Thought Knitwear Was Just for Cold Months? These Chic Tops Will Make You Consider it for Summer

I’m not sure if it’s symptomatic of London, but irrespective of the weather, there’s one piece of clothing I can count on spotting every day. I’m referring to the prominence of fine knit tops, a shirt style that’s easily breathable as it is practical, making it the ultimate transeasonal wardrobe staple.

Long gone are the days when wool or cashmere were exclusively reserved for winter months, adding a cover of warmth when styled under trench coats or over thermal base layers. While natural fibres like marino and angora have always been peddled to us as an essential that provides a chic snugness on cooler days, fine knit tops have arrived to prove you don’t need to skip on those qualities during summer’s reign.

What are Fine Knit Tops?

“Knitwear is quite versatile as it can be dressed up or down depending on the environment,” explains Jasmine Ammitzboell, the design and production lead of Asta Resort, a Gen Z-focused ready-to-wear label that’s made fine knitting a motif of the brand. “The shimmering paillette yarn was naturally becoming the brand's signature,” adds her sister Helena, the brand’s founder and creative director. It weaves a veil of lustre into life’s most special moments, sort of acting as a physical embodiment of joy, zest and excitement.”

To put it plainly, the best fine knit tops are categorised as any style that uses very thin knitted fabric. They could be rendered in cosier forms, like snow white coloured long sleeves that can be styled under tank tops and paired with wool trousers. Or, as Christopher Esber has regularly done, employ a sense of precise tailoring by fashioning pure cashmere weave into shirts with open-front twisted loops or stracciatella-coloured silk knits into polo shirts. The latter style also appeared on Miu Miu’s spring/summer 2025 runway in tessellating check prints, offsetting the Overlook Hotel wallpaper-esque geometric printed skirts with a sense of Saltburn ease. (See: Y2k collegiate with a masculine air.)

But when it comes to warm climates, they can be threaded into sensual shapes with “shiny textures and glistening yarns”, as the Asta Resort team put it. “One of the beautiful things about knitwear is that it is low-maintenance and non-creasing,” they add. “Our pieces marry casual ‘slow’ living with an extroverted shine, which makes anyone feel special.”

“We’re constantly interested in the lives and mentality of the jet-set,” they continue. “Our [customer] has a very fun lifestyle; she takes flash pictures at all of her soirees and is on the move from scene to scene.” The advantage of fine knit tops is the practicality they allow. Truly effortless, they can be paired with jeans or slipped over a sheer skirt with equal measure and don’t require any fussiness, steaming or pinning to make you look put together. Best of all, they still have a homely quality to them that imbues your outfit with a sense of comfort, like a hug for your body wherever you are.

How to Style a Fine Knit Top for Summer?

Styling the best fine knit tops for summer is rooted in movement. The fabric itself is inherently airy, meaning that these styles should be able to move with your body and hold up in scorching heat without making you over-sweat. I know this prerequisite sounds incongruous with how we wear knits on chilly days, but the wispy thread included in the best fine knit tops actually enables you to wear this fabric outside of cold snaps.

This is something that New Zealand-based designer Wynn Crawshaw knows firsthand. The languid and functional energy of his hometown of Aotearoa seeps into every string of his eponymous label, Wynn Hamlyn’s knitwear designs. Never compromising on practicality or style, Crawshaw seamlessly fuses utility with innovation.

The results are knitted pieces that are as sophisticated as they are intelligent while still being appropriate for a range of settings, including a park walk, pub visit or daily commute. “[The brand] is known for bringing a point of difference: jacquards that carry images, crochet techniques that build silhouette, stitch structures that replace seams. It’s never just about decoration—it’s about pushing the possibilities of knitwear,” Crawshaw explains.

Using merino, a fabric that Crawshaw explains regulates temperature and will feel light, dry, and effortless against the skin, he notes that styling the best fine knit tops all comes down to adaptability. “Layered under tailoring, over swimwear, or tied at the waist. They can be worn open, wrapped or undone,” he adds. “It’s about letting the knit shape itself to how you move through the day.”

What Kinds of Fine Knit Tops are Trending In 2025?

When there are so many different shapes and ways of making knits—see: crochet tops—what are the styles that are defining the trend this year? Semi-sheer blouses are one fine knit style helming the charge. As Crawshaw adds, the transparency of this piece “allows you to see the architecture of the piece.”

"There’s a quiet tension in revealing what’s underneath, he continues before adding, “It’s not about provocation, it’s about process. You’re seeing the work, the lines and the structure.”

Another look of note are garments with built-in styling details like “halternecks that cinch, cardigans that tie or wrap, polos that can be worn structured or undone,” Crawshaw adds. “I'm drawn to pieces that offer the wearer control. We design knitwear that can be styled in multiple ways — tied, layered, reversed, even reconfigured entirely. That flexibility invites interaction. It’s not just about how a garment looks, but how it shifts with the person wearing it and their mood on any given day.”

Regardless of the kind of knit, it’s universally acknowledged that making a purchase like this is an investment. Thankfully, with fine knits, you can be a bit more relaxed in your approach. Invest in a style now and wear it again in six months' time when you need to bundle up in clothes to brace the cold. Or, look to the light knits at designer favourites like Toteme and Khaite for something a little more classic. Either way, you can count on fine knit tops serving you through thick and thin. Shop my edit of the best styles, below.

Shop the Best Fine Knit Tops: