it. And if the product is less than a year old, we give you our predictions based on some spontaneous feedback and on our experience with similar products.
This sweater won't wear through at the elbows and won't lose its shape at all, thanks to the natural stretch of wool. The biggest risk with this wool sweater? Moths, if they decide to move into your wardrobe!
Care instructions
Wool is fungicidal and bactericidal: it doesn't hold onto odours. So there's no need to wash your sweater. If it needs it, just air it out.
If you really must, your sweater can go in the machine: we gave it a "Total easy care" treatment to reduce felting and keep it from dropping three sizes. But use the wool cycle: it may still shrink a little on a standard 30° cycle. Use a wool-specific detergent if you can — the enzymes in regular detergents can eat away at wool. But no big deal if you don't have any, there's not much risk at a low dose. After three wash tests with regular and wool-specific detergents, we found no difference in softness or fragility on our sweaters.
No tumble dryer, to avoid shrinking it, but don't dry it on a hanger either: your damp sweater is heavy and could lose its shape under the weight of the water. For the longest life, dry it flat, on a drying rack or a towel.
If a hole starts to form at the elbow (some of us have pointy ones :), take it to a tailor quickly to have it darned. It usually costs less than 10 euros. If it's too late, you can also try elbow patches. Same goes if a thread gets pulled: don't cut it, take it to a tailor to keep the damage to a minimum.
Little bobbles showing up where the fabric rubs? It happens. We explain in this article how to de-pill your clothes effectively.
If the cuffs and hem of your sweater start to stretch out, we explain here how to fix this easily using nothing but your iron.
Environmental cost
This environmental cost is calculated using the official methodology of the French environmental labelling scheme (in force since 1 October 2025).
The label above shows the product's environmental cost according to the official methodology of France's environmental labelling scheme. It's what its manufacturing "costs" nature when you look at its impact on climate change, ocean acidification, its toxicity to fresh water, and so on. Currently rolled out in the textile sector, this label should soon appear on many everyday consumer products (food, cosmetics, furniture, and more) to help you shop in a more eco-friendly way.
So the classic sweater has an environmental cost of 2595 impact points*.
By comparison, a garment of equivalent weight, 100% acrylic, made in Bangladesh and sold by a fast fashion brand, has an environmental cost of 3181 points*.
Why the difference? Here are the main reasons:
- The countries of production: manufacturing in Portugal or France requires less fossil fuel than in Bangladesh (one of the main producers of low-cost clothing). The result: this more local production limits the impact on climate change, ocean acidification and resource depletion.
- The material: wool has a fairly significant environmental impact, notably because sheep release methane when they digest, a gas with a strong greenhouse effect. That's why the difference between our product's impact and that of fast fashion isn't very big. However, unlike acrylic, wool has major advantages: it's warm (thanks to its insulating properties), keeps its shape (the fiber is very elastic), breathable (it wicks away sweat) and odor-resistant (it stops bacteria from developing).
- Durability: fast fashion brands push people to buy, notably by refreshing their collections extremely quickly and offering a huge number of styles, and they discourage repair by charging laughably low prices. This increases the number of garments sold per person and lowers the number of times a garment gets worn. At Loom, we've done the opposite: we've chosen business practices that encourage our customers to keep their clothes for as long as possible.
Even though we've done everything we can to keep it as low as possible, this product's environmental impact isn't negligible. So before buying, make your clothes last as long as you possibly can.
*Calculations made by Loom on 31/08/2026. Click the links to access the simulations from the official Ecobalyse tool and get more details on the assumptions used. Note: the number of points isn't always exactly the same on Ecobalyse (whose method evolves regularly) as on the official environmental label (based on version 7.0 of Ecobalyse)
Reviews for this product
The standard practice is to send review request e-mails a few days after the purchase. We wait a month, the minimum time needed to form a well-informed opinion
Politique d'avis client
Quand demandez-vous des avis aux clients ?
On vous envoie une demande d’avis un mois après la réception de votre commande. On estime que c’est le minimum de temps nécessaire pour avoir porté et lavé un vêtement plusieurs fois et se faire vraiment un avis éclairé. Ensuite, tous vos avis sont publiés dans la semaine, qu’ils soient bons ou non.
Est-ce que vous demandez des avis sur 100% des produits commandés par les clients ?
On le faisait au début, puis on s’est rendus compte qu’on commençait à envoyer beaucoup trop d’emails à certaines personnes qui achètent régulièrement chez nous. Bref, on spammait un peu. En plus, ça commençait à nous prendre vraiment beaucoup trop de temps dans l’équipe de répondre aux avis - puisqu'on veut répondre individuellement en privé à presque chaque personne qui nous laisse un avis. Aujourd’hui, on ne demande plus d’avis sur les produits qui répondent aux deux critères suivants : 1/ Il y a suffisamment d’avis affichés sur le site pour que les personnes qui souhaitent acheter puissent se faire une opinion éclairée sur le produit 2/ Nous avons lu dans l’équipe Loom suffisamment d’avis pour comprendre comment faire évoluer le produit à la prochaine génération.
Minute papillon : qu’est-ce qui prouve qu’on ne modifie pas les avis en mettant des 5 étoiles partout ?
Honnêtement : rien, on vous donne juste notre parole. Comme pour le reste d’ailleurs : où on fabrique, d’où vient notre laine, la note de nos tests labos, etc. Les seules fois où on pourrait toucher à ce que vous écrivez, c’est si votre message contient des fautes d’orthographe (et encore y en a pas mal qui nous échappent) ou s’il est à caractère raciste, homophobe, etc (mais ça n’est jamais arrivé pour l’instant).
Demander un avis au bout d’un mois, ce n’est pas assez pour savoir si les vêtements sont vraiment durables, non ?
Vous avez raison, c’est pour ça qu'on vous envoie un autre e-mail de demande d'avis un an après votre achat – on demande même une photo pour voir comment votre vêtement a vieilli. Les réponses nous servent à améliorer nos vêtements et à donner des informations sur "comment ce produit va vieillir" dans nos pages produits. Pour ne pas solliciter inutilement nos clients et nos clientes, on ne demande pas ces avis sur 100% des produits commandés : dès que nous avons suffisamment de données pour comprendre les points d’amélioration, nous arrêtons demander les avis à un an.