Why You Need A Nordic Sweater This Winter (And How to Choose One)

Nordic sweaters might just be the ultimate winter essential. Scandinavian knitwear is the perfect combination of style, warmth, and that cozy, homey feel. Because Nordic knits aren’t just sweaters, they’re designs full of cultural history, made to keep you warm in the harshest winters. From traditional patterns to sustainable wool, Nordic knitwear is having a major moment this winter.

If you’re after your own Nordic sweater, we’ll guide you through choosing, styling, and caring for those classic Scandinavian knits.

Knitting wasn’t always a Scandinavian tradition. Before it arrived in the late Middle Ages, people in Norway and neighboring countries relied on furs and skins to keep warm in the frigid winters.

When knitting finally spread to the north, it quickly became a part of Scandinavian culture. Each region developed its own distinct patterns, like the Selbu Rose, which remains one of the most iconic designs today.

Even now, knitting is a beloved hobby in Scandinavia, with many handmade sweaters passed down as heirlooms. Nordic knitwear carries a rich history of craftsmanship, functionality, and artistry.

When Nordic sweaters were first crafted, only naturally occurring colors and dyes were used, resulting in a warm, earthy palette of whites and off-whites, blacks, greys, browns, and muted reds and blues. Many still prefer sticking to these colors for that authentic, rustic look.

Typically, bold color schemes were seen more in sweaters meant for men, whereas women’s knits focused more on intricate textures.

With the introduction of knitting machines and different dyes, Nordic sweaters, cardigans, and pullovers come in more variety than ever, but high quality remains key, and those original patterns are still there.

Also called the Lusekofte (lice cardigan), due to the many small V or T-shapes, which kind of look like scattered bugs. Traditionally the Setesdal sweater features a black and white design, but those colours are sometimes substituted with grey and creamy tones. A real traditional lusekofte has either a partially or a fully open front with a colourful, decorative band along the edges and silver clasps to close it.

Why silver? Because it is believed to ward off evil spirits/ fairy folk.

There’s some debate as to who actually invented the Marius knit pattern, but the commercial rights to this design currently belong to the Lillunn company. The jumper was named after Marius Eriksen, a war hero and actor who wore the design in a film, which increased its popularity. This pattern consists out of several bands over the chest, with broad diamond and X-shapes in the middle, and a series of downward triangles at the bottom: A bit like a strand of party flags. And speaking of flags: traditionally, the colours are that of the Norway flag: Red, white and blue.

The Selbu Rose design is based on a rose with eight petals, but today it’s become a symbol of winter due to its similarity to a snowflake. It was invented by Marit Emstad in 1857, who first made the pattern on a pair of mittens: Selbu mittens or Selbuvotter are very popular, and today there are over 300 mitten designs registered to the Selbu region.

The Fana pattern stems from the Fana region, this pattern takes the star- and snowflake shapes of Selbu and pairs them with alternating bands with the small “lice” of the Lusekofte.

The Skappel pattern is a fairly modern design and not as easy to recognize as the others. This pattern causes a subtle, horizontal stripe-like effect that is only noticeable up close, and typically features a wider neckline and a split at the bottom, with the front shorter than the back. It was created by Norwegian TV presenter Dorthe Skappel.

Popular Nordic sweater brands include Dale of Norway, known for traditional patterns, and Icelandic Wool (Ístex), famous for lopapeysa sweaters. Devold focuses on durable, functional knitwear, while Gudrun & Gudrun offers sustainable, handmade designs.

• Dale of Norway. Hands down the most well-regarded brand out there. They’re expensive, but their quality is unparallelled: With proper care, Dale sweaters can become family heirlooms. Since 1956 they’ve also been in charge of the costume designs for the Norwegian Olympics skiing team.
• Devold of Norway. Another old name, known for their outdoor and workwear clothing. Pioneers of mechanical knitting techniques.
• Fjällräven. The biggest Swedish brand on the list. Known for their tents, backpacks and outdoor gear, they also have a great wool collection, called Övik. They use organic, traceable wool.
• Norlender. Prides itself on keeping it local and only uses wool from sheep raised in Norway, spun and knit in their own factory on the West coast.
• Rauma Collection. Known less outside of Norway, another brand that primarily uses Norwegian wool.