Turtleneck Times: Part 1

When I was a young boy, I loved turtlenecks.  Granted, my young obsession was due to the fact that my mother dressed me for practicality and warmth, not because I had a keen understanding of style or any sartorial direction in my wardrobe when I was five years old.  Sometime around second grade, I disavowed turtlenecks, determining them square and reserving disdain for them that few others clothes have matched since.

My love for the turtleneck was reinvigorated about four years ago when I picked up a mid-gauge dark olive turtleneck from Uniqlo.  I had seen men in Tom Ford and Ralph Lauren ads sport turtlenecks, looking at once dapper and mysterious.  These images led me to think of the turtleneck as the sweater of a charming man of the world who isn’t afraid to stick his neck out while covering it up.  After all, Steve McQueen wore a turtleneck in Bullitt, and Paul Newman looked downright dashing in them.

The Uniqlo turtleneck in question is still in my wardrobe after all these years (a testament to Uniqlo’s quality, which bests all other fast fashion brands) and channels the look and vibe of McQueen’s famous sweater.  I’ve paired it with jeans in the past, but learned that when done wrong, it looks too steampunk.  These days, I’ll throw it on with a pair of white pants (a la famous graphic designer and turtleneck aficionado Peter Saville) or dark chinos and an Earth-toned jacket.  Such ensembles are more congruent than a ribbed turtleneck paired with jeans (though in black with black boots, it looks quite proper) and allow the sweater to do the talking without muddling up the rest of the outfit.

Turtleneck: Uniqlo, Pants: Uniqlo, Sunglasses: Warby Parker