The Best Women’s Crew-neck Sweatshirts, According to People Whose Taste We Trust

Under$100

Like many Hanes sweatshirt owners, author and journalistLauren Mechlingacquired hers by happenstance. Mechling’s is a bright-orange color, a choice inspired by a priceyRachel Comey Fond sweatshirtin orange (more on that later), which she couldn’t justify paying upward of $200 for. But the traffic-cone orange it came in captivated her, and she purchasedthe pleasantly affordable Hanes stapleas a substitute. “I can’t say it is an heirloom piece that I’m going to give to my granddaughter,” she says, but it’s bright enough to help her stand out when she’s running and mighty comfortable. If you’re looking for a cozy layer that prioritizes affordability over cut (this one is decidedly straight), you’ll be satisfied with the Hanes. Meanwhile, if you’re hoping to style it for dressier occasions,Elizabeth Cardinal Tamkin, author of theCorner Boothnewsletter and content director atKule, recommends pairing the crewneck — hers is white — with a primary-color polo.

Aisha Joshi, editor atProduce Partiesand writer of theClose Friendsnewsletter, is certainly not alone when she says “I’m just so against having to spend $100 on a crewneck.” As such, she recommends spending $60 (or often less, thanks to Gap’s near-constant sales) on her favorite crewneck for layering, cooking, and general day-to-day life. Thanks to its drop shoulders and an interest-adding seam across the back, this crewneck is also a staple in personal stylist Gab Saper’s crewneck Rolodex. “A raglan sleeve just feels really casual, whereas a drop sleeve feels a little more intentional,” she says. “If I didn’t know about this sweatshirt and saw a girl out wearing it, I wouldn’t think it was Gap. It feels more elevated.”

Brand consultant and stylistLaurel Pantin, who writes the shopping newsletterEarl Earl, is a navy-crewneck devotee. While she has many, one of her favorites is the Comfort Colors crew, which she wears for school drop-off and beach days. Since it’s garment-dyed and slightly lived-in, she says it looks like something “your dad would have kept on his boat in New England.” For fit, you should expect it to tread the line between baggy and fitted, and since it’s not too pricey, you don’t need to be precious with it. “You can throw it in the washing machine, in the dryer, and it never looks bad. It gets better with time,” she says, adding that “it just looks like the vintage sweatshirt that you would spend forever looking for at a Goodwill but you would never find.”

When it comes to crewneck sweatshirts, devotees are often opinionated about the V-stitch, the triangular stitch colloquially known as the Dorito that sits at the center of the neckline. It’s meant to preserve the sweatshirt’s shape, and the clean, subtle stitching of this crewneck’s Dorito along with the sweatshirt’s “vintage athletic fit” is what draws Pantin to it. For Strategist senior editor Hilary Reid, though, it’s the sweatshirt’s versatility. It’s the “kind of sweatshirt that you could throw on to go to a workout class or feel good wearing with jeans and loafers for a day of running errands,” she says. After four years of owning the sweatshirt, Reid reports, “The fleece lining inside has washed down to a pleasingly soft feel, and the outside of the sweatshirt has remained pretty much intact since when I first got it.”

Since adding this crew-neck sweatshirt to her wardrobe,Oset Babür-Winter, the founder ofPrix Fixeand a Strategist contributor, has become a “full Athleta convert.” She typically throws the soft yet lightweight crew on after Pilates classes and finds it has a Goldilocks crop — meaning it hits right at her waist. Falling in line with her rule to “buy things that are as washer-dryer–friendly as possible,” this crewneck actually fares better after being in the dryer. “I feel like it stays soft that way. It gets kind of crunchy if I air-dry it,” she adds.

Although Elwood’s oversize crewneck is one of the thicker ones in personal stylistMeredith Ferguson’s wardrobe, it’s in no way stiff — both in a literal sense and a styling sense. “It’s one of those pieces you can dress up a little bit more with jeans and sneakers or loafers,” she says, adding that she also wears it to Pilates classes and with sweatpants. Thanks to a fitted waistband, it’s compatible with front tucks, too.

As the cliché goes, Tamkin lost her boyfriend’s sweatshirt in her last breakup and had a crewneck-shaped hole in her closet — that is, until her mom bought her a replacement as a gift. Tamkin’s a fan of mixing “Über-casual” pieces with dressier items and has taken to styling the replacement with poofy miniskirts, trench coats, and pearl necklaces.

Given the supremacy of theSuper Puff, it’s no surprise that Aritzia’s crewnecks have attracted quite a fan club. Its members include marketing professional Sydney Claps andstylistGrace Thomas, who both laud the sweatshirt for its quality for the price. “I think their stuff really holds its value over time for the price point,” Thomas says, adding that it fares especially well for folks in colder climates because “it’s one you can easily pair underneath things and be very warm throughout the winter months.” Like the Gap crewneck, the Aritzia crew comes in a variety of colors, but Claps says theHeather Chromeis her favorite because it can survive spills while still feeling nostalgically like a sweatshirt. “You’re wearing a sweatshirt when you’re drinking red wine or coffee and you’re in your relaxation mode,” Claps says, adding that “Aritzia has a different shade of the heather gray where you can still be wearing a light, airy, and happy sweatshirt, but have it not get disgusting.”

According to branded-content strategistMaria Del Russo, this “seems like the type of sweatshirt a jock would have worn in the ’80s” — without the effort of thrifting. “When I got it out of the box, it immediately felt like a vintage sweatshirt,” she says, adding that the contrasting fabric on the V-stitch and cuffs slightly elevate the look.

Under$200

Though this crewneck istechnicallyoversize, Thomas says, “It has the waistband that’s a little bit tighter fit, so you can style that one with denim and more high-waisted pants.” Since it’s made of French terry, it won’t be as soft as your typical crewneck, but it’ll be lightweight and breathable enough to wear year-round. “I can’t deal with sweaty fabrics,” says Strategist writer Dominique Pariso. This sweatshirt is her current favorite. She’s had it for four years, and says it’s very cozy, and, thanks to the French terry, it has a “lovely lived-in quality.” There’s also apair ofmatching sweatpantsPariso likes to wear as a set when traveling.

When a client was searching for polished yet comfortable clothing to wear on flights with co-workers, Saper pointed her to Spanx’s AirEssentials line, which is made of “this fabric that feels like magic,” she says. “It’s springy and airy but also soft and warm — but not too warm.” Since adding the crewneck and matching sweatpants to her wardrobe in three colors, her client has flown comfortably and stylishly as far as Europe.

“What makes a great crew-neck sweatshirt is something that I can wear with leggings on a plane but also something I can dress up a bit,” says artistLucy Litman. That duality is what makes this crewneck one of Litman’s go-to items when she travelsanda layer that she can easily tuck into a skirt or pants. Though it’s roomy, the sweatshirt has lengthy hems on the sleeves and the waistline that Litman says make her feel polished when wearing it and make it easier to tuck into things without any awkward bunching. You’ll notice that the crewneck is on the pricier side, but Litman says it’s worth it because of the quality, fit, and construction. “This one really just hangs perfectly. I feel like it fits how it’s intended to fit, and kind of stays in place, which is really nice,” she says, adding that “the fabric itself is really soft and luxurious.” Just note: This crewneck is dry-clean only.

Thomas compares the texture of this crewneck to butter (“They’re the softest thing ever,” she adds) and describes its weight as akin to “the lightweightness of a performance top, but they don’t look like a performance top by any means.” During her styling work, she typically recommends it to clients who “maybe have a little bit more of a professional job, they work from home, and they want to look nice on-camera, but they don’t want to be dressed up all the time.” While Thomas’s favorite style is the Betsy crewneck, which has a “cowl-neck feel,” Varley makes a variety of other elevated crewnecks, includinga classic silhouette with zippered accentsandan oversize version that is effortlessly cozy.

Celebrity stylistKrisana Sotelorecommends this balloon-sleeve crewneck she used on a recent shoot to anyone looking to add a surprising element — as in, voluminous sleeves — to an otherwise casual look. Sure, she says, you can pair it with sweats or denim, but she envisions it best with pleated pants and a belt. And as she tells her clients: Don’t be afraid to add your personal jewelry as a finishing touch.

Petite content creatorAnna Lazzariniwasn’t immune to sticker shock when buying this crewneck, but after she found herself reaching for it again and again, she told herself,I get it now.“The material overall for the Great is usually a little bit lighter versus a Champion sweatshirt, which gives it a really nice, almost drapy effect,” she says. As such, it’s thin enough to layer and tuck, depending on her outfit.

Over$200

Reid started scouringPoshmarkfor this sweatshirt after working on a campaign featuring Suzie Kondi in a past job and seeing how chic the sweatshirt looked on the designer herself. “The fit is a little more elegant than your typical crewneck because it has a wider-cut neck that shows some clavicle and a slightly cropped length that’s flattering with mid-rise pants,” Reid says. Given this fit and the velour material, she treats it more like a shirt than a sweatshirt and says, “I pretty much only wear it on its own or with a tank top underneath versus layering a T-shirt under.” To best maintain its quality and fit, Reid lets it air-dry.

Babür-Winter finds the wordcapeleta “fancy-lady thing to say,” but the fact of the matter is this roll-neck sweatshirt — with hand-cut raw hem, cuffs, and side slits — feelsfancy. Like her Gap crewneck, this one goes through the wash and hasn’t shown any sign of wear. “I’m guessing that’s part of the labor that goes into making a piece like this,” she says, “when it has an actually durable raw hem.”

Though Mechling satisfied her itch for a traffic-cone-colored sweatshirt with the classic Hanes crewneck, she went to the Rachel Comey sample sale in hopes that she would find her much-desired sweatshirt at a fraction of the price. She did, in fact, find the sweatshirt there and bought two — in “popcorn-butter yellow” and black (the orange was not available). Compared with the Hanes, “the Rachel Comey one is softer and there’s just something more thoughtful and intentional about the cut,” Mechling says. “It’s not straight and hitting you at that weird part of the middle of your hip, which the other one does. This one has something blousy about it.” It’s the kind of sweatshirt that she can wear on a Zoom call and that makes other moms ask, “Did you go to the Rachel Comey sample sale?”

On the other end of Pantin’s navy crew-neck spectrum is this cotton-terry number from Jamie Haller. “It has a sponginess to it that I really like,” says Pantin, adding that the navy color is noticeably saturated. Since you’re paying nearly $300 for this sweatshirt, Pantin assures that “it’s not going to stretch out. It’s not going to get weird holes in it. It’s just more of a higher-quality product.” In terms of fit, it’s shorter, boxier, and specifically designed for women, meaning it’ll hit right at the hip. As a co-signer,our deals writer Martha Tubersays it’s everything she wants in a crewneck, too: “narrow shoulders and raglan sleeves, a perfectly round collar that sits high (but not too high) on the neck, and a torso length that implies a French tuck without actually having to do one.”