I’m a Scottish Fashion Editor — These Are the Knitwear Brands I Have My Eye on for Autumn 2026
After 15 years in London, I came back to Scotland and apparently decided the only sensible response was to buy sweaters. Lots of them. And, increasingly, cashmere ones.
Which makes me sound quite princessy, but there is actually a practical reason: cashmere is one of the few woollen fibres that doesn’t set my skin off. So yes, I have developed opinions.
And somewhere along the way, returning to my roots made me realise quite how good we are at knitwear in Scotland. We really do know our purl from our cable. Also, I’m not talking tartan-for-tourists or anything remotely twee. Scottish knitwear now spans centuries-old mills, independent design houses, brilliantly modern colour, seriously good cashmere and brands taking traditional techniques and putting them firmly into a contemporary wardrobe.
These are the Scottish knitwear names I have my eye on right now — the ones proving that when it comes to putting Scotland on the global fashion map, we have rather more up our sleeves than a good jumper.
ERIBÉ
Traditional Fair Isle, reworked with a modern eye: ERIBÉ proves Scottish knitwear can feel colourful, contemporary and anything but twee.
If there is one Scottish knitwear brand that proves heritage does not have to mean predictable, it is ERIBÉ. Founded by Rosemary Eribé in 1986 from her living room, the Melrose-based label celebrates its 40th anniversary this year and has built a global following by taking traditional techniques — particularly Fair Isle — and turning the colour dial right up. Some designs use as many as 14 shades in a single piece, and everything is still hand-finished in Scotland. For its anniversary, ERIBÉ has revisited its archive with the new Vaila Lace collection, inspired by traditional Shetland lace knitting but reworked in soft, lightweight merino. This is the bit I like: nothing feels remotely museum-piece. The Fair Isle is joyful, the colour combinations are clever and the shapes work with jeans and trainers rather than requiring a croft and a pair of wellies. For autumn, I have my eye on the Vaila Lace sweater and one of the brilliantly colourful Alpine or Westray knits — exactly the sort of jumper that makes the rest of your outfit very easy indeed.
TBCo
From tartan blankets to statement knits: TBCo’s new-season knitwear brings its signature colour and pattern firmly into the wardrobe.
TBCo is an interesting one because knitwear is still relatively new territory for a Scottish brand that first made its name with tartan blankets. Co-founded by Emma Macdonald, the Edinburgh business grew from a single recycled wool blanket into a much broader interiors and fashion label, but its move into clothing feels like a very natural next step. For autumn, the knitwear is where my eye is going: 100 per cent merino and cashmere pieces in stripes, argyles and strong colour combinations that feel much more fashion-editor layering than traditional Scottish sweater. I particularly love the Pink & Fig Argyle V-neck, the Berry Stripe Chore Cardigan and the Pink & Burgundy cashmere crew — all pieces that would work brilliantly over a white shirt or with wide-leg denim. It feels like a clever evolution for a brand already so closely associated with wool, pattern and colour, just translated from the sofa to the wardrobe.
Kiltane
Kiltane keeps cashmere simple but never dull, with modern shapes and bold colour designed for repeat wear.
Kiltane is the one I tend to think of when I want proper cashmere without too much fuss. The Edinburgh-rooted brand has built its reputation around natural fibres, classic shapes and pieces designed to be worn repeatedly rather than saved for best, and its women’s knitwear is now entirely focused on 100 per cent cashmere. What I like this season is that the shapes have quietly become much more interesting: boxier crews, high-button cardigans, chunkier cable knits and great colour alongside the dependable neutrals. The Raeburn Boxy Crew in Nettle Green feels particularly current, while the Calton cable cardigan and Heavyweight High Button Cardigan have exactly that expensive-but-easy quality I always want from cashmere. It is less about a huge fashion statement and more about finding the jumper you end up wearing three times a week — which, frankly, is usually the knitwear worth spending on.
Johnstons of Elgin
Johnstons of Elgin proves heritage cashmere can still feel thoroughly modern, with beautifully pared-back pieces designed to last.
If we are talking Scottish knitwear pedigree, Johnstons of Elgin is difficult to beat. Founded in 1797, the house still makes in Scotland across its Elgin and Hawick mills, but the reason it belongs in this list is that it refuses to rely on heritage alone. The new winter collection looks to Scottish modernism and the later work of Charles Rennie Mackintosh, translating that inspiration into brushed cashmere, oversized argyles, abstract thistle motifs and beautifully textured Aran knits in purple, green, red and caramel tones. This is the investment end of my knitwear wish list, but it is also where I would go for a piece I still expect to love in ten years. The Kylesku deep-V cashmere jumper in purple is glorious, the Reuben V-neck is a cleaner option, and even the little Clan Argyle cashmere bandana gives you a hit of the collection without going full head-to-toe cashmere. Heritage, yes — but very much with its eyes open.
Strathberry
Strathberry takes its polished Edinburgh aesthetic into cashmere, with understated layers that make everyday dressing feel instantly more considered.
Most of us still instinctively think bags when we hear Strathberry, but the Edinburgh brand founded by Guy and Leeanne Hundleby in 2013 has been quietly building a rather lovely cashmere offering too. Designed through its Edinburgh atelier, the cashmere collection is made in Scotland with Alex Begg, the historic Scottish specialist with more than 150 years of expertise, and it has that same polished, minimal quality as the handbags. For autumn 2026, the palette is particularly good — oat, pebble, espresso, otter and black — across cardigans, wraps, bandanas and accessories. The Portobello Cardigan in espresso is the one I would wear constantly, while the Westray Travel Wrap feels like exactly the sort of thing you buy for a flight and then somehow live in all winter. And I have a weakness for the cashmere bandanas, which make a white shirt or plain crew neck look instantly more deliberate. Very grown-up. Very useful. Not remotely boring.