A satisfactory neckline, in those cold days ...

[thc]

This topic might be a little basic for a forum like this, but since this is probably the most knowledgeable community, I will just give it a try. Here is the issue: Much as I like the diverse sportscoat - shirt - combinations I am now able to pull out of my wardrobe, there are those times where it just gets a little too cold for that. Even with the first two buttons fastened, there seems to be too much uncovered space here, and with only a cotton shirt, it still gets chilly. Easy to solve, you would think (at least I did): Just go for some nice woolen sweaters. Yes, but: For some reason, I find it impossible to get a satisfactory look around the neck, and not just because I find a jacket of which the collar directly meets the neck to look somewhat hmpf; and since it would probably take me three pages to describe the issue, I have decided to just upload a picture (of mediocre quality, I am afraid), which hopefully shows the point.

1.jpg

I have no real clue how to solve this perceived issue, given that putting a shirt under a sweater all the time bothers me, that I know not of undershirt makers with a sufficiently wide cut around the neck (and I am not even sure that this would look much better), nor of a supplier of pullovers with a decent (as opposed to a strangling) turtleneck. And polo shirts are also out of the question, not just because my wife dislikes them, but also because any sportscoat of a decent weight will surely crush down the collar of any of those. And yes, I could put on an additional overcoat, but then the nice sportscoat ... and so on.

Now even though I would indeed appreciate hints about suppliers for decent pullovers, I guess it could be even more interesting to know how you people cope with the "cold weather in casual times where I like to wear a nice sportscoat but it is a little cold with just a shirt on"-thing.

Thanks in advance for any insights & regards
Thomas

[Man at C&A]

http://www.permanentstyle.co.uk/search/ ... eckerchief

It's something I've been doing for a the past couple of weeks as the weather chills down here in London, and it's picked up positive comments. I was worried it would look a bit affected but as long as I stay away from wearing 8-piece caps at the same time it's a nice thing to do.

[davidhuh]

Dear Thomas,

you have identified the problem, and it is rather easy to resolve.

- Get a decent undershirt with a wide collar (Zimmerli, Schiesser, Hanro)
- Every good outfitter has turtlenecks that suit your purpose (Selfridge's & Co). Try different qualities. You should even get something better fitting at H&M at this time of the year. Drake's has great cashmere polo shirts which should find the grace with your wife http://www.drakes-london.com/knitwear/3 ... shirt-1367

Cheers, David

[thc]

First of all, thanks for those answers, swift and helpful.

As for the specific suggestions: Man at C&A: hm. Not to say I dislike the idea, but I fear it might that tad too far out for me.

And David: I thought I did own decent undershirts, but looking at the things those three other suppliers have in stock, it seems like they definitely have a much broader choice in terms of collar space. Good, good. Plus it turns out there are certainly more turtlenecks out there than I had thought, so I guess I will also give that a shot. As for the polo: It does look nice, but even if it would win the grace of my wife, I am still a little uncertain what that nice collar would look like with some 14-16 ounces of tweed or whipcord crashing down on it.

Anyway, as said before: thanks a lot to both of you for your suggestions.

Best,
Thomas

[davidhuh]

As for the polo: It does look nice, but even if it would win the grace of my wife, I am still a little uncertain what that nice collar would look like with some 14-16 ounces of tweed or whipcord crashing down on it.
Thomas

Dear Thomas,

I am wearing polos from Drake and John Smedley with my tweed, corduroy and worsted coats anytime when I want to dress down, especially on weekends. They fit great and look relaxed, definitely a lot better that the picture you shared in the OP

Try with a Smedley first, they come a little cheaper. Also, in case you live in London: Trunk Clothiers on Chiltern Street has a nice selection of cashmere turtlenecks. I got one 3 weeks ago and would like to wear it 24/7.

cheers, David

[thc]

David, there you go: That's a very good & specific piece of advice. Alas!, I do not live in London, but it just so happens I will be there tomorrow, and now have yet another place to go to. Good, good. Plus, I agree anything will probably look much better than what is in that picture of mine; then again, that's not saying much ...

Cheers back & thanks once again,
Thomas

[couch]

To add to the good advice in this thread, if you're going to wear a crew-neck pullover, another traditional answer is to wear it with a soft-collar shirt that will show above the sweater. Classic buttondowns are good for this, as the collar will stand nicely and resist slipping down below the sweater neckband. These are not the greatest pictures, but they show the basic idea. The fineness or burliness of the sweater will determine what sort of odd jacket will work with it. The same goes for contemporary shallow V-neck sweaters that don't have room to accommodate a tie knot in the V. Shetland or cashmere cable with tweed jackets are classic.







But I like turtlenecks as well. I've never liked T-shirt style undershirts showing under any sort of shirt or jacket or sweater. Just my own prejudice, perhaps, but they look dorky to my eye. Makes almost any neck look scrawny.

[Cooked]

I'll put in a word for wool-mix shirts. They won't solve your problem completely, but for those days when a 100% cotton shirt is a little chilly, you'd be surprised how much warmer you'll be in a shirt with just 10% wool mixed in with the cotton. When it gets really cold, 100% merino undershirts are fantastic.