Ribbing sounds like a simple detail until you’ve owned a ribbed jumper that turned into a shapeless tube after three washes. The structure that made it look good in the first place just gone. That’s the real problem here, and it’s why we’ve been specific about what makes it into this collection. A ribbed knit has to earn its keep twice: once on the hanger and again after a season of actual wear. The ones worth buying use yarn with enough memory to spring back, and the construction has to be tight enough that the vertical lines stay defined rather than spreading out and losing all their purpose. We’ve looked hard at options that sit well over a shirt, work equally well on their own, and don’t pill into oblivion by February. Wool and cotton blends tend to perform best. Acrylic fakes the look and ruins it by Easter. These are the ones that still look right a year from now.