I hardly can believe it myself, but my site is online for more than two years already!! And this one is still available. And I bet you know what I’m talking about. Ok, my title kind of gave it away... Here is the shorts history of my kind of BASIC SWEATER. How and where I got the idea and how the basic sweater developed.
To start off, I was inspired by a leather jacket. And now you might think ‘what the hell?’. How can a leather jacket inspire a basic sweater? Well during my studies fashion design we had, I believe it was the second semester of my second year, an assignment during sewing class to design a jacket for yourself with some kind of collar, some kind of pocket and there were probably some more things… I decided to make a leather jacket. Why? Because sewing leather is a bit tricky, when you sew something wrong you can’t really remove the seam and sew it again because you perforate the leather and the tiny needle holes won’t ever ‘grow back together’. Since I thought, it’s now or never to learn how to do it with the supervision of a professor this became my goal. To make a leather jacket. I made the same jacket in a wool fabric too, just in case I really would screw up the leather one.
You might think ‘I’m still not sure how you inspired yourself with your own leather jacket to make a basic sweater?’. The inspiration was put in the lining. I lined the leather jacket with ZEEUWS SCHORTENBONT. I got so many lovely comments on that jacket and the lining, it got my thinking after my studies that I maybe should do something with it. I thought about some products many people would wear, men and women. Something that would be timeless and one would wear lots. So eventually I thought about just 'a good old basic sweater' with some zeeuws schortenbont.
I made a couple samples. And I decided along the way if I were to actually start a little business I wanted it to be a sustainable one. So I ordered my first role of black GOTS certified organic cotton sweater fabric and started. (Okay this process was a bit longer and more complicated than this but I will get into it some other time.)
Back to the basic sweater:
After one season I wanted to expand a bit. So I made the basic sweater in two more colours. In olive and in grey with the schortenbont in red& white. The next collection I finally used the LIMITED EDITION navy blue shortenbont curtains I got from family friends to make a limited version of the basic sweater in navy blue. (If you are still interested I have some last pieces from that collection please sent me a message). Another collection and I added some in rose/pink. Which was as much a surprising colour to me as to you, but I still quite like them, even though I myself can’t wear the colour myself since I would look like a real life Barbie.
The things all basic sweaters have in common? They are always made out of GOTS certified organic cotton. The inside is brushed, so they are all very very soft and super comfy to wear. They have the Zeeuws detail on the sleeves and they are just very timeless and last very long. I have a couple people who got theirs during the first couple of months and they wear the basic sweaters lots and lots and lost so they are washed regularly and they still sent me messages, or say it in person, that they are still so very happy with their sweater and that they still look so very good. This is the loveliest compliment, that after more than two years these basic sweaters still look the same as when they were new.
Lately I even made some basic sweaters for the mini ZWAAN customer. Because I always collect my leftovers or cut-off fabric pieces. And since a month or so I finally found something to make out of them that is actually working for me and you customers. More about ZWAAN mini soon!
And another fact if you didn’t know it already, I offer them in two different length sizes. So in a normal size length but also in a TALL version. I myself am quite tall and I often find that sweaters are too short, especially the sleeves. Want to know more about the fit and the sizes read the product description carefully or just sent me a message and I am happy to help find your right size.
For now I suggest go check out the basic sweaters and order your favourite colour if your still living without one, because I just know it will be your new and who knows even your favourite go to piece!
My personal favourite way to wear? Oversized, so I wear size L instead of S or M and on top of a pair of my favourite jeans.