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North Sea wind or frost, office or party, a walk in the hills or a private view. In a roll-neck sweater a man is nearly always dressed right. Reason enough to give it its due and to show some current models.
When the temperature in the office and at home drops, sweaters take on a new meaning. That goes for the roll-neck sweater in particular, because with it the scarf is built in. The roll neck, known in America as the turtleneck, is also in favour for aesthetic reasons. No other piece of knitwear combines ease and being properly dressed so perfectly.
A short history
Like so many classics of the casual wardrobe, jeans or corduroy trousers for instance, the roll-neck sweater was originally a garment for people doing physical work. Fishermen, sailors and craftsmen wore it. It kept them warm, protected the neck from the wind, and saved a neckerchief or scarf. That last point is not trivial in many kinds of work, since a scarf can easily catch on something.
In the 1920s the roll neck slowly seeped into better clothing. It went well with many sports that were popular then: golf, sailing, tennis, riding, rowing. On a bicycle it proved a good choice as well. Knitted pullovers were called sweaters at the time, since the sweat-inducing effect of wool was held to be healthy. The name was used outside England too. In Germany the sweater was the favourite garment of progressive young people, rather as jeans were in the 1950s.
Material and cut
Roll-neck sweaters come in an enormous choice of materials, knits, colours, patterns and designs. The collar varies too: sometimes it is folded over, sometimes it is a single layer of knit, sometimes it is huge, sometimes small. Thinner models fit under a jacket, a blazer or a suit jacket. Roll necks in very bulky knits replace the jacket, and over them you would wear a coat, a field jacket, an outdoor jacket or a gilet directly. Under a roll neck a T-shirt is the best choice; some men prefer a shirt or a polo shirt underneath and sometimes even let the edge of the turned-up collar show.
How to wear it
The roll-neck sweater is at home in every world of style. In black it stands for the designer look; in off-white, navy, or with an applied emblem it belongs to preppy; and hand-knitted from Ireland it suits every variety of the British look. Combined with cargo trousers or jeans it is a good alternative to a sweatshirt or a hoodie for sporting casual outfits.
