How to Wear the Cotton-Sweater Summer 2025 Trend Like a European

Every summer for the last five or six years, I’ve traveled somewhere in Europe to wave goodbye to the slower months and prepare for New York City’s less enjoyable time of year: winter. (Fall barely exists in the city—it lasts a few weeks at best.) Marseille, Cadaqués, and Camogli are a few of the seaside towns I’ve escaped to, and while the food, beaches, and overall relaxed energy are my main criteria, I also seek out destinations where I can people-watch or, rather, outfit-watch.

The best, most laid-back styling comes out of the vacation destinations that Europeans frequent on summer weekends and during their long August holidays. Think linen pants, big straw bags and hats, breezy dresses, and leather sandals as well as cotton sweaters, a garment I consistently spot on my end-of-summer travels. All fall, winter, and spring, chic European women style their Prada and Saint Laurent skirts with cashmere knits, from turtlenecks to sleeveless pullovers. In the warmer months, they swap them out for their lightweight cotton alternatives, which feature a looser weave that lets in the salty seaside air.

To kick off cotton-sweater season, I highly suggest you shop the knits chic European women ditch their cashmere for every summer. The best versions? Find them all below.

Get the look: oversize cotton sweater + capri pants + heeled clogs