I love wearing cozy, comfy, and warm sweaters, but if there is one thread that is itchy, I will feel it, and I will not wear the sweater. If you have sensitive skin or are picky about fabrics, you probably feel me. It can be so hard to find sweaters that are warm and cute, but also not itchy. Soooo I’m going to show you how to find the perfect non-itchy sweater this winter!
**I have linked some sweaters that I like throughout the post but I will also have a list of them at the end of this post.
**Links updated with 2023 styles
Worst Fabrics For Sensitive Skin
Anything synthetic, like:
- Acrylic
- Polyester
- Nylon
- Rayon
Why are these bad? Because they are treated with harmful, toxic chemicals during production that can get into your skin. And the formaldehyde can cause rashes and skin irritation and other problems. Learn more about it here.
Natural itchy fabrics:
- Wool
- Aplacha
Not all sweaters that contain these fabrics are super itchy. It all depends on the percentage and how they treated the fabric prior to distribution.
How to Shop Online for a Non-Itchy Sweater
Online shopping for a non-itchy sweater is still risky even with these tips. However, these are sweaters I personally own/tried on and know the percentage of fabric in there aren’t itchy.
Acrylic
Stay away from a high percentage of acrylic. It can sometimes be soft, but most of the time at high percentages it’s super itchy. I would advise going into the store to try on a sweater that has more than 30-40% Acrylic in the fabric. Then go online to find a deal, if you’re into that.
-56% Cotton, 23% Polyester, 18% Acrylic, 3% Elastane
-Polyester 52%, Acrylic 41%, Wool 4%, Spandex 3%
Polyester & Nylon
Polyester and Nylon aren’t too bad in my opinion. They are man-made fabric so it tends to be itchier, but I have found that (depending on the fabric mix) it’s actually soft. Acrylic is also a man-made product but is itchy unlike these two. I have found that high percentages of polyester are ok but a high percentage of nylon can be itchy.
-50% viscose, 30% nylon, 20% PBT
-Recycled Polyester
Rayon
Rayon is pretty weak and was created to imitate silk, linen, and cotton. It’s a good fabric for absorbing liquid and staying cooler, but it’s not very breathable. Since it is a synthetic fabric, it can cause irritation.
-55% Linen, 45% Rayon
Wool
Do not, I repeat, do not buy anything with wool, lambswool, anything that has the word wool in it. Merino wool irritates my skin even though it is softer wool. It might be okay on your skin so I would still try it if I were you just in case you aren’t too sensitive to it. It is the biggest proponent of itchy clothing. It can really irritate eczema creating a rash and even affecting normal skin.
TIP: I have coats that are mainly wool, but it isn’t right against my skin. I wear turtlenecks or scarves if I am planning on wearing wool coats longer than just from my car to work. You can do the same with a sweater and layer a cotton turtle neck or silk blouse under to prevent the itchiness.
-53% Wool, 42% Organic Cotton, 1% Elastane, 4% Other Fiber
Softest, Best Fabrics for Sensitive Skin
If you don’t even want to mess with synthetic fabrics, stick to natural fabrics such as:
- Cashmere
- Alpaca
- Cotton
- Linen
- Silk
Cashmere
No need to try this on to test it out because I guarantee anything with cashmere is soft AF and your skin will not get irritated. These pieces are usually very expensive, so my advice is to try out J Crew’s or Banana Republic’s cashmere sweaters they are around $120-$200 depending on the style. Or of course, watch for sales.
-Guaranteed to be soft
Alpaca
When I hear alpaca, I think it will be itchy, but it is a natural fiber that is actually soft (unlike wool). I don’t have a sweater, but I do have an alpaca scarf that is very soft. I can see this being a little itchy with a lot of movement, but it is very warm and toasty.
-Softer than wool but still a little irritating at times
-58% Alpaca, 34% Recycled Nylon, 8% Merino Wool
Cotton
Once again with the natural fiber, Cotton is a guarantee of non-itchy fabric. If you stick to 100% cotton or a high percentage of cotton you will be happy with the feel of the sweater against your skin and be able to wear it for longer than 3 seconds.
-100% cotton
Linen & Silk
Now, linen and silk aren’t really made to keep you warm and their aren’t many sweater in these fabrics. But what you could do is layer with a silk blouse under a wool coat or cardigan to avoid the itchiness of the fabrics but get the benefits of the warmth it provides.
My favorite places to buy non-itchy sweaters are HM, Banana Republic, Gap, Jcrew, Free People/Nordstrom. If you want to learn more about how I save about 40% at each of these stores, check out this blog post I wrote about my 7 go-to affordable clothing stores.
I hope this helps you find sweaters this winter that are warm but also not itchy. If you have a favorite non-itchy sweater that I haven’t included, comment them down below.
XO, Annie