3D-Knitting Will Save The Quality Of Our Sweaters

The 3D-knitting technology might be able to bring back that vintage-like quality.

Loved Sweaters Last Longer

Welcome to the second part of my 3-part blog series about finding high-quality sustainable sweaters and how you can wear them all year long.

As someone who has spent almost all her winters on the East Coast, I appreciate a good sweater. And as someone who easily becomes a popsicle, I know a thing or two about making sure a sweater is good quality. Read along and discover how and why 3D-knitting technology can save the quality of our sweaters.

• 7 Day Sweater Challenge
• Can 3D-Knitting Save Sweater Quality?
• Wool Is The Ultimate Sweater Material

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Over the last couple of years, it seems like it’s been harder to find a great (or even good) new sweater.

Any time I’ve bought a brand new sweater from a traditional retailer, it seems to stretch out, pill easily, snag on almost anything, occasionally shrink, and just never seem to stay in good shape for more than two seasons. In fact, because of this, I have started to only buy vintage sweaters.

It turns out I’m not alone in thinking that our clothing quality, particularly sweaters, has gone downhill. So, what is the solution? How do we start to make better sweaters again?

Well, how the sweater is made plays a big part. And a new method of knitting might just be the answer to our sweater prayers.

Quality Issues Found In Modern Knitwear

We owe many of our garment quality problems to the rise of mass production. In order to create more garments at a lower cost, fast fashion brands have had to cut corners somewhere.

In the case of sweaters, specifically, many fast fashion companies swapped natural fibers like cashmere, wool, and cotton for synthetic fibers like polyamide, acrylic, and nylon.

The methods for making sweaters also changed. Way back in the day, sweaters were mainly hand knit, which allowed brands to pay attention to small details and ensure the highest quality possible. But because they would take so long to make, they also became quite expensive.

Manufacturers turned to machines to make sweaters faster and cheaper. Using various methods, they could make large quantities of sweaters that were more generic in design and shape without the need for as much time or as many workers. This was a total game-changer.

But these methods didn’t come without their caveats. Machine knitting methods, including cut-and-sew, flatbed knitting, and circular knitting, did make the sweater-making process easier, but they still involve a lot of waste, can be quite labor intensive, and create lower-quality garments.

3D-Knitting Could Revolutionize Sweater Production

Even though all finished garments are 3-dimensional objects, that doesn’t mean they are all made through 3D processes.

3D-knitting was developed by the Japanese company SHIMA SEIKI, and the process involves a computerized design being uploaded to a machine that then knits a whole garment seamlessly.

It sounds like something out of a futuristic novel, but the technology is already here. There are several reasons why it could completely revolutionize how we make our sweaters.

For one, the final sweater is completely seamless, which means the elimination of bulky seams and a stronger garment that’s less likely to fall apart. It also means that virtually all waste is eliminated in the process — less than 1% of material ends up as waste (as compared to 20-30% for other methods).

And finally, because the 3D digital models are uploaded for knitting, the machines are able to adjust for better style and fit for the final product.

Putting A 3D-Knit Sweater To The Test

I don’t want to just talk the talk; I want to walk the walk. That means actually testing out a 3D-printed sweater. Does it fit better than a traditional sweater? Does it get stretched out? How does it wash?

Oliver Charles sweaters are 3D-knit by a leading 3D-knitting manufacturer in Brooklyn, NY. And I got to test out wearing my sweater for a full week.

Throughout that week, I was impressed with how well the sweater retained its original shape, didn’t smell thanks to the yak wool material (yep, I didn’t wash it for the full week), and didn’t itch or irritate my skin even though it was made from wool.

I was also impressed by the lack of pilling and how comfortable it was to wear (because sometimes seams on sweaters can be kind of annoying).

But the real test would be how the sweater would hold up after washing it. Honestly, you would have thought I took it right out of the packaging after I put it through the washing machine. There was still no pilling, no stretching or shrinking, and no losing its shape.

3D-knitwear for the win!

Longer-Lasting Sweaters = Better Sweaters

Most people want a vintage-quality sweater that stays pristine throughout its lifecycle. Unfortunately, most sweaters aren’t made the same way anymore and, therefore, will not be the same quality as the sweaters our parents and grandparents used to wear.

But 3D-knitting is a new method that can solve many of the issues people currently have with their sweaters. It can fix fit issues, decrease waste, and improve quality and construction.

In the end, better-quality sweaters mean they will last longer and get more wear out of them, which means they’re more sustainable in the long run.

If you believe that every good wardrobe starts with owning less and owning better, consider buying yourself an OLIVER CHARLES sweater.