The cotton sweater
Coming out in October 2024
We use organic cotton because so-called “conventional” cotton is a disaster for insects, birds, and farmers. Read more in this article.
A cotton sweater that's fairly thick but not too warm (since it's not made of wool).
Beautiful sweaters are often made of wool—they keep you warm but can be delicate: snags, moths, pilling, or a washing machine that makes them shrink three sizes—there are plenty of risks. By choosing to knit it with cotton yarn, you create a garment that’s just as beautiful but more durable.
Slightly oversized, with ribbed cuffs and hem.
This sweater is made in Portugal at the Elmate factory, with which we have been working since 2018.
Techniques That Ensure Quality
Double-twisted
The threads are twisted together (like a cable) before being knitted, for greater durability.
Double-twisted
Knit as tightly as possible
Spandex reinforcement
Pre-wash
Knit as tightly as possible
The stitches are knitted as tightly as possible, which helps prevent pilling and gives the sweater more structure.
Double-twisted
Knit as tightly as possible
Spandex reinforcement
Pre-wash
Spandex reinforcement
Since cotton stretches more than wool, we've added 4 threads of spandex to the cuffs to prevent them from stretching out over time
Double-twisted
Knit as tightly as possible
Spandex reinforcement
Pre-wash
Pre-wash
This sweater is stabilized and pre-washed at the factory so it won't shrink when you wash it at home (with cotton garments, most of the shrinking occurs during the first wash).
Double-twisted
Knit as tightly as possible
Spandex reinforcement
Pre-wash
A feast for the eyes
A beautiful cotton sweater, perfect for mid-season. And we think this one really stands out with its pearl stitch knit, its “semi-hammer” sleeves that accentuate the shoulders, and its modern, slightly oversized cut.
In detail
Bead stitch
A naturally stretchy stitch that adds texture to the fabric.
“Semi-hammer” armholes
That create a beautiful shoulder line.
Ribbed ends
1x1 ribbing (one knit stitch, one purl stitch) to tighten the neckline and sleeve cuffs.
"Decrease" Knitting
The panels (back, front, sleeves, and collar) are knitted directly to the correct shape: this creates a more flattering fit and prevents waste of yarn.
How to Wear It
A few ideas if you're stuck
Composition
100% cotton
Origin and Certifications
- Cotton: Turkey (heathered), India (solid color)
- Spinning, knitting, garment manufacturing: Portugal
...manufacture in Portugal instead of France? Of course, producing in Portugal allows us to sell at lower prices. But it’s also easier to produce high-quality items there: in the 1980s, when France outsourced its manufacturing, Portugal strengthened its own. That said, other companies besides ours manage to make very good sweaters that are 100% made in France, such as Saint-James.
... does cotton come from so far away? Cotton tends to grow in tropical regions, which is why it always comes from quite far away. While a few die-hard Gauls manage to grow it in their fields, cotton cultivation is marginal in Europe.
How This Product Will Age
How do we know this? We ask our customers for their feedback on the product one year after purchase. And if the product is less than a year old, we provide our predictions based on some unsolicited feedback and our experience with similar products.
This sweater will age beautifully: unlike a wool version, it won’t shrink in the washing machine, pill, or develop holes at the elbows.
However, like all cotton garments, it may stretch out over the years and the colors may fade with washing (this will typically be less of an issue with the pastel blue version)
The textured knit carries a risk of snagging: this is easy to fix, but if you want to avoid any risk of pulled threads, opt instead for a sweater with a smooth knit, like this one.
Care Instructions
Wash inside out, preferably at 30°, and avoid the dryer.
Why?
- Turn your sweater inside out before washing it—this prevents snags and minimizes fading.
- Washing at 30° is more environmentally friendly and causes less wear and tear on the garment than washing at 40°.
- Air-dry it rather than using a dryer; this prevents the spandex in the sleeves from stretching out. Don’t hang it on a hanger either: your damp sweater is heavy and could lose its shape under the weight of the water. The best way to ensure its longevity and help the planet is to dry it flat on a drying rack or a towel.
After a few washes, the sweater may become a little stiffer, mainly due to limescale buildup in the fibers. Just wash it with fabric softener or white vinegar, toss it in the dryer, or wear it on your back for 5 minutes, and it will soften up again.
And if you really want this sweater to last for years, put on an apron before you start making your raspberry jam.
Environmental Cost
This environmental cost is calculated using the official methodology of the French environmental labeling system (to be rolled out starting October 1, 2025).
The label above shows the product’s environmental cost according to the official French environmental labeling methodology. This represents what its production “costs” nature when considering its impact on climate change, ocean acidification, its toxicity to freshwater, and so on. Currently in use in the textile sector, this label should soon appear on many everyday consumer products (food, cosmetics, furniture, etc.) to help you make more eco-friendly purchasing decisions.
The cotton sweater therefore has an environmental cost of 1,219 impact points*.
By comparison, a garment of equivalent weight—made of 100% conventional cotton, manufactured in Bangladesh, and sold by a fast-fashion brand—has an environmental cost of 4,544 points*.
Why is there this difference? Here are the main reasons:
- Countries of origin: Manufacturing in Portugal or France requires less fossil fuel energy than in Bangladesh (one of the leading producers of low-cost clothing). As a result, this more local manufacturing reduces the impacts on climate change, ocean acidification, and resource depletion.
- The material: Organic cotton has a relatively low environmental impact compared to conventional cotton, particularly because it uses few pesticides (and thus poses a low risk of toxicity to freshwater) and is biodegradable (and thus causes fewer issues related to microfibers or end-of-life waste).
- Sustainability: Fast-fashion retailers encourage purchasing—in particular by rapidly refreshing their collections and offering a vast number of styles—and they discourage repairs by charging rock-bottom prices. This, in turn, increases the number of garments sold per person and reduces the number of times a garment is worn. In contrast, at Loom, we’ve chosen to adopt business practices that encourage our customers to keep their clothes for as long as possible.
Even though we've done everything we can to minimize it, this product's environmental impact is not insignificant. So before you buy, make sure to get the most use out of your clothes.
*Calculations performed by Loom on August 24, 2026. Click on the links to access the simulations from the official Ecobalyse tool and get more details on the assumptions used. Please note: The number of points is not always exactly the same on Ecobalyse (whose methodology changes regularly) as on the official environmental label (based on Ecobalyse version 7.0).
Reviews of this product
The standard practice is to send review request emails a few days after the purchase. We wait a month—the minimum amount of time needed to form an informed opinion.
Customer Review Policy
When do you ask customers for reviews?
We’ll send you a review request one month after we receive your order. We believe this is the minimum amount of time needed to have worn and washed an item several times and to form a truly informed opinion. After that, all your reviews are published within a week, whether they’re positive or negative.
Do you request reviews for 100% of the products ordered by customers?
We used to do that at first, but then we realized we were starting to send way too many emails to certain customers who shop with us regularly. In short, we were spamming them a bit. Plus, it was starting to take the team way too much time to respond to reviews—since we want to reply individually and privately to almost everyone who leaves us a review. Today, we no longer ask for reviews on products that meet the following two criteria: 1/ There are enough reviews posted on the site for potential buyers to form an informed opinion about the product. 2/ We on the Loom team have read enough reviews to understand how to evolve the product into the next generation.
Just a quick thought: What proof is there that we aren't manipulating reviews by giving 5-star ratings to everything?
Honestly: nothing—we’re just giving you our word. Just like with everything else, actually: where we manufacture our products, where our wool comes from, our lab test results, and so on. The only times we might edit what you write is if your message contains spelling mistakes (and even then, quite a few slip past us) or if it’s racist, homophobic, etc. (but that’s never happened so far).
Asking for feedback after just one month isn't enough to know if the clothes are really durable, is it?
You're right—that's why we send you another email asking for a review one year after your purchase—we even ask for a photo to see how your garment has aged. We use the responses to improve our clothing and to provide information on “how this product will age” on our product pages. To avoid unnecessarily bothering our customers, we don’t ask for reviews on 100% of the products ordered: as soon as we have enough data to understand where we can improve, we stop asking for reviews after one year.