Sweater with elbow patches: what elbow patches are for and how to choose yours

Elbow patches were born for a simple reason: the elbow is where a sweater wears out first. Today they are also a distinctive sign, sometimes a playful touch. Here is what they are for, what sets a sewn-on elbow patch apart from one knitted into the fabric, and how to choose a sweater with elbow patches that lasts — with what we have learnt knitting them in our workshop.

What are the elbow patches on a sweater for?

An elbow patch reinforces the elbow, the area that rubs the most: on a table, a ship's rail, a steering wheel or a desk. That is where a wool sweater starts to thin, then to wear through, long before the rest of the garment.

On a sailor sweater, the elbow patch adds a layer of knit exactly where the sweater works hardest. It also protects the garment from a use it was not designed for: leaning on your elbows for hours. A sweater with elbow patches therefore lasts longer, and it is often the first piece people pick for sailing, gardening or DIY.

Where do elbow patches come from?

Elbow patches come from workwear: they were sewn on to extend the life of a garment rather than replace it. The most common explanation links them to work and uniform jackets and sweaters, which were reinforced at the elbows with a piece of leather, fabric or knit.

What was a repair became a style. On a navy sailor sweater, the elbow patch keeps something of that origin: it says the garment was designed to last. In our workshop, the same principle guides our repairs: repair rather than replace.

Sewn-on or knitted-in elbow patches: what is the difference?

A sewn-on elbow patch is a piece added afterwards; an elbow patch knitted into the fabric is part of the sweater from the moment it is made. The first is sewn on top of the knit, the second is born at the same time as the sleeve.

On our sweaters with elbow patches, the motif is knitted directly into the fabric, in one piece: no patch, no stitching around it, nothing that can come unsewn. It takes longer and is trickier to set up on the knitting machine, but the elbow patch then lives at the same pace as the sweater: it washes, relaxes and wears just like it.

The sewn-on elbow patch keeps all its value for repairs: it is the best way to save a sweater whose elbows are worn. We knit them for that purpose (see below).

Which sweater with elbow patches should you choose?

Start with the motif that suits you: all our sweaters with elbow patches share the same base, a plain navy knit in virgin wool. Their motifs were born from our collaboration with the French sock brand Augustin, and each one exists in a men's and a women's version.

The whole series is gathered in our collections of men's sailor sweaters with elbow patches and women's sailor sweaters with elbow patches.

Slim fit or comfort fit: which one should you take?

The slim fit follows the chest; the comfort fit leaves room to wear a thick shirt underneath or to move freely. Our sweaters with elbow patches exist in both fits, depending on the style and the series.

The elbow patches fall in the right place either way: they are positioned on the sleeve when the sweater is made, not added afterwards. To find your size, start from your chest measurement and follow the size chart for sweaters with elbow patches, also shown on each product page. And if the size is not right, returns are free for 30 days from mainland France, for a refund or an exchange.

How do you care for a sweater with elbow patches?

Exactly like a sweater without them: the elbow patch is knitted in the same wool and needs no special care. For our virgin wool sweaters: in the machine, wool programme, cold or at 20 °C, turned inside out, spin limited to 800 rpm, then dried flat, without a tumble dryer.

Between two washes, simply airing it is often enough: wool does not hold on to odours. Our wool sweater care tips go into detail. The workshop's sweaters are also covered by our lifetime anti-pilling guarantee.

Can you add elbow patches to a worn sweater?

Yes: it is even the original purpose of elbow patches, and one of the repairs we do most often. A sweater with holes or thinning at the elbows is not lost.

We knit repair elbow patches for sailor sweaters, sold in pairs: thick 8-gauge knit, the same as our Petit Erquy, Erquy and Faouet sweaters, adult size 11.5 × 15.5 cm, in 15 colours — tone on tone for a discreet repair, or contrasting, Babord Tribord style. They are sewn onto the sweater, by hand or by a seamstress, or you can entrust the job to the workshop with our elbow patch fitting service. The workshop's sweaters remain repairable for life in our workshop: elbow patches, stitch repairs, buttons.

Your questions

Sailor sweaters with elbow patches knitted and finished in Beaussais-sur-Mer, Brittany — a workshop of six artisans, Entreprise du Patrimoine Vivant (Living Heritage Company). See the men's sweaters with elbow patches · women's.