Wrapping up for Winter with Nygårdsanna (AD)
Nygårdsanna kindly sent me a selection of winter garments. All images, words and thoughts are my own.
Everything can be a story, including the garments that you wear. I love to hear how people stumbled across independent brands or how a particular garment becomes a treasured piece in your wardrobe. Clothes often have a story to tell.
On my slow fashion journey, I’ve mainly discovered brands through Instagram or recommendations from friends, but there are other brands that have more interesting stories behind how I found them. I first came across Nygårdsanna when I was travelling through Sweden this Spring; a rail of their garments hung in the little shop at Mellby Klockargård, nestled at the back of the store behind a display of artisan ceramics. I didn’t make a purchase but I kept thinking about the beautiful linen and cotton jumpsuits and dresses I’d admired. I reached out to the brand and we chatted about Scandinavian design and slow fashion, before they kindly sent me a few pieces from their winter collection.
Contrary to most people, I find autumn and winter the hardest seasons to get dressed. I much prefer wearing long, loose dresses and sandals in summer, when I don’t have to think about layering and can just throw something on before I leave the house. I find dressing in winter to be a bit of a minefield. Am I going to be too hot or too cold? Will my shoes get soggy if it rains? What shoes can I wear with my jumpsuits? Everything seems so much harder when the weather is cold and wet. My go-to winter outfits are either pulling on a jumper over a linen dress or with a pair of jeans. Simple, easy and requiring very little thought.
Nygårdsanna aren’t specifically a knitwear brand, but all of the garments I opted for are woolen. I’ve been on a hunt for sustainable knitwear this season and my two Nygårdsanna jumpers have been the perfect additions to my winter wardrobe. Two knits that I can effortlessly pull on over a dress or with jeans, warm and cosy to get me through the colder months. These are the jumpers I reach for when I head out for a walk, when I’m sat reading by the fire or when I’m popping to the pub. They’re knits that work for all occasions, keeping me warm and snug while looking good.
Back to stories … I love to hear the stories behind the brands and Nygårdsanna’s is particularly enchanting. Owner, Anna has been making clothes since she was five years old. Growing up in central Sweden, her mother and two grandmothers taught her traditional handicrafts, teaching her skills that she used to make her own clothes. In 1994, Anna graduated from Beckman’s College of Design in Stockholm, with her final graduate project being the first Nygårdsanna collection.
One line from the brand’s website that really stuck with me is ‘we believe that no garment is complete until someone wears it’. I love this sentiment; these are clothes that are designed to be loved and worn over and over again, rather than garments to simply admire in your wardrobe. Designs are inspired by work-wear, creating clothes that are functional and practical to wear in a nature-inspired colour palette. The garments fit easily within your wardrobe and can be effortlessly mixed-and-matched, allowing you to wear them as often as possible.
Something else that I loved was the brand’s mention of circular fashion. Anna writes that the brand holds stock sales at her parent’s farm in the Swedish countryside twice a year, where she meets women who tell her they have passed on their Nygårdsanna garments to older and younger generations. I love that the brand encourage their customers to pass on their garments, reducing waste and reducing the need to make new purchases. Furthermore, when you give a treasured piece of clothing to another woman, you’re continuing it’s story.
Check out Nygårdsanna's current collection here. I am wearing the Tweed Wool Wide Polo and sage green Wool Cropped Polo in these photos.