From parenting 101 to home décor and beauty must-haves, we find ourselves taking style notes from Parisian women more often than not. We’ve spent a week in a French-girl capsule collection and adhered by a French Girl Fall last season in search of that je ne sais quoi our sophisticated amies are born with. Next on the docket? The one sweater French girls can’t stop wearing: the Jane mohair sweater ($220; $175) from eco-friendly brand Surprise Paris. (But more on that in a second.) According to PureWow’s fashion commerce editor Stephanie Meraz, “It’s the sweater you’re constantly shopping for but can never find…until now.” TikTok user @ambre.lpp’s outfit compilation—which garnered over 20,900 views on the platform—featured looks styled around the knit that French women all seem to own.
So, what makes this particular piece so covetable? The sweater embodies a certain coziness we look for in chunkier crewnecks come winter, with a near-perfect plush fit and various colorways. And the wide ribbed cuffs at the hem, neck and arms help to tame the bodice’s volume, seemingly on par with the casual tailoring craze people are embracing this winter. To simply state, it’s the type of sweater that pairs beautifully with everything from your favorite jeans to midi slip skits.
It's also worth noting that the sweater is from an eco-responsible brand that launches each collection and drop through pre-orders to avoid an overture of stock and wasted material. The Jane sweater is ethically made in Italy with Japanese knitting machines (you can see clips of their production process in the video here). It is then assembled by hand in a family-run workshop established in 1968 near Florence. Only RMS and Mulesing free certified Italian yarns are used. Its popularity is evidence that French fashionistas (like the ones you'll see below), are embracing slow fashion brands and finding value in investing in long-lasting, well-made clothes that can be traced back to their origins.