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Brands similar to Kari Traa?

knolan12

Angel Diva
I loveee the look of pretty much everything Kari Traa makes, but I think it might run too small for me (XL says it's a 10 - 12?). Are there any other brands that have a similar look, but run a bit bigger? I'm basically a sucker for the Nordic style prints and brighter colors.

1638377433165.png 1638377460572.png
 

Kimmyt

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
My experience with KT is that they run pretty big, so if you are just outside of their sizing window you might still fit. For other brands with a similar aesthetic, an internet search shows me Sweaty Betty having some fun patterned options with more inclusive sizing.
 

RJ*

Angel Diva
I have a few Sweaty Betty top layers and a bottom layer from a few years back. They feel amazing on the skin and are super cute, but they are kind of fragile. I try (and don’t always manage) to remember to wash on the delicate cycle and lay flat to dry.
 

elemmac

Angel Diva
Krimson Klover is one that comes to mind with that look. I don't actually own anything from them, so not sure exactly how they fit, but might be worth exploring.
 

santacruz skier

Angel Diva
My experience with KT is that they run pretty big, so if you are just outside of their sizing window you might still fit. For other brands with a similar aesthetic, an internet search shows me Sweaty Betty having some fun patterned options with more inclusive sizing.
First discovered Sweaty Betty in London, but did buy an extra small ski top last year that is skin tight.
 

santacruz skier

Angel Diva
What about Title 9 ? I think their sizing is a bit off (on the larger side) but they do carry Krimson Klover as well as Kari Traa.
 

knolan12

Angel Diva
An update: I bought a Kari Traa sweatshirt on Black Friday, but was second guessing if it would fit while waiting for it (hence this post). It literally just arrived and I tried it on and it fits! And it's SO CUTE. Off to buy more now haha
 

liquidfeet

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I loveee the look of pretty much everything Kari Traa makes, but I think it might run too small for me (XL says it's a 10 - 12?). Are there any other brands that have a similar look, but run a bit bigger? I'm basically a sucker for the Nordic style prints and brighter colors.

View attachment 17080 View attachment 17081
Icelandic
Icewear
Bjorn
Dale of Norway
Nils
Nordstrikk
anything saying Fair Isle
Talbots and LL Bean have made nordic design sweaters.

Look on ebay under "nordic sweater" if $$ matters to you. There are tons of such sweaters listed there.
If you want a pull-over, use the word "sweater."
If a zip-up, say "full zip cardigan"
If you want a pull-over sweater with a short zipper up at the neck, say "quarter zip"
If you want the traditional, pre-zipper age, clasp front, say "cardigan clasp"
If you are looking for a thick sweater-jacket, ask for that.
Want merino wool? Angora? Vintage? Lined? Boiled wool? Add that in the search line.
Ebay's search feature is well-engineered.

I spend waaay too much time looking at nordic stuff online. I would never pay full price. Ebay is a great place to buy these at bargain prices. You can ask the buyer to measure the item if you don't trust the size. Be sure the seller accepts returns because, well, some people don't know how to use a ruler. If really interested, make an offer lower than the listed price. Many sellers will say yes. If you put things you like on a wish list and wait, some sellers will contact you with a discount.

I have about six of these, and one on the way.
 
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liquidfeet

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
On Ebay I always ask the seller to measure from pit to pit, to see if the sweater will fit across the chest. And side to side at the bottom to see if it will fit across the hips.

I keep a little sheet of paper on my desk with the measurements that I've found will fit my body, so I check what the seller's measurements are against that sheet's numbers. But this assumes the seller positions the ruler or tape measure properly. You'd be surprised how many just put it down, with the "zero" mark somewhere near the edge but not really lined up against it. Some people put it down with the number "1" at the edge.

They never learned to use a ruler properly in school. As a high school art teacher, I would always cover this skill in my intro art courses because people need to know. When did our schools let go of this essential skill and choose not to teach it in elementary school?

I once bought a beautiful sweater-jacket that ended up being way too big, despite getting the seller to measure. I forgot to check if the seller accepts returns. The seller didn't, but Ebay has a provision that you can work something out with the seller anyway. I did, and sent it back, but did not realize that the postage I originally paid would not be refunded, and to send it back the postage was my responsibility. That original postage was listed absurdly high. The seller was smarter than me, and ended up with the sweater and some of my money. I will not do that again.

I don't buy if the seller doesn't accept returns, unless I'm willing to keep it if it doesn't fit.
 
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knolan12

Angel Diva
So helpful, thank you @liquidfeet ! I've never bought anything off of eBay so appreciate all the tips and tricks as well as the brand list. And I agree about the ruler skill haha
 

SarahXC

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Buying second hand is good on the pocketbook and environment when you can find what fits. I have a Dale of Norway sweater that was my grandmother’s and is so warm. I actually did a quick eBay search this morning (before I saw this thread!) and saw there are many more lovely ones. I smitten with the vintage sweaters and am actually thinking a wind block base layer (which I have some for cycling) would be the perfect way to showcase these beauties without needing to wear a shell on nice days.
 

Little Lightning

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I loveee the look of pretty much everything Kari Traa makes, but I think it might run too small for me (XL says it's a 10 - 12?). Are there any other brands that have a similar look, but run a bit bigger? I'm basically a sucker for the Nordic style prints and brighter colors.

View attachment 17080 View attachment 17081
I buy most of my Kari Traa directly from their website. Mainly because their XS,S fit better than any brand I've ever worn.
On the website you can enter your size information and it will give you a recommended size. I've found it to be very reliable. Even if I order from another company I will check the KT site to see what size in that item is recommended for me.
KT has sales on their site that are often better than local retailers, shipping is fast, out of California, and returns are US based, Broomfield, CO.
 

TNtoTaos

Angel Diva
So helpful, thank you @liquidfeet ! I've never bought anything off of eBay so appreciate all the tips and tricks as well as the brand list. And I agree about the ruler skill haha
Another eBay hint: be sure the seller has positive feedback, preferably a large number, before buying. I've bought and sold many times on eBay, without any negative experiences, but I am very careful to check out the Seller first.
 

diymom

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I like all of my Kari Traa base layers, but I ordered a wool (non- merino) sweater from Sierra online and was surprised at how rough and itchy the wool is. It will be going back.
 

Kimmyt

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I like all of my Kari Traa base layers, but I ordered a wool (non- merino) sweater from Sierra online and was surprised at how rough and itchy the wool is. It will be going back.
I bought some of their wool and thought it was also very itchy. Not a fan.
 

Analisa

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
+1 to Kari Traa sizing being *bonkers*. I have some in XS that I kind of swim in and a small that is so short through the crotch (with no gusset) that squeezed all the goodies like a 3-sizes-too-small g string. Wool tends to be larger and more consistent than synthetics. (I'm between an XS and S on the size chart; wear an XS in wool, and a little to tight in the S for synthetics).

KT stuff is mad cute, but as someone who works in apparel, you can tell styling is the main thing keeping them afloat. The wool is pretty on par with industry standards (they use 19.5 micron wool, a bit better than Mons Royale, a bit worse than WoolX and Ibex; the solvents used in the scouring process also impact how soft the fabric feels). But the fleece (originally the Flett, now the Olga) pilled really badly on me after 3 uses, and they use an overlocking seam instead of a flatlock seam, and don't even tack it down to make pieces layer over each other more seamlessly. It's a $15 Walmart fleece with a cute pattern and $55 price tag. They also switched a lot of items to acrylic after that whole trade agreement chaos ~2-3 years ago increased wool import duties (almost all merino gets processed in China). Acrylic is super cheap and pills like and gets that "fuzzy / frizzy" look where the threads seem to untwist. No one else really plays in acrylic and hasn't since the 1970s. The fact that they charge $75 for an item like the Perle and it's 70% acrylic (yet they only market the "10% wool" part of the fabric content) is highway robbery. But they keep showing up on Sierra for cheap in cute colors and I can't stop.

I agree looking at Icewear, especially if the aesthetic is a big selling point. Their XXL bust measurement goes to 44" on the XXL compared the KT size chart that maxes out 40". And LLBean's wool sometimes is more nordic or geometric (though not this year). I'd also check the size charts - the bust measurement on KT'sXL (10-12) is 40", which is the same as the XL (12-14) measurement.
 

Christy

Angel Diva
It's a $15 Walmart fleece with a cute pattern and $55 price tag. They also switched a lot of items to acrylic after that whole trade agreement chaos ~2-3 years ago increased wool import duties (almost all merino gets processed in China). Acrylic is super cheap and pills like and gets that "fuzzy / frizzy" look where the threads seem to untwist. No one else really plays in acrylic and hasn't since the 1970s.

Wow, I love this kind of insight!
 

altagirl

Moderator
Staff member
Icelandic
Icewear
Bjorn
Dale of Norway
Nils
Nordstrikk
anything saying Fair Isle
Talbots and LL Bean have made nordic design sweaters.

Look on ebay under "nordic sweater" if $$ matters to you. There are tons of such sweaters listed there.
If you want a pull-over, use the word "sweater."
If a zip-up, say "full zip cardigan"
If you want a pull-over sweater with a short zipper up at the neck, say "quarter zip"
If you want the traditional, pre-zipper age, clasp front, say "cardigan clasp"
If you are looking for a thick sweater-jacket, ask for that.
Want merino wool? Angora? Vintage? Lined? Boiled wool? Add that in the search line.
Ebay's search feature is well-engineered.

I spend waaay too much time looking at nordic stuff online. I would never pay full price. Ebay is a great place to buy these at bargain prices. You can ask the buyer to measure the item if you don't trust the size. Be sure the seller accepts returns because, well, some people don't know how to use a ruler. If really interested, make an offer lower than the listed price. Many sellers will say yes. If you put things you like on a wish list and wait, some sellers will contact you with a discount.

I have about six of these, and one on the way.
I have two boiled wool Icelandic Designs coats that I bought from secondhand shops and I adore them.
 

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