Men are not women in taller/larger bodies nor are women men in smaller bodies. As with all mammals, humans are a sexually dimorphic species. You can’t just “adjust the proportions” of a sweater and call them a male or female version. Knitwear for men and knitwear for women must be drafted on different blocks, because our bodies are sexed and structurally different.
For stating this basic reality, I was banned from a subreddit and accused of “inciting hate against trans people”. This meant I had no opportunity to clarify what I was actually talking about: garment construction, not colour, texture, design elements etc. I want people to express themselves through what they wear. That is the beauty of knitting: you create items that reflect who you are and that actually fit your body.
This is why I love both the knitting process and wearing my knits too!. Some time ago, I came across a video that was making fun of the fact that a brand was selling “non binary T-shirts” and was selling female and male versions, as if it were absurd. Yet this makes perfect sense: some people are looking for a non binary aesthetic whilst wantingt heir T-shirts to look good on their bodies. To me, this is what knitting is about :creating items that look good on you, that you enjoy wearing, that reflects your individual taste and personality. And, that’s also how knitting allows us to go on a self-discovery journey.
Garment’s construction for men’s knitwear
On reddit, the discussion had started with someone complaining that it is so hard to look for knitwear for men on Ravelry, as unfortunately quite a few designers for women are also categorising their knits as knitwear for men. And that is in a very literal sense : all their do is categorise them as suitable for men, they are not providing a separate design that will actually fit men. I stated that regardless of gender identity, what determines fit is biological sex. Unsurpringly, on that reddit thread, some women were indeed complaining that they had spent hours knitting a sweater for a man, only to find out later on that the man couldn’t wear it at all, as the back was far too narrow. I don’t know if they too were banished for wrongthink….
Like many other women I guess, I have cuddled up in a boyfriend’s pullover or worn a boyfriend’s T-shirt. I think some designers draw the wrong conclusion from this experience, aka that if their designs are not tightly fitted, they work for both sexes. Some designers clearly lack professional knowledge on garment construction. Anyway, knitwear for men needs to be drafted entirely differently for a good fit, even if not closely fitted. Men have broader shoulders with more square shoulder lines, a greater shoulder-to-chest-ratio, they are more muscular (which means that they have more mass at the deltoids), longer arms, smaller hips, etc.
In terms of knitwear design, this implies a larger neck circumference, less shoulder slope, lower and larger armholes, longer sleeves, minimal to no garments waist shaping, a longer torso. For a starter. We are a dimorphic species and this matters in sweater knitwear design. If we don’t want to create yet more fashion waste, we need to knit and create garments that aligns with the wearer’s biological sex. Let’s stress it again : this has nothing to do with gender identity, nor with how we choose to express our gender identity.
Designing for men
I am not a knitwear designer so can’t give you the ultimate guide as to how to draft a sweater for a man. What I can do is recommend you a knitwear designer that drafts separate patterns for men and women : Olena Sitalkana, as well as a youtube video by Nitikina Knits – Knitting for Him, timeless sweaters that fit perfectly – where she reviews several men’s knitwear. This is in fact how I discovered the existence of Olena Sitalkana, Nitikina Knits shows a solid understanding of knitwear construction in her videos, so I feel very confident further recommending her and this designer. As for women, we have breasts that come in different forms and sizes. I wish more knitwear designers would take our bodies into account, as I definitely need bust darts! Another good point for Olena Sitalkana is that she includes bust darts in her female desings, bless her !
Let’s make it queer!
I knit mostly for myself and close family members and haven’t taken a deep dive into what is currently available for male bodied persons looking for a feminine look. Yet I did find a few patterns on Ravelry in about 10 minutes.
Should you choose to use an existing masculine pullover to make its aesthetics more feminine, like for instance adding some lace details, make a swatch beforehand. Stockinette and lace knitting typically don’t have the same gauge. So you will need to calculate how much stitches you need to add/diminish as to not distort the overall shape.
If I were to design such a top or sweater, my approach to it would be to use an average pattern that has the ease I want and then transform some sections from stockinette to lace. Only some sections as you want the sweater to keep its general shape. Another approach would be to take a colourwork sweater designed for male bodies and queer it up by the choice of colours. Troutbeck by Marie Wallin, Huron by Jared Floyd would be a good candidate for such a transformation.
If something is knitted in stockinette, remember that you can always add stripes, it won’t change anything to overall fit and knitting tension. For instance, a tight fitted sweater such as Haddock by Mauricette C could look totally different if you add some colourful stripes to it. As far as stranded knitted is concerned, you can switch one design to another to some extent and as far as you have the same number of stitches. But then again, you would need to do some extensive swatching.
What if you have a female body and are looking for masculine aesthetics? Well, the good news is that there is a bounty of patterns that already exist and meet this need. Again, colours play a great role. Stay away from mohair and any bouclé yarns, as they will add volume to your silhouette exactly where you don’t want it. The same goes for chunky cables on the front of the body. If you decide to change the cables to make them less chunky, be sure to make a large swatch beforehand, as different cables come with different tensions.
If someone is androgynous and/or on hormonal treatment, I still think it’s not a good idea to pick a “unisex” option. For a good fit, what matters is your bone structure. This is what determines how a knit sits on your body. If you have a female body and knit from a pattern designed for men, or a male body and knit from a pattern designed for women, your bone structure will make your biology more apparent, not less.
What people notice first in a knit are the colours and/or the pattern structure. Nobody will ever find out that your knit was designed for a man or for a woman if you go for aesthetics that correspond to your gender identity. After selecting a pattern that matches your biological sex, examine the schematics provided with your pattern and compare them with your body measurements. You might need slightly larger or smaller sleeves. You might need to knit a cropped top a few rows longer, etc. Still, this is far less work than having to re-draft your entire project to make it work for your body.
Another option could be buying two patterns, one for a male and one for a female body knitted with the same wool. So you could pick the design elements you like in one pattern and still use measurements that are closer to your own body.
Which female or unisex pattern to pick for a man
If a designer can’t be bothered to add bust darts to complement my body, I can’t be bothered buying their pattern either..I don’t think I would commit to knitting a sweater for a relative that wouldn’t have been designed specifically as men’s knitwear. My man is 1m88, those long sleeves and torso will take for ever! But you do you! Let me help you pick out the best candidates for “adaptating” a female/unisex pattern for a male-bodied person.
If you choose to knit a sweater categorises as unisex or male on Ravelry without you knowing whether or not the designer provide sex-specific versions of their knit, take a close look as if anyone has actually knitted one for a man and see whether it looks good on them or not. If there is a close up picture of the shoulder area and it looks nice, you are probably good to go. The fabric should be the same as the rest of the knit, you don’t want any akward bumps, folds or overstretched stitches. If neither a close up shoulder foto nor a back foto are provided picture, save yourself time and money and choose another project. Same if the knit is tightly fitted or knitted on a small gauge. I wouldn’t go for a pattern that is worked on less than 4.5 mm needles.
It is currently the fashion of boxy/oversized sweaters. Some of you might think this would be a good pick as there is quite a lot of “wriggle room”. Yet then again, I would be very careful picking such a pattern. Because oversize means a lot of weight that needs structure in order to keep its shape. So if you add some extra stitches and length to a sleeve for instance, you could end up with sleeves that become shapeless in no time. That’s also why I would refrain from using bulky/chunky yarns. Like, you typically don’t get pictures of what the sweater looks like after 3 washes. I’d rather play safe.
By the way, plus sized people regularly encounter the shapeless sleeve, sweater-turned-tunique issue on a too regular basis. So whether knitting a male or female version of a pattern: take a good look on how shoulders AND sleeves look on larger bodies before casting on.
Second step in picking a suitable pattern is to analyse the schematics of the pattern and compare them to the measurements of the man you are knitting for. His favourite sweater or T-shirt are a good starting point to adapt the pattern. Don’t hesitate to have deeper and larger armholes than suggested in the pattern. As for adapting the shoulder area itself, this is where it gets really tricky and I wouldn’t venture there, especially if it is knitted-in-the-round. That’s why the shoulder close-up foto is important ! If knitted flat, I might give a try at adapting the shoulder, going for the exact measurements of his sweater (preferably a sweater that has about the same weight as the knitted fabric I am creating).
Being a knitwear designer is a profession, not a hobby! So my last advice on this issue is : if you don’t have the exact same yarn as the one used by the person who made a successful attempt at using a female/unisex pattern you fancy, go searching for an actual sex-specific pattern.
And you, do you know any designers who design specifically for men or provide separate male and female versions of their designs? Did you knit a sweater that was labeled male or unisex, without sex-specific tailoring, and that nevertheless turned out a great ? Please share this precious info in the comments! I would love to be able to update this post with new designers, new masculine designs reviews or some further advice on how to construct a garment so that it fits a male body.
Unsolicited Knitting Advice 