Rick Owens F/W 25 Tommy LS Sweater – Black

Dropped armholes are the decision that makes this sweater what it is. On a conventional knit the armhole sits at the shoulder joint, which fixes where the sleeve begins and gives the garment a defined outline. Drop it well below and there is no longer a point where body ends and sleeve starts: the whole thing becomes one continuous surface, and the fabric gathers in soft folds under the arm rather than pulling across it.

That only works in a yarn that falls. The alpaca-led blend here is low in crimp, so it drapes instead of springing, and an oversized shape in it reads as volume rather than as a larger sweater. The nylon gives the yarn strength, the wool gives back a little elasticity, and the elastane keeps the ribbing honest.

From Concordians, the F/W 25 collection.

Why we selected it

We wanted one genuinely oversized knit and this is the one that does not collapse into shapelessness, because the yarn is doing the work. The wide sleeve is the detail people respond to in person. It is also the same alpaca blend as the Headon Pull sweaters, in the more dramatic cut.

Materials and construction

Forty-eight percent alpaca, thirty percent nylon, twenty percent wool, two percent elastane. Made in Italy, in black. Oversized body, wide long sleeves, dropped armholes.

Fit notes

Oversized by design and drawn that way, so the volume is intended and sizing down produces a shorter sweater rather than a fitted one. Dropped armholes take up room inside a fitted jacket, so this layers under loose outerwear rather than under close tailoring. Alpaca relaxes across a day and recovers when folded and rested.

Styling

With something narrow below, always, since the sweater supplies all the volume the outfit can hold. On its own with a straight black trouser is the whole outfit. Under one of the bigger coats here rather than under a blazer.

Care

Fold it, never hang it, because an alpaca-led yarn will pull out at the shoulders on a hanger. Hand wash cool with a wool detergent, dry flat, and reshape while damp. Air it between wearings instead of washing it. Our care guidance covers the rest.

Related pieces

The F/W 25 Headon Pull Sweater in brown and the one in black use the same yarn. Alongside them, the Maglia Tommy Lupetto and the F/W 25 Shroud. There is more on the house on the Rick Owens designer page. Everything we currently hold from Rick Owens is listed together.