The Only Babaà Review You’ll Ever Need
Everything you need to know about the intentional it-girl sweater
Note: this is not sponsored and I’m not offered affiliate sales for the brand, they’re not even on ShopMy yet. I bought my Babaàs with my own money and am a genuine, deep, loyal fan of the product. So many of you ask about my sweaters—and 99% of the time, it’s a Babaà.
Think of this guide as your one-stop shop to the top Babaà styles you keep seeing everywhere. This is especially useful if you’re considering buying one during their annual Black Friday Sale (which I highly recommend.)
If you’re on Instagram or tapped into what the girls in Maine/New York/Ojai/LA/Brooklyn/Barcelona/London are wearing, then you’ve probably seen a Babaà sweater.
Babaà has been around for at least 12 years, but they popped onto my radar in 2019 when I noticed a particular type of Eastside LA mom in her 40s, donning one with no makeup at my Saturday mornings women’s group.
I was immediately drawn to Babaà’s effortless structure, organic feel and honestly, the handiwork you can see from a mile away.
Over the years, they’ve found a wider audience as social media turned small brands into cult favorites—and as the world finally caught on: Your Sweaters Are Garbage. That article is a must-read on why most sweaters, even the “luxury” ones, are laced with plastic fibers and look terrible.
Over the last 20 years, synthetic fiber production has more than doubled1. This lets brands boost profits while cutting quality and adding more plastic to our clothes.
Just browsing Madewell’s site, you’ll find “wool-blend” sweaters that are 20% polyamide (plastic). Brands like Splendid are even bolder, selling $188 “luxury” encrusted sweaters made of 29% acrylic, 29% nylon, 23% wool, 15% cotton, 3% cashmere, and 1% elastane. I’m sorry, but that much plastic is not luxurious to me. At all.
I just don’t align with it.
I’m not even coming at this from a “save the planet” angle—though the health and environmental impacts are real. What gets me is the loss of craftsmanship, the total collapse of integrity in what used to be a timeless product, and how the plastic-laced version never gets the drape/fall over that a real sweater has.
It’s all a symptom of a bigger problem—the collapse of quality itself.
Synthetic sweaters will stretch, lose their shape, trap odors (yuck), and degrade quickly. When I was a broke 22-year-old, I’d buy three new H&M sweaters every season—and by March, they looked completely wrecked.
We seem to have forgotten that it’s called a KNIT for a reason, an exquisite mastery of thread, tension, and time.
I’m not trying to be a nostalgic crooner, but go into any vintage store, head to the knitwear section, and you’ll find knits from the 70s and 80s still in great shape. That’s because they’re all made with real wool and animal fibers. (Grandma’s itchy sweater she bought you every year in the 90s? Probably real wool, too. Thanks for sharing real wisdom, Grandma).
Babaà is queen of the natural sweater game and stands out amongst a sea of brands and an entire industry trying to cut corners. Here is why I love, and stand behind, Babaà:
All of their products are made in Spain, from sheep to ship. The wool comes from local farms, and every piece is knit in small, family-run pastoral factories. It’s all done within one country—and in Europe, no less—which sets them apart in a sea of sweaters made in China, where the focus is speed and scale, not craft or connection.
They come in one size, and I’ve seen Babaà look fab on a range of bodies. More on that below.
They are named by numbers, e.g. “no95” which keeps things simple, timeless, and classic.
They are sweaters in their most natural state. Tiktokers describe pulling a Babaà from its brown paper bag and swearing it smells like it just came straight off the farm. If you look at your Babaà, you will see masterful individual fibers from the animal it came from, and, yes, even some hay. They have a deep, earthy smell that stays with them—I’ve had mine for a year—and it just gets better with time. I love the smell of a Babaà after handwashing it and letting it dry in the sun: earth, honey, hay, milk, cedar.
Beautiful earth tones. Babaà dyes their products with great intention and process, but in my opinion, their best colors are mist, natural, oak, earth, and dark, which mimic hues we see every day: in dirt, brick, bark, and home. You can never go wrong with the neutral Babaà tones, especially if you are just starting to build your collection.
More than just touting sustainability, fabric tracing, and transparency (which Babaà has been doing ten times longer than any other brand), Babaà is quietly all about heritage, skill, love and care, and how a good product can be like chicken soup for the soul.
Tiktok failed to load.Enable 3rd party cookies or use another browser
A few years ago, I had a major overhaul of my personal style and slowly let go of the loud, dopamine-dressing pieces that defined 2020 and naturally started bringing back in clothes that were a bit more understated and restrained. I feel like maybe it also had something to do with settling into my 30s and re-finding a style that felt authentic to how I saw myself. After months of reselling all my bright sweaters and researching which colors and styles to invest in, I went for it during Babaà’s Black Friday sale last November—bought four, and kept three.
After a year of consistent wearing, staining, storing, traveling with, washing, and unpacking, I figured I’d put together a comprehensive review of my Babaà experience before their Black Friday sale.
They have a Black Friday sale every November after Thanksgiving which historically lasts four days and offers up to a 20% discount.
My comprehensive Babaà Collection + Review
Cardigan no23 in natural
Thoughts: At first, I was worried this one was too chunky and pastoral for my closet, but now, it’s a year-round staple. I wear it in the summers on chilly coastal nights and have even brought it along with me to weddings over a silk dress when the temps drop. I love it with vintage denim, miniskirts and tights, and because it’s a cardigan, it can be worn in so many different ways.
Pros: I love that it’s cropped so you can see my butt and show the entire outfit. What’s up with all these long cardigans covering the whole outfit and hitting too low on the hips? Cute little pockets give it a beautiful frame. Natural is a beautiful yellow-ish white that never gets old.
Cons: I still think it can be too casual/rural for dressy city events with its large buttons, thick yarn and large neckline. And for the price tag, I find this slightly annoying. I love this sweater, but I don’t see myself buying it any other colors.
Rating: 8.5/10
Jumper no15 in oak
Thoughts: This least talked about cut on TikTok ended up being a favorite. And in this oak color, it’s one of the most beautiful browns I’ve ever seen. They really nailed the true espresso color, it’s deep and rich but also somehow light, depending on where you are.
Pros: Obsessed with the color. Epic travel companion: I brought her to the Alps over the winter and wore her every day skiing and on hikes, too. Over time, I’d like to acquire a few more colors in this style. Can be dressed up with boots and jeans or even a skirt during the holiday season but can also be dressed down for a trip to the coffee shop.
Cons: Can lose a bit of its shape over time. A bit bulky under jackets but that’s why I told you to size up in your barn coats for layering. Do not keep it on a hanger in your closet, make sure to fold and put away after each wear to preserve its special shape.
Rating: 10/10
Jumper no17 in mist
Thoughts: My favorite Babaà that I’m wearing as I write this newsletter. I love catching a whiff of her, she still smells deliciously of the grass. She can be worn in so many ways. Neck rolled up, neck rolled down, hair tucked in. Adorable with a midi skirt, trousers, or skinny jeans. I wear this weekly and see myself reaching for this for years to come. She’s perfect for a ski weekend and can’t be beat in terms of coziness and warmth.
Pros: My most worn sweater. She is the thing I need to put on after a crazy week to calm me down, like those vests dogs wear when anxious. An emotional support sweater, if you will. Immediately after putting it on, I feel like my highest self, like a calm mom of three who still makes homemade soups. Every time I snap a pic of myself in no17, I always think, “who is that and what is that sweater?” I forget it’s me! I love tucking my hair into the neck. Love her, want to buy her in more colors. I have dry-cleaned her after spilling turmeric on her (I don’t know HOW) and she is okay, though, Babaà strongly suggests not dry cleaning any of their sweaters.
Cons: Honestly no major red flags for this beauty, but the sleeves are a little long when I’m working around the house so prepare to roll them up for things like doing the dishes.
Rating: 11/10
Jumper no51 in mist
Thoughts: As soon as I put this on, I knew it was a no. This is the most talked about style on TikTok and I loved how it looked on others, but personally, the cut felt too rustic for me. It felt like old Lee. I’m glad I returned it, I appreciate it on other girls but for me, it just felt too hand-spun countryside for my day-to-day life.
Pros: Love it on the model.
Cons: Felt like a past self when I put it on. Boxy, hid my body, felt too gender-neutral for me when I like to still play up my feminine.
Rating: 5/10
Other styles and colors I’m eyeing
Jumper no95 in earth, a darker and straighter version of the no15, but still cropped
Jacket no65 in dark mist, what a cool cut/silhouette that I can see using on the slopes and during weekend trips to VT
Jumper no81 in púrpura, a wool slight roll-down turtleneck in a deep purple color that I could see myself wearing to days strolling galleries or work events with a pair of black trousers
Trousers no92 in mica, a potentially perfect airplane pant
Babaà Q+A!
I asked you guys what you wanted to know in the Sink Chat—here are all the answers to your questions.
PILLING: All Babaàs will pill because they are 100% wool. Buy this de-piller and thank me later. Turn on a show and spend 30 minutes on each sweater once per season and it’ll be good as new!
SOFTNESS/ITCHINESS: This is a polarizing topic for Babaà fans. Everyone has different comfort levels when it comes to itchiness and wool. Personally, I do not find Babaàs itchy and think they’re much softer than other 100% wool knits. I wear both long and short sleeve base layers under mine but if you’re more sensitive, maybe always do a long-sleeve one. Most people say that Babaàs are on the softer side and only get softer with age.
SHIPPING: I was shocked I had to pay UPS $167 for taxes/customs fees on top of my order because it was a large one… a week after placing the order. Apparently, you can avoid customs fees by placing multiple smaller orders instead of one big one—but TBD if that works.
SIZING: Babaà knits are one size only. I found a Reddit thread for plus-sized folks sharing which Babaàs look best on them! The thread suggests perusing the tagged photos of the Babaà official Instagram page to see what Babaà looks like on different bodies. I took a gander and it looks like a solid resource.
HOW TO CHOOSE A STYLE/COLOR: I did weeks of research before my Babaà haul and found TikTok to be the best spot for figuring out which styles to try. In terms of colors, I knew I wanted to only get neutrals for my first round and have no regrets. I’ve never regretted a neutral, but I have regretted a yellow, green, or blue sweater.
CARE: Babaà is, in this newsletter’s namesake, Hand Wash Only. I use Laundress wool detergent (one bottle lasts me 5 years!) and wash them in the tub, then lay flat in the sun for 24 hours until fully dry.
STORAGE: Never hang, always fold so they can retain their shape.
I love Babaà, their mission, and hope you find joy in their knits as well. Share this with a friend who is also Babaà-curious and sign up for their emails so you know when the sale starts. See you Friday for another newsletter on rituals, where I’ll be sharing my post-influencer skincare routine.
https://www.genevaenvironmentnetwork.org/resources/updates/sustainable-fashion
Hi! I've been a paid subscriber for a while. I'm noticing that your sub is starting to veer more into an influencer/consumeristic vibe. Even if these posts are not sponsored, I still don't love having another platform telling me what to buy. I started subscribing for your long-form essays, and I miss them! Just wanted to put that out there. Take care!
I've never heard of these sweaters since I feel like a hermit with limited social media HA. These sweaters look dreamy.. cannot wait for sale!