On Pinterest, "quarter zip women outfit" is up 4,500% from last year. "Alo quarter zip" alone is up 1,000%. The quarter zip has gone from a ski-lodge layer to the sweater everyone is wearing with wide-leg trousers and jeans.
Most of the quarter zips in that search are athletic ones, made from polyester or nylon with spandex. Those fabrics stretch and dry fast, which is why activewear brands use them. For a sweater you'll wear all day, all winter, a natural fiber does the job better: it breathes, it holds warmth, and it softens with wear.
A sweater that looks natural isn't always made of natural fiber. Of the quarter zips we checked for this piece, Paka's Quarter Zip is 65% alpaca and 35% recycled nylon. Woolx's Tori 1/4 Zip is 71% merino, 22% nylon and 7% spandex. Marine Layer's Chalet Quarter Zip Sweater is 53% cotton, 24% polyester, 20% nylon and 3% spandex.
So we read the label on every pick below. Here are six with no synthetic fiber in the knit, all in stock in a full size run on the day we checked.
What to look for on the label
- Every fiber is a plant or animal fiber. Cashmere, merino, wool, alpaca, cotton. If nylon, polyester, acrylic or spandex appears anywhere in the fiber line, part of the sweater is plastic.
- The fiber line, not the name. "Merino" or "cashmere" in a product name can mean a blend. We found the same thing in Abercrombie's merino sweaters, where the women's version was mostly synthetic.
- A care label that says hand wash or dry clean. Natural knits rarely go in the dryer. If wool is labeled machine washable, it may be superwash, which we explain in What Is Superwash Wool?
What to skip
- "Performance" quarter zips. They're built for running, not for a cold office.
- "Cashmere feel" or "cozy knit." Those describe a texture. Only the fiber line tells you what it's made of.
The picks run from $104 to $525, across three brands. Four are 100% cashmere or merino and score 90. One is 100% cotton, for anyone who finds wool itchy. One is a wool and cashmere blend. The cards show exactly what's in each one.
1. The Half-Zip Sweater in Luxe Merino
Everlane
100% extra-fine merino wool · $104
A ribbed half zip with a wide, fold-over collar, in pale peach, cocoa, cabernet or heathered pine. The least expensive pick here, and pure merino from collar to hem. Sizes run XXS to XXL.
2. Cashmere Half-Zip
Everlane
100% cashmere · $118
A relaxed half zip in eight colors, from snow and light heathered taupe to charcoal and navy. It's one of the few all-cashmere quarter zips under $150.
3. Cashmere Half Zip
Jenni Kayne
100% Mongolian cashmere · $495
An oversized waffle-knit half zip in ivory or black. It has the widest size range here, XS to 3X.
4. Cashmere Lowe Half Zip
Jenni Kayne
100% cashmere · $525
A chunky, slouchy half zip in taupe. The knit is heavy enough to wear as the outer layer on a cool day.
5. Cotton Cable Half Zip
Jenni Kayne
100% cotton · $395
A fisherman-style cable knit in ivory. The pick for anyone who finds wool itchy. Cotton is less warm than cashmere, so it works best as a fall and spring layer.
6. Brushed Cashmere Quarter-Zip
White + Warren
70% wool, 30% cashmere · $495
A brushed, polo-collar quarter zip in muted camel, seafoam blue or black. The name says cashmere, but the label says it's mostly wool. Both are animal fibers, with no nylon or polyester added for softness.
How to wear a quarter zip
The looks on Pinterest come down to three pairings. A cream or white quarter zip with straight-leg jeans. A brown or taupe one with wide-leg trousers in a lighter or matching tone. A chunky knit over a long skirt. In each case the sweater is the warm layer, so what's under it can be as simple as a cotton tee.
The quarter zip is one sweater we'll keep reaching for long after the trend moves on. It's worth buying in a fiber that lasts as long. The same goes for the coat over it. Four of the nine women's wool coats we read are 100% wool.
Frequently asked
Yes. Jenni Kayne's Cotton Cable Half Zip is a 100% cotton quarter-zip sweater, a cable knit in ivory for $395. Cotton is the best choice if wool feels itchy, though it's less warm than cashmere or merino.
The best quarter zip material is cashmere or merino wool. Both are warm, breathable and soft against the skin. If wool feels itchy, choose 100% cotton.
Everlane, Jenni Kayne and White + Warren all sell quarter zips in cashmere, merino or cotton online. For more, shop natural fiber sweaters.
Everlane makes merino and cashmere half zips for $104 to $118. Jenni Kayne makes cashmere and cotton half zips from $395. White + Warren makes a wool and cashmere quarter zip for $495.
The quarter zip is now an everyday sweater. Pinterest searches for "quarter zip women outfit" are up 4,500% from last year. The top looks: a cream quarter zip with straight-leg jeans, a taupe one with wide-leg trousers, or a chunky knit over a long skirt.
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