Okay so I need to tell you about this thing <a href="https://clairewears.co<a href="https://clairewears.co<a href="https://clairewears.co<a href="https://clairewears.co<a href="https://clairewears.co<a href="https://clairewears.co<a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>m/the-best-of-british-knitwear-fro<a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>m-high-street-to-highlands/”><a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>m/the-best-of-british-knitwear-fro<a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>m-high-street-to-highlands/”><a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>m/the-best-of-british-knitwear-fro<a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>m-high-street-to-highlands/”><a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>m/the-best-of-british-knitwear-fro<a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>m-high-street-to-highlands/”><a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>m/the-best-of-british-knitwear-fro<a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>m-high-street-to-highlands/”><a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>m/the-best-of-british-knitwear-fro<a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>m-high-street-to-highlands/”><a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>my roo<a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>m<a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>mate said to <a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>me last week while we were going through <a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>my closet (she was borrowing so<a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>mething for a date, obviously). She held up this blazer I’ve had for literally three years – which I know doesn’t sound like a long ti<a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>me but in Gen Z fashion years that’s basically vintage – and was like “wait, this is fro<a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>m where?” When I told her it was fro<a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>m the UK high street, she looked genuinely confused.
I get it though. Most of the brands we talk about on social <a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>media are either super expensive “invest<a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>ment pieces” that cost <a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>more than <a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>my rent, or ultra-fast fashion that falls apart after two washes. There’s this weird gap in between where nobody really talks about the UK brands that are actually doing so<a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>mething right – the ones that won’t bankrupt you but also won’t e<a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>mbarrass you when they disintegrate in the washing <a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>machine.
This whole obsession with finding decent quality at reasonable prices started when I was trying to build a work wardrobe that didn’t look like I was cosplaying as an adult. You know that phase when you first get a “real job” and realize you can’t just wear crop tops and <a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>mo<a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>m jeans to <a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>meetings? Yeah, that was a wake-up call. I needed clothes that looked professional but didn’t cost three <a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>months of <a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>my coffee budget.
The thing is, nobody really teaches you how to spot quality when you’re shopping. Like, what even is good construction? How can you tell if so<a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>mething’s going to last? I basically had to figure it out through trial and error, which involved buying a lot of things that see<a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>med fine in the store but turned into expensive <a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>mistakes after a few <a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>months.
But I’ve cracked the code on so<a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>me British brands that consistently deliver way <a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>more than you’d expect for what you pay. And I'<a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>m not talking about the obvious luxury stuff – I <a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>mean actual high street brands that you can shop at without planning your entire <a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>monthly budget around one purchase.
Let’s start with Marks & Spencer because I know everyone’s probably rolling their eyes right now. M&S has this reputation for being where your <a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>mu<a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>m shops for sensible cardigans, and honestly? So<a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>meti<a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>mes that reputation is totally deserved. But here’s the thing – their knitwear depart<a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>ment is actually insane in the best way possible.
I bought this cash<a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>mere ju<a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>mper fro<a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>m M&S two winters ago for like £79, which felt expensive at the ti<a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>me but whatever, I needed so<a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>mething that didn’t <a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>make <a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>me look like I was drowning in fabric. Fast forward to now and it’s still one of <a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>my <a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>most-worn pieces. The cash<a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>mere is genuinely soft, it hasn’t pilled into those gross little balls that cheap knitwear gets, and it still looks put-together enough that I wear it to client <a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>meetings.
For context, I also bought a “luxury” cash<a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>mere ju<a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>mper fro<a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>m another brand around the sa<a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>me ti<a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>me that cost literally three ti<a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>mes as <a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>much, and it started looking ratty after about six <a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>months. The M&S one still looks basically new. Make it <a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>make sense.
Their lingerie ga<a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>me is also unexpectedly strong. I know bras aren’t the <a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>most exciting topic but honestly, good underwear is life-changing. M&S bras actually fit properly and don’t try to escape your body throughout the day, which sounds basic but you’d be surprised how <a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>many expensive brands can’t <a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>manage this. Plus they last forever – I have bras fro<a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>m there that are still going strong after two years of regular rotation.
Moving up the style ladder, Toast is one of those brands that just gets it right consistently. Yeah, it’s <a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>more expensive – dresses are usually around £150-£250 – but the quality is actually there to back up the price. Their whole thing is natural fabrics and classic cuts that won’t look dated in three years, which is refreshing when everything else is chasing whatever <a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>micro-trend is happening on TikTok this week.
I have this navy linen dress fro<a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>m Toast that I literally live in during su<a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>m<a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>mer. Bought it last year and it’s been to job interviews, dates, fa<a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>mily events, basically everywhere I need to look like I have <a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>my life together. The fabric has this perfect weight that doesn’t wrinkle into oblivion the second you sit down, and it actually looks better now than when I first bought it. That’s the kind of aging I can get behind.
The thing about Toast is they design clothes that are <a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>meant to be worn and lived in, not just photographed and thrown away. It’s like the opposite of fast fashion psychology – instead of <a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>making you want the next new thing, they <a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>make things you actually want to keep wearing.
Seasalt Cornwall is another one that surprised <a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>me. I initially wrote the<a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>m off as tourist shop vibes but their stuff is actually really well <a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>made. Their cotton dresses are around £70 and the fabric quality is genuinely i<a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>mpressive – substantial enough that you don’t feel like you’re wearing a cheap beach cover-up, but still co<a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>mfortable and easy to wear.
What I really love about Seasalt is that they understand British weather, which sounds obvious but so <a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>many brands just… don’t. Their raincoats are actually waterproof, not just water-resistant enough to handle a light drizzle before giving up co<a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>mpletely. Living in London <a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>means I need outerwear that can handle whatever nonsense the sky decides to throw at <a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>me, and theirs actually delivers.
For <a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>more professional stuff, Hobbs is still doing the work even though nobody really talks about the<a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>m any<a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>more. Their blazers are properly constructed – like, actual internal structure and lining that doesn’t rip the first ti<a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>me you take it off. I have one that’s been through countless work <a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>meetings and it still looks sharp. The wool has proper weight to it and the buttons haven’t fallen off, which honestly feels like a <a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>miracle given how <a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>many supposedly “quality” pieces have failed <a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>me in <a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>much less ti<a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>me.
The price point sits around £150-£200 for blazers, which isn’t cheap but it’s reasonable when you co<a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>mpare it to designer options that can easily cost three ti<a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>mes that. And the longevity <a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>means the cost-per-wear works out to be pretty decent, especially if you’re so<a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>meone who actually needs professional clothes regularly.
Russell & Bro<a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>mley deserves a <a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>mention for shoes, even though they’re definitely at the pricier end of what I’d call accessible. But their construction is actually legiti<a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>mate – they use proper techniques that <a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>mean you can get things resoled and repaired instead of just throwing the<a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>m away when they wear out. Revolutionary concept, I know.
I invested in a pair of their loafers last year and while the initial cost <a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>made <a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>me wince a bit, they’ve held up incredibly well to daily London co<a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>m<a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>muting, which is basically torture testing for footwear. The leather has developed this nice patina instead of just looking beat up, and the soles show wear but no actual da<a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>mage. Co<a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>mpare that to cheaper shoes I’ve had that literally fell apart after a few <a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>months of regular use.
What I’ve learned through all this trial and error is that quality isn’t always about spending <a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>more <a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>money – it’s about spending <a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>money <a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>more strategically. These British brands understand how to <a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>make clothes that last, that fit properly, that don’t fall apart in the wash or lose their shape after one wear. They <a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>might not be the <a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>most Instagra<a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>m-friendly options, but they’re the ones that’ll actually serve you well in real life.
The whole conversation around sustainable fashion often focuses on really expensive eco-brands that are totally out of reach for <a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>most people, but honestly? Buying well-<a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>made pieces fro<a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>m these established British retailers and wearing the<a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>m for years is probably <a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>more sustainable than constantly cycling through cheap fast fashion, even if it doesn’t co<a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>me with all the green <a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>marketing buzzwords.
None of this is particularly revolutionary or trendy, which is probably why these brands don’t get <a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>much attention in fashion <a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>media that’s obsessed with whatever’s newest and <a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>most Instagra<a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>m-worthy. But so<a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>meti<a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>mes the <a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>most useful advice is the <a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>most boring advice – buy fewer things, buy the<a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>m better, wear the<a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>m longer. These brands <a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>make that actually possible without requiring you to spend your entire paycheck on a single ite<a href="https://clairewears.com/the-best-of-british-knitwear-from-high-street-to-highlands/”>m.
