This oversized cotton sweater from L.L. Bean is the holy grail of fall layering essentials

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Fall in New York City means shivering at an outdoor dinner immediately followed by a journey into the steamy underground subway that makes you sweat through your layers. And if you’re wearing a wool sweater, the sensation of fibers itching at your skin under a puffer coat while you wait for the L train (and even worse — on the train when you’re pressed up against grumpy commuters) is the worst kind of stifling.

Even high-quality wool like cashmere will start to prickle if you sweat. But not cotton. Cotton is breathable, easy to launder, and usually more budget-friendly than wool.

Two style editors on our team recently discovered that we both had the same white whale of 100% cotton sweaters: the L.L. Bean Men’s Signature Cotton Fisherman Sweater.

The sweater manages to be both breathable and heavyweight, with thick cotton yarn that keeps its structure. We’re huge fans of the beige, but you can also get it in navy, olive, and burnt orange. And don’t be deterred by the fact that it’s a men’s sweater. It is perfectly oversized, even on more petite people.

Here are four ways we’ve styled the sweater.

For a media event

When you’re going to an event where you’ll be rubbing elbows with people in the fashion industry, you want to make sure you’re on-trend. I combined three fall 2024 trends for this outfit: leopard print, burgundy accessories, and slingbacks. And the sweater paired perfectly with all of them.

The shoes are from Inez, a brand that sells some of the most comfortable heels I’ve ever tested. I loved the perfect autumnal pairing of the black suede slingbacks with the leopard print.

Though it looks like a skirt, I actually layered the sweater over a leopard print dress from Zara. It’s sold out, but I linked a similar skirt below.

I’m wearing a ton of our favorite brands for this outfit — check out our Cuyana review, Inez review, and Heaven Mayhem review to see why we love these buzzy retailers.

For a casual weekend look

I knew I had to write about this sweater when I saw Sally Kaplan, the executive editor of Insider Reviews, wearing it on a video call. I immediately recognized the knit.

We gushed about how it’s the ultimate hero piece for a good ten minutes before actually starting our meeting. That’s when I knew I had to spread the word about the holy grail of sweaters.

“I love the way this sweater hangs on me. I got a men’s XL (for reference, I’m 5-foot-2 and usually wear a 12 or 14) and it hits me just below my hips for a perfectly oversized look,” she says.

Sally styled it for a casual weekend day, with Abercrombie jeans and simple brown boots with a little heel.

For a happy hour with friends

The theme: Godiva chic. For this look, I was inspired by all the chocolate tones that are everywhere this fall.

To dress up the sweater, I paired it with sheer tights and pointed-toe slingbacks. I was also able to break out one of my favorite purses that I tested for our Freja review.

One of the best parts of this outfit is that everything is vegan — from the skirt to the bag and, of course, the cotton sweater.

For a fall dinner date

For a more elevated look, Sally styled the sweater with a silk skirt and knee-high boots. “I love that it can be dressed up or down really easily. Wearing it with a slip skirt and knee-high boots gives it a luxe elegance, but wearing it with jeans and sneakers gives it a casual weekend vibe,” she says.

And since the sweater is so versatile, you may be tossing it in the laundry a lot. “It may not be the softest sweater in the world, but the cotton is so breathable and it softens with every wash. Just make sure you lay it flat to dry so that it doesn’t shrink up!” Sally says.