Turtleneck Times: Part 2
Last week I extolled the greatness of the ribbed turtleneck. This week is a reminder that the merino turtleneck - its thinner cousin - is also worth a look.
The merino turtleneck is a little more Miles Davis than Steve McQueen. Since Miles is one of my sartorial heroes, anything that was good enough for him is good enough for me. He worked the merino turtleneck’s understated luxury, pairing it with trousers and a shiny trumpet. While you don’t need the trumpet to complete the look, Miles knew that merino turtlenecks look best dressed up.
My merino turtlenecks come from Uniqlo. I’ve owned them for two seasons and they’ve held up well (a surprising hallmark of the brand’s reputation). Uniqlo offers them in rotating colors each fall; right now, they’re offering six staple colors (including off-white and navy) that belong in every man’s wardrobe. At $39.90 each, every man can own all six .
On days where it’s too warm for a coat but too cool for a coat, the merino turtleneck complements a pair of wool pants or dress trousers. Throw one under a suit in the fall and winter, and you’ll be the sharpest man in the room. The turtleneck and suit look has its roots in the 1970s and looks remarkably suave and powerful when done with a fine-gauge number (wear a chunkier one, and you’ll channel all the regrettable vibes of the era).
Because I had to work yesterday, I paired my gray Uniqlo turtleneck with navy J. Crew trousers and my Red Wing Beckman boots (which are breaking in quite nicely). My work required the look be dressy for a special event, and the turtleneck passed formal muster while adding a dash of insouciance that a button-down shirt wouldn’t have communicated. While some wouldn’t wear boots in a dressy ensemble, the burnish on my Beckmans hasn’t faded, and the turtleneck’s rough and tumble provenance pairs better with a pair of dress or Chelsea boots than oxfords or bluchers. Since this is a regular Indian Summer look of mine, I don’t mind if it stays around a little longer.
Turtleneck: Uniqlo, Trousers: J. Crew, Boots: Red Wing Heritage, Sunglasses: Warby Parker