Shop these cozy white fisherman cable knit sweaters that areย just likeย the popularย “Rory Gilmore sweater,”ย whichย this beloved Gilmore Girls character wore to stay warm while walking around Stars Hollow, Connecticut, during the pilot episode. You’ll love these affordable options and styling ideas to complete the look. Get the full Rory Gilmore aesthetic below!
Shop The Rory Gilmore Sweater: Timeless Cable Knits
TOP PICK
I wear the L.L. Bean women’s signature cotton fisherman tunic sweater. It’s a longer tunic length and runs large/oversized like Rory’s. I also like that it’s 100% cotton, so it’s not itchy. Plus, L.L. Bean is such a staple New England retailer!
SHOP THE LOOK
TOP 10
Shop all my top picks for Rory’s sweater below. I tried to keep them cost-effective, and I also included a variety of styles and fabrics from cotton to wool and beyond, to match your own personal needs.
- 100% Cotton: L.L. Bean (shorter option, more fitted) | L.L. Bean (longer option pictured above, more oversized — I have both! Fit: true to size or try one size down if you want it really fitted.)
- Aesthetic Option: Amazon
- Budget Options: Amazon Essentials | Target
- Higher End: Able
- Puffed Sleeve: Free People
- Tuckable: Abercrombie & Fitch
- Turtleneck: Gap | Vineyard Vines
SHOPPING TIP:
If you want your sweater to fit like Rory’s, then size UP! Remember, Rory’s was so big that Lorelai even referred to it as a muumuu.
The Full Rory Gilmore Sweater Outfit
Rory paired her fisherman sweater with dark denim, flat boots, and a leather backpack. I curated a few favorites that match the look:
My favorite Cole Haan Chelsea boots. This is my go-to brand for long-lasting, comfortable shoes. Fit: true to size.
My favorite Madewell perfect vintage jeans. They are neither too baggy nor too tight for that vintage meets modern look. Fit: runs slightly large. Try your normal size or size down.
A convertible leather backpack from Fossil. While it’s not an exact match to Rory’s look, it’s much more practical because you can also wear it as a purse. It also looks less student-like.
A Luke’s travel cups because readers of The Literary Lifestyle scoop this item up in droves every single fall and because it truly completes Rory’s aesthetic.
SHOP THE LOOK
About The Rory Sweater Seen in Season 1 (The First Episode) of Gilmore Girls
Rory Gilmore wore her white fisherman cable knit sweater in the Pilot of Gilmore Girls (Season 1, Episode 1) while walking around Stars Hollow with Lane and visiting the Independence Inn.
It’s hard to say for certain why, out of all the outfits Rory wore during Gilmore Girls, her cream white, chunky, and oversized cable knit sweater became one of the most iconic (along with Rory’s Chilton uniform), but here we are, two decades later, still talking about it!
Perhaps it’s because this bookish style example is so quintessentially New England — just like the Connecticut setting of the show.
Personally, it’s the oversized nature for me. Around the time the show was filmed, this was exactly the type and fit of sweater that was popular in my own preppy mid-Atlantic school.
And now, the styles of that era are trending again in fashion today, so it’s the perfect time to add this timeless piece to your wardrobe.
More Rory Gilmore Style Ideas
Rory Gilmore’s fashion style features preppy, classic pieces like cardigans, blouses, and skirts, often paired with jeans or corduroy pants. Her wardrobe consists of a collegiate look with a color palette of muted fall tones.
If you want even more style ideas to match Rory’s very preppy, tomboy, New England at the turn of the millennium aesthetic, then check out these curated picks, which are all pictured above:
- Kiel James Patrick’s New England striped sweater
- Fossil leather backpack
- Luke’s travel cups
- L.L. Bean women’s signature cotton fisherman tunic sweater (runs slightly large; true to size for an oversized look or size down for a fitted look)
- Madewell perfect vintage jeans (runs slightly large; true to size or size down for a more fitted style)
- Madewell perfect vintage flare pant in corduroy
- Quince turtleneck sweater
- Levi’s women’s original sherpa trucker jacket
- Madewell ribbed henley tee
- Cole Haan Chelsea boots (true to size)
- Converse sneakers
Recap
The famous sweater Rory Gilmore wears is a cozy, oversized, creamy white fisherman sweater made famous in the pilot episode of Gilmore Girls. Two decades later, it remains a perfectly cozy and classic option for your unique Fall lifestyle.
Top Pick: L.L. Bean’s women’s cotton fisherman tunic sweater. It has a long length and is oversized like Rory’s, but it’s 100% cotton, so it won’t itch.
Related Gilmore Girls Posts
FREE BONUS
Get your printable PDF checklist of all 500+ books on the list when you subscribe to The Literary Lifestyle’s free email newsletter community.