The Philosophy Behind Gertrude Lee

Knit through the principle of tailoring.
Gertrude Lee is a Stockholm-based design studio shaping a complete knitted wardrobe in premium yarns. From sculpted tailoring to sheer textures, each piece explores the relationship between body, form and movement. We design clothes that create presence while allowing freedom to move.

The Gertrude Lee Method

Shaped by Craft.

Our method brings together knowledge of garment construction, knit engineering and movement.

Each piece is developed with close attention to yarn, structure, silhouette and fit. Through fittings, customer feedback and everyday wear, we refine how it sits on the body, moves and holds its shape.

It is a continuing dialogue between our craft and your experience, creating garments that feel good to wear.

Our Yarns

The Foundation of Form.
Every Gertrude Lee piece begins with the yarn. We select Italian yarns for their feel, character and the way they respond to each knit structure. Working with European specialists, we explore how yarn and technique come together to create sculpted shapes, fluid movement and sheer textures.
Discover the yarns and knit techniques behind our garments.

Our Merino

Softness with Structure
Fibre - Merino is at the heart of Gertrude Lee - a fibre with the softness to sit close to the skin and the character to become something sculptural.
Our Victoria yarn, from Biella Yarn by Südwolle Group, is made from 100% extrafine merino wool, with a fibre diameter of 19.5 microns. Its fineness gives the yarn a gentle, supple feel, while wool’s natural crimp brings elasticity and volume. These qualities provide the starting point for our work: shaping garments that hold a deliberate line while allowing the body to move.
We are drawn to merino for its range of expression. Knitted densely, it creates compact surfaces and defined silhouettes. In open structures, it becomes lighter, revealing glimpses of skin through the rhythm of the stitches. The same fibre can feel protective, fluid or almost weightless, depending on how we construct it.
Origin & Process - The wool used for Victoria is drawn from a sourcing pool spanning Australia, South Africa and New Zealand. According to our supplier, spinning takes place in Bulgaria or Romania, with dyeing in Germany or Italy.
From fibre to finished garment, each stage influences the result. Spinning establishes the yarn’s character; knitting determines its density, movement and shape. Washing and finishing reveal the final handle — the feeling of the fabric in the hand and against the body.
Victoria receives a Basolan treatment, a light surface based process that modifies the surface scales of the wool to reduce its tendency to felt. A temporary wax helps the yarn run smoothly through the knitting machines and is removed during the washing. We assess the finished knit through sampling, fitting and wash trials, developing care instructions around the garment itself.
About Merino
Softness & Fineness - A fibre’s diameter influences how it feels against the skin. Fine merino fibres bend readily, giving the fabric a softer touch. At 19.5 microns, our Victoria yarn offers a balance of fineness and substance that lends itself to both close-fitting pieces and more structured knitwear.
Softness is also shaped by construction. Yarn twist, stitch density and finishing all contribute to the experience of wearing a garment. We consider them together, developing the feel alongside the silhouette.
Temperature & Moisture - Wool’s natural crimp creates spaces that hold air within the fabric, helping to insulate the body. The fibre also absorbs moisture vapour, supporting comfort as temperature and activity change.
These properties give merino a place across the seasons. A compact knit offers warmth and coverage; a lighter, more open construction allows greater airflow. We work with these differences to create a wardrobe that moves between environments, occasions and degrees of exposure.
Elasticity & Movement - Merino has a natural ability to stretch and recover. In a knitted garment, that elasticity works together with the loops of the fabric, allowing it to respond to the body.
At Gertrude Lee, we explore this relationship through tension, proportion and stitch. A shoulder takes shape, a waist is defined, a sleeve follows a gesture. Structure and movement are developed together, with fit refined on the body.
Gauge & Yarn
Gauge describes the number of needles per inch on a knitting machine. Higher gauges generally produce finer stitches; lower gauges create a larger, more visible knit. The finished fabric also depends on yarn thickness, stitch structure and knitting tension.
Our Victoria 2/30 is a two-ply yarn: two strands twisted together to form a single yarn. We can then knit with one or more ends, adjusting weight, coverage and body to suit the design. Each choice changes how the garment falls, feels and holds its form.
Knit as a Design Language
Milano gives us compact structure and the precision of tailoring. Rib brings stretch and a close relationship with the body. Pointelle introduces patterned openings, light and texture.
Through these techniques, merino becomes more than a soft surface. It becomes the means by which we draw a silhouette — from the line of a jacket to the openness of a top worn against bare skin.
Care & Longevity
A garment’s life continues through the way it is worn and cared for. Merino’s natural resistance to odour often allows pieces to be refreshed by airing between wears. When washing is needed, follow the garment’s care label, handle gently and reshape to dry flat.
Some pilling may develop where the fabric encounters friction. Careful removal of surface pills helps maintain its appearance. We consider yarn, construction and finishing together, with the intention of creating pieces you will reach for, care for and wear again.
Sculpted fit. Tailoring through knit. Made for women in motion.

Our Knit Techniques

From Yarn to Silhouette. We choose a knit structure for the shape it creates, the way it feels against the skin and how it responds to movement. From compact Milano to open lace, each technique adds a different expression to our knitted wardrobe. 

Texture with Dimension

Cable Knit

Cable knit is created by crossing groups of stitches, forming raised lines that twist and travel across the fabric. The pattern is built into the knit, giving its surface depth and a sculptural quality.
From narrow ropes to broader, interlocking shapes, each cable changes the rhythm and volume of the garment. The crossings draw the fabric together, creating a more substantial texture than plain jersey.
At Gertrude Lee, we use cables to explore the relationship between texture and silhouette. Their scale and placement can frame a shoulder, follow the body or give a generous sweater its distinctive character.

Precision with a Lighter Touch

Light Full Milano — 12 Gauge, One Yarn End

Full Milano combines rows knitted on both needle beds with separate rows on the front and back beds. This sequence creates a compact double-knit fabric with a smooth surface and a more controlled stretch than ordinary rib.
Knitted with one yarn end, our lighter Milano balances definition with suppleness. It gives shirts, dresses and lighter jackets enough body to express a collar, shoulder or shaped waist, while allowing a softer fall.
It is a way of bringing tailoring into knit through the fabric itself: a precise line, a considered proportion and the comfort of a looped construction.

Two Yarn Ends Substance for Sculpted Form

Heavy Full Milano — 12 Gauge

Knitting full Milano with two ends of the same yarn gives the fabric greater substance than our one-end version. The additional yarn creates a fuller handle, supporting stronger shapes and more pronounced proportions.
We choose this construction for pieces that benefit from body: a defined shoulder, a substantial cardigan, a jacket with presence. Its compact surface gives buttons, pockets and shaped edges a firm foundation.
The final balance comes from knitting tension and finishing. We develop these together so that the garment carries its silhouette while remaining comfortable to wear.

Pattern Built into the Fabric

Birdseye Jacquard — 7 & 12 Gauge

Jacquard brings different coloured yarns together within the knitting itself. Each stitch contributes to the motif, making the pattern part of the fabric.
In birdseye jacquard, the reverse is knitted into a small, alternating pattern that secures the colours behind the face. This double-knit construction gives the fabric substance and coverage, with a neatly patterned reverse.
At 12 gauge, finer stitches allow smaller details and a more finely drawn surface. At 7 gauge, the stitches become more visible, giving the pattern a bolder scale and stronger texture.
We use birdseye jacquard to bring graphic character and depth to a garment — drawing colour, pattern and silhouette together through knit.

Deep Texture. Generous Volume

Fisherman’s Rib — 5 Gauge

Our fisherman’s rib uses a full-cardigan stitch, combining knitted loops with tuck stitches to create deep, rounded ribs. At 5 gauge, the larger stitches make the construction visible, giving the surface a strong tactile character.
The tuck stitches add fullness and an expansive stretch. The result is a substantial knit with a yielding feel — suited to sweaters and cardigans with generous proportions.
We choose fisherman’s rib when texture should carry the garment. Its pronounced ridges give a simple silhouette depth, while the open spaces within the structure contribute to its loft and warmth.

Light Drawn Through Stitches

Pointelle

Pointelle introduces small, deliberately placed openings into the knit. Stitches are transferred to create eyelets, arranged into repeating patterns that bring rhythm and texture to the surface.
The open construction allows air and light to pass through the garment, creating a different relationship between knit and skin. Its expression can be delicate or graphic, depending on the size, spacing and placement of the openings.
We use pointelle in tops, skirts and dresses where pattern belongs within the fabric. By balancing open areas with denser sections, we develop the coverage, movement and shape around the body.

On Ecotulle

Fibre
Ecotulle by Millefili combines 88% viscose with 12% polyamide. Viscose brings softness and fluid drape, while polyamide contributes strength to the fine yarn. Together, they create a supple foundation for our sheer knitwear.
Origin & Process
Viscose is made from regenerated wood-derived cellulose. Ecotulle uses FSC® certified LENZING™ ECOVERO™ viscose, while Ecotulle Melange uses FSC® certified Livaeco™ viscose.
These fibres support more considered sourcing and production. Lenzing reports at least 50% lower water consumption and carbon emissions during ECOVERO™ fibre production compared with generic viscose. Livaeco™ uses pulp from FSC® certified forests and supports supply-chain traceability. These benefits relate to the viscose component of the yarn.
Lightness & Movement
The fine yarn allows us to develop open knitted surfaces that follow the body with a light, fluid touch. We adjust stitch density and proportion to balance transparency, coverage and movement.
Knit as a Design Language
Ecotulle introduces another dimension to our wardrobe. Against bare skin, the stitches become visible. Beneath sculpted Milano, it brings contrast and depth — connecting structured tailoring with sheer expression.
Care & Longevity
Wash gently by hand at 30°C with a mild detergent, avoid twisting and dry flat. Always follow the garment’s care label; pieces with strong contrasting colours may require dry cleaning.

Our Knit Techniques

From Yarn to Silhouette. We choose a knit structure for the shape it creates, the way it feels against the skin and how it responds to movement. From compact Milano to open lace, each technique adds a different expression to our knitted wardrobe. 

An Intricate Relationship with Skin

Knitted Lace

Knitted lace explores openwork through more elaborate motifs — flowers, branching lines and areas of fine mesh. The pattern is formed within the knitted structure, creating a fabric in which solid shapes and open spaces depend on each other.
Its character comes from these changes in density. A floral motif catches the eye; the surrounding mesh lets light through. Against the body, the pattern takes on another dimension as skin becomes part of its expression.
For Gertrude Lee, lace expands the possibilities of a knitted wardrobe into evening and occasion dressing. We develop the scale of the motif, the openness of the ground and the finishing of the edges as parts of one design.
Jersey is the simplest expression of knit: a smooth face formed by small, interlocking loops, with a more textured reverse. At 12 gauge, the stitches create a fine surface that lets colour, proportion and the character of the yarn come forward.
Its supple construction lends itself to garments that fall softly and follow the body. We use jersey where we want a lighter touch — in tops, fine sweaters and pieces that sit comfortably beneath more structured layers. The fabric moves easily, giving a clean silhouette a relaxed, tactile quality.