Sure, we all know what wardrobe essentials for work professional women are supposed to have in their closets, but if you’re buying one for the first time or replacing one you’ve worn into the ground, it can be a pain to find exactly the right incarnation in stores. In “The Hunt,” we search the stores for a basic item that every woman should have.

We haven’t done a hunt for classic sweaters for a long time, readers, so let’s discuss — what sweaters are you loving right now? Are you wearing cashmere, merino, alpaca, or something else? Do you prefer sweater jackets or cardigans? Do tell…

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First, let’s look at a few basic categories of classic sweaters….

Our Favorite Sweater Jackets for the Office

Pictured above, great sweater jackets for the office: navy / black / gray / cropped black / beige (not pictured but also)

Great Cashmere Sweaters for Work and Weekend

pictured above, some of the classic cashmere sweaters for work (as of 2022): 1) Nordstrom Cashmere* 2) Quince ($50!) 3) Vince* 4) J.Crew* 5) Nadaam. (Not pictured, but also check out Talbots* and Brooks Brothers!) If you’re looking for something fancier try TSE, Loro Piana, Akris, or (more casual) Jenni Kayne.

Great Sweater Tees (Perfect for Layering!)

Some of our favorite short-sleeve sweaters for 2022 include Quince ($45!), J.Crew Factory,* Ann Taylor, and J.Crew* (not pictured but also Lands’ End* and this Amazon bestseller!). (* – Plus sizes too!) If you’re hunting for something fancier, check out Jenni Kayne, TSE or Naked.

Classic Cardigans We Love

A Few Extra Cute Sweaters Available Now (and Thoughts on Sweater Trends)…

Square necks and crops continue to be a big trend this year, and this $79 cardigan from Madewell looks like the perfect mixture of them. I like that you can wear it open or closed. It’s available in three colors in sizes XXS-XXL at Madewell

Ooh: I feel like this bubblegum pink sweater is new to Everlane, and I love the color. It’s Alpaca, $98, available in size XXS-XL.

I love the texture we’re seeing on some sweaters right now — this beige option from J.Crew is really lovely, especially for $118 (plus 30% off today). It’s available in white and beige in sizes XXS-3X.

Sweater polos are biiiiiiggg right now — you can find them at Banana Republic Factory, Boden, Reiss, and more. The pictured sweater is $200 at Banana Republic, available in two colors in sizes XXS-XXL. (I love the wide banding on the waist on this one!)

There are a ton of sweaters out right now with these sort of athletic stripes — Sandro has a bunch, but they’re also at BP, Boden, Everlane, and other places. I like the narrow V as shown here (and note that the sweater vest trend continues to go strong!). The pictured sweater is Sandro, available in sizes 0-3 at Nordstrom and Bloomingdale’s (among others).

I think readers were recently saying how tired they were of peplum as a trend — but it is still going strong at the highest end of things. This Alexander McQueen peplum sweater is absolutely gorgeous — it’s $1740, available in sizes XS-L.

Some other good examples include this Alaia sweater ($1900, stunning). Also note how some designers are doing almost a babydoll/peplum hybrid, including Max Mara and Rebecca Taylor.

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