Boat-Neck Sweater with Bow at the Back, 3/4 Sleeves

A boat neck sweater that saves its surprise for the back

From the front this is a soft boat neck sweater with roomy 3/4 sleeves. Turn around and the back opens into a V that ends in a big knitted bow. Figl made it in one size, 56 cm long, in a knit of acrylic, polyester, wool and nylon.

We sell four colours: violet, green and two shades of pink. It is the kind of sweater you pull on with jeans and that still gets a comment when you walk away.

At a glance

The piece: Figl model 197340 and its colours

The maker describes it in one line: a sweater with 3/4 length sleeves and a V-cut back with a decorative bow. Each colour has its own model number. Violet is 197340, green is 197343, and the two pinks are 197341 and 197346.

A word on colour names. The maker calls both pinks simply "pink", and our colour buttons use slightly different names (Coral, Light Blue, pink 3). In the photos the violet is a pale lilac and the green is a turquoise. If you want to be sure which pink you are ordering, send us a message and we will check the model number with the supplier.

Who it's for

For you if your sweaters all look the same from behind and you would like one that doesn't. The front is calm enough for a normal Tuesday. The bow is there for whoever stands behind you in the coffee queue.

It comes in one size with a chest of 114 cm, so it is cut wide. On a smaller frame it hangs loose and boxy, as it does on the model. If you usually wear the larger sizes, measure a sweater you like first and compare.

Closer look: what the maker states and what the photos show

• 3/4 length sleeves (maker's data)
• V-cut back with a decorative bow (maker's data)
• Wide, shallow boat neckline at the front (photos)
• Dropped shoulders and full sleeves gathered into a ribbed cuff below the elbow (photos)
• Ribbed hem that sits at the hip on the model (photos; 56 cm total length in the size table)
• Open, airy knit; a light top shows through the paler colours (photos)

The neckline is wide at the front and low at the back, so think about what you wear underneath. In the photos the model wears a plain bralette, and you can see it faintly through the lighter colours.

Fabric and feel: an acrylic knit with 18% wool

The composition is 55% acrylic, 20% polyester, 18% wool and 7% nylon. Acrylic is the main fibre, with the wool as a smaller share. We can't tell you how soft or how warm it is from a data sheet, and we won't guess.

What the photos do show is a loose, open stitch with a slightly fuzzy surface. Light passes through it. That makes it look airy, and it also means a contrasting top underneath will be visible. The supplier lists the weight at 450 grams.

Fit and silhouette: one size, wide and short

There is one size. The maker gives a total length of 56 cm and a chest of 114 cm. That is short and wide: on the model the ribbed hem lands at the hip and the body stands a little away from her.

The shoulder seam drops onto the upper arm, and the sleeves end between elbow and wrist. If you like your sweaters to cover the hips, this one will feel short. If you like to tuck the front into a high waistband, the length works in your favour.

Size chart (cm)

Source: the maker's size table, the same for every colour. It does not say how the chest was measured, so compare it with a loose sweater you own.

Styling: keep the back clear

In the photos the model wears it with light blue jeans, white sneakers and a ponytail. The ponytail matters. Long hair worn down hides the bow, so tie it up or sweep it over one shoulder.

For work, try it over wide black trousers with loafers. On a Saturday, a slip skirt and ankle boots make it softer. A bralette or a camisole in the same colour family keeps the open knit quiet; a black one under the lilac turns it into a choice. Skip the scarf and the big collar necklace, because both sit exactly where the V starts.

Occasions

This is a daytime sweater with a party trick. Wear it to the office on a Friday, to lunch with a friend or to a birthday at home where you spend half the evening with your back to the room, pouring drinks.

With 3/4 sleeves and an open back it suits spring days and heated rooms. For a cold bike ride you will want a jacket on top.

Care: follow the label

The maker's data has no washing instructions, so go by the label sewn into the sweater. With wool in the blend, that label is worth reading before the first wash.

One habit helps with any open knit: dry it flat on a towel instead of on a hanger, so the weight of the wet yarn does not pull the shape out. Fasten bra hooks and zips on other items in the same load, because they catch on loose stitches.

The wow detail: a bow knitted from the same yarn

The bow is the sweater itself, continued. It is knitted in the same yarn and the same colour, wide as a hand, and it sits where the two sides of the V meet between the shoulder blades. Its tails hang down the middle of the back. Because it is one colour with the rest, you notice the shape first and the detail second.

Fashion that gives back

5% of each sale goes to a cause you choose. The causes are matched to 11 of the 17 SDGs, the global goals set by the United Nations, and you decide where your share goes.

Our promise

Ships from the maker's wholesale partner in Poland, inside the EU, with tracking. The wholesaler lists up to 5 days to prepare an order; within the EU delivery usually takes 2–7 business days after dispatch. Delivery is free within the EU on orders from €69; below that it costs €4.95 in the Netherlands and €6.95 elsewhere in the EU.

You have 14 days after delivery to ask for a return, as long as the sweater is unworn and still has its tags. Our promise is plain: if what arrives does not match what this page says, send it back within 14 days and we refund you.

More knits are in our sweaters and cardigans collection.