That otherwise inaccessible sweet spot between formality and insouciance
September 18, 2019 3:41 AM Subscribe
How the turtleneck became the iconic look for the creative genius; a brief history of the aforementioned long-necked garment and its connotations, from its origin as utilitarian clothing for 19th-century labourers and sportsmen, through its adoption by Noël Coward and Marlene Dietrich, its soaring popularity amongst Parisian existentialists and American beatniks (and subsequent fall to a signifier of laughable pretentiousness), to the days of Steve Jobs and, um, Elizabeth Holmes.
I didn't invent the turtleneck, Lana, but I was the first to recognize its potential as a tactical garment. The tactical turtleneck. The tactleneck.
posted by kyrademon at 4:28 AM on September 18, 2019 [36 favorites]
posted by kyrademon at 4:28 AM on September 18, 2019 [36 favorites]
...to the days of Steve Jobs...
Didn't jobs wear mock turtlenecks?
Personally, I far prefer mocks to real turtlenecks.
posted by Thorzdad at 4:50 AM on September 18, 2019 [2 favorites]
Didn't jobs wear mock turtlenecks?
Personally, I far prefer mocks to real turtlenecks.
posted by Thorzdad at 4:50 AM on September 18, 2019 [2 favorites]
It's almost turtleneck weather! At least here, some places never have turtleneck weather. I'm really looking forward to being mistaken for either a creative genius or a ninja.
posted by betweenthebars at 4:55 AM on September 18, 2019 [3 favorites]
posted by betweenthebars at 4:55 AM on September 18, 2019 [3 favorites]
My mom had me wearing turtlenecks in middle school. It’s a shirt that requires you to have confidence that your jawline is clean and fat-free, a confidence that I had even less of at that time. The best I could do was go all in for the nerdy T-shirt layer on top. I have never trusted a turtleneck since.
A cowlneck, now, those are great. You can hide in those.
posted by Countess Elena at 5:02 AM on September 18, 2019 [7 favorites]
A cowlneck, now, those are great. You can hide in those.
posted by Countess Elena at 5:02 AM on September 18, 2019 [7 favorites]
The way that countercultural fashion gets mainstreamed keeps speeding up. By the year 2030, I expect all the most famous corporate CEOs will have face tattoos.
posted by fuzz at 5:07 AM on September 18, 2019 [13 favorites]
posted by fuzz at 5:07 AM on September 18, 2019 [13 favorites]
I love the way turtlenecks look on other women, but having a large-ish bust and an utter lack of shoulders inevitably means they make me look like a Hershey’s kiss.
posted by armeowda at 5:14 AM on September 18, 2019 [16 favorites]
posted by armeowda at 5:14 AM on September 18, 2019 [16 favorites]
Surely no cultural history of the turtleneck can be complete without a mention of Snoopy's alter ego, Joe Cool.
posted by verstegan at 5:21 AM on September 18, 2019 [11 favorites]
posted by verstegan at 5:21 AM on September 18, 2019 [11 favorites]
I like turtleneck jumpers, in a chunky knit. So warm when the wind wants to go right through you. I don't see the point in a thin fabric though, then it's just a bit too much like sausage skin visually for my taste.
posted by stillnocturnal at 5:23 AM on September 18, 2019
posted by stillnocturnal at 5:23 AM on September 18, 2019
I love turtlenecks. The iconic black turtleneck, sure, but also the fisherman's cable knit (Windswept, romantic! Unfortunately, when I wear one I look like a decidedly unromantic fuzzy egg), and my personal favorite, the stripey turtleneck - sporty, fun, and a little off-kilter.
There is one big cultural moment for the turtleneck that wasn't included here: Sharon Stone wearing a black turtleneck from the Gap at the Oscars in 1996. It was the perfect thing, and she managed to strip the black turtleneck of its pretension, not easy...the buzz was partially about wearing something retail, off the rack, but if hadn't looked so fresh and fab, the story would have been much different...
I do wish the article could have included a picture of the Bernhard Pankok self-portrait, so I didn't have to look it up.
posted by hiker U. at 5:44 AM on September 18, 2019 [8 favorites]
There is one big cultural moment for the turtleneck that wasn't included here: Sharon Stone wearing a black turtleneck from the Gap at the Oscars in 1996. It was the perfect thing, and she managed to strip the black turtleneck of its pretension, not easy...the buzz was partially about wearing something retail, off the rack, but if hadn't looked so fresh and fab, the story would have been much different...
I do wish the article could have included a picture of the Bernhard Pankok self-portrait, so I didn't have to look it up.
posted by hiker U. at 5:44 AM on September 18, 2019 [8 favorites]
Am I the only one that feels like their head is gonna pop off when wearing a turtleneck? I love the way they look but they feel so squeezey on my neck. I can't do halter tops either for the same reason.
Are there exercises to make your neck seem less strangled by turtlenecks?
posted by Dressed to Kill at 6:12 AM on September 18, 2019 [4 favorites]
Are there exercises to make your neck seem less strangled by turtlenecks?
posted by Dressed to Kill at 6:12 AM on September 18, 2019 [4 favorites]
Does anyone else have brief moments of panic when trying to get them on and off and it feels as though you could be trapped and suffocate?
posted by Botanizer at 6:16 AM on September 18, 2019 [13 favorites]
posted by Botanizer at 6:16 AM on September 18, 2019 [13 favorites]
A turtleneck under a crew neck sweater, a pair of red rimmed vuarnet sunglasses. Perfect way to say: why yes, I was on the high school ski team in 1985.
posted by Chrischris at 6:55 AM on September 18, 2019 [9 favorites]
posted by Chrischris at 6:55 AM on September 18, 2019 [9 favorites]
Seconding cowlnecks, which like boatnecks, 1) don't make me look like a cookie jar and 2)pair well with giant sunglasses
posted by thivaia at 7:03 AM on September 18, 2019 [3 favorites]
posted by thivaia at 7:03 AM on September 18, 2019 [3 favorites]
Another iconic turtleneck not mentioned—Robert Redford’s turtleneck sweater in The Way We Were. Your turtleneck is lovely, Hubbell.
posted by sallybrown at 7:05 AM on September 18, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by sallybrown at 7:05 AM on September 18, 2019 [1 favorite]
Don't forget Michel Foucault, who actually looked like a turtle!
posted by elgilito at 7:09 AM on September 18, 2019 [2 favorites]
posted by elgilito at 7:09 AM on September 18, 2019 [2 favorites]
Yes to cowlnecks. I've gotten more comfortable wearing a tie as an adult, but a turtleneck still gives that "I'm being choked" anxiety. My favorite sweater is a cowlneck hoodie though. Comfy and fashionable!
posted by explosion at 7:18 AM on September 18, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by explosion at 7:18 AM on September 18, 2019 [1 favorite]
I heart turtlenecks! Grumpybearbride does not.
posted by grumpybear69 at 7:50 AM on September 18, 2019
posted by grumpybear69 at 7:50 AM on September 18, 2019
My approach to daily wardrobe is very much same-basic-mostly-black-thing-almost-every-day, and (other than laziness) for the reasons outlined in the article ...
because every day you put on the same thing and don’t have to think about it—one less thing in your life
but turtlenecks? Nah. I gave up on them around age fifteen. Who needs something clinging to their neck all the time? I'm also not much for scarves ... unless the north winds are really howling.
also, sorry for the derail, but there should be a law against posting color photos of the Velvet Underground. They're obvious fakes. Everybody knows they sucked all color from every room they entered. In a good way.
posted by philip-random at 8:29 AM on September 18, 2019
because every day you put on the same thing and don’t have to think about it—one less thing in your life
but turtlenecks? Nah. I gave up on them around age fifteen. Who needs something clinging to their neck all the time? I'm also not much for scarves ... unless the north winds are really howling.
also, sorry for the derail, but there should be a law against posting color photos of the Velvet Underground. They're obvious fakes. Everybody knows they sucked all color from every room they entered. In a good way.
posted by philip-random at 8:29 AM on September 18, 2019
Just last night I was admiring the way in X-Men: First Class they signified "international man of mystery" for young 1960s pre-Magneto Nazi-hunter Magneto by putting him in black turtlenecks. Which was a bit strenuous even for young pretty Michael Fassbender to pull off.
posted by praemunire at 8:47 AM on September 18, 2019 [2 favorites]
posted by praemunire at 8:47 AM on September 18, 2019 [2 favorites]
Am I the only one that feels like their head is gonna pop off when wearing a turtleneck
No, you aren't. I can't stand to have anything hugging my neck - even just my bedsheets bunched around my neck is enough to make me start throwing the covers around. Fortunately my fleece jacket and parka have loose enough necks that I can button those up in the coldest weather without feeling choked, and if it's not cold enough for those it's certainly not cold enough to need no damn turtleneck in the first place!
posted by Greg_Ace at 9:18 AM on September 18, 2019 [4 favorites]
No, you aren't. I can't stand to have anything hugging my neck - even just my bedsheets bunched around my neck is enough to make me start throwing the covers around. Fortunately my fleece jacket and parka have loose enough necks that I can button those up in the coldest weather without feeling choked, and if it's not cold enough for those it's certainly not cold enough to need no damn turtleneck in the first place!
posted by Greg_Ace at 9:18 AM on September 18, 2019 [4 favorites]
I remember a kid in my junior high gym class, around 1974 or so, who wore a faux turtleneck under his sweaters. It had the neck portion but the rest was just a bit of fabric that draped over part of his chest and back. I’ve never seen one of those since.
posted by plastic_animals at 9:22 AM on September 18, 2019
posted by plastic_animals at 9:22 AM on September 18, 2019
That's like a turtleneck dickey!
posted by praemunire at 9:28 AM on September 18, 2019 [4 favorites]
posted by praemunire at 9:28 AM on September 18, 2019 [4 favorites]
I love in Maine where turtleneck season has come too soon. They're warm and cozy as long as they're not too tight. Cowl neck, mock, sure.
posted by theora55 at 9:39 AM on September 18, 2019
posted by theora55 at 9:39 AM on September 18, 2019
I like turtlenecks, but the fit at the neck has to be just right, and I'm only going to wear them if the weather is cool to cold, which isn't often in my neck of the woods. If I think about it, they probably don't look as good on me as I'd like to imagine, but what else is new? I am against mock turtlenecks because half-measures will be the death of us and vee-necks are pretty much out because I don't wish to subject others to views of my graying chest hair. I am fully on-board with cargo-shorts, though. That's utilitarian!
posted by coppertop at 9:43 AM on September 18, 2019
posted by coppertop at 9:43 AM on September 18, 2019
I far prefer mocks to real turtlenecks.
I far prefer to mock turtlenecks.
posted by aspersioncast at 11:27 AM on September 18, 2019 [6 favorites]
I far prefer to mock turtlenecks.
posted by aspersioncast at 11:27 AM on September 18, 2019 [6 favorites]
::chortle:: at this article starting out with "the media lent such an unusual amount of attention to how Elizabeth Holmes dressed, why was that?" and proceeded to deep-dive into 20th century fashion to explain it.
like, no my dude, media attention fixated on her clothes - she talked about her clothes in interviews, presumably having been asked at all - because she was a woman.
(Who adopted dressing like a famous, iconoclastic man as camouflage, and I do think it's worth considering as a factor in how long that worked for her.)
posted by Tess of the d'Urkelvilles at 12:05 PM on September 18, 2019 [4 favorites]
like, no my dude, media attention fixated on her clothes - she talked about her clothes in interviews, presumably having been asked at all - because she was a woman.
(Who adopted dressing like a famous, iconoclastic man as camouflage, and I do think it's worth considering as a factor in how long that worked for her.)
posted by Tess of the d'Urkelvilles at 12:05 PM on September 18, 2019 [4 favorites]
I tend to put on weight right in my jowl/chin area, and turtlenecks - by removing the contrast of a relatively more slender neck - make me look like I just gained 30 extra pounds overnight. I do not own a single turtleneck and haven't for about a decade. Yall strong-chin-havers can keep them.
posted by showbiz_liz at 12:11 PM on September 18, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by showbiz_liz at 12:11 PM on September 18, 2019 [1 favorite]
The sartorial style of Howard Wolowitz in Big Bang Theory.
posted by TrishaU at 12:24 PM on September 18, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by TrishaU at 12:24 PM on September 18, 2019 [1 favorite]
You lose a lot of heat in the neck.
posted by stet at 1:48 PM on September 18, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by stet at 1:48 PM on September 18, 2019 [1 favorite]
According to the latest science, there's nothing special about the head/neck/hands/feet/etc. in terms of heat loss. You lose heat at an equal rate from any body part in proportion to the percent of exposed surface area to total body surface area. Some body parts are more sensitive to cold, certainly, but that doesn't mean proportionally more heat is lost there.
posted by Greg_Ace at 2:07 PM on September 18, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by Greg_Ace at 2:07 PM on September 18, 2019 [1 favorite]
No mention of Carl Sagan, the galactic exemplar of turtlenecks.
posted by acrasis at 3:48 PM on September 18, 2019 [4 favorites]
posted by acrasis at 3:48 PM on September 18, 2019 [4 favorites]
Does anybody know where dickeys can be purchased en bulk?
posted by vorpal bunny at 7:21 PM on September 18, 2019
posted by vorpal bunny at 7:21 PM on September 18, 2019
turtlenecks are trash. wear an elizabethan ruff or gtfo is what i say
a piccadill is also acceptable but barely. the point is that if you don’t get something gigantic and early modern around your neck like tout de suite there’s gonna be some trouble between you and me, buckingham
posted by Reclusive Novelist Thomas Pynchon at 7:38 PM on September 18, 2019 [5 favorites]
a piccadill is also acceptable but barely. the point is that if you don’t get something gigantic and early modern around your neck like tout de suite there’s gonna be some trouble between you and me, buckingham
posted by Reclusive Novelist Thomas Pynchon at 7:38 PM on September 18, 2019 [5 favorites]
and i know what you’re thinking: you’re thinking wait is that a reference to george villiers, the handsome lithe young dancer and courtier — and noted ruff-wearer — who rose to power as a favorite and bedpartner of king james the first of england and sixth of scotland? who in 1623 would controversially be made duke of buckingham, at the time the only duke in all of england and therefore the most powerful person in the nation aside from the members of the royal family itself? the same duke of buckingham who through his crass behavior ruined the attempted match between james’s successor charles i and the infanta maria? the duke of buckingham whose outrageous personal manner coupled with his undoubted mismanagement of the subsequent war with spain would provoke intense disdain for charles i among parliament, disdain that would eventually simmer into one of the causes of the english civil war?
to which i say: you bet your sweet ass it was. so take off that fucking long-collared sweater and put a ruff around your neck before i have to come over there and make you.
posted by Reclusive Novelist Thomas Pynchon at 8:01 PM on September 18, 2019 [6 favorites]
to which i say: you bet your sweet ass it was. so take off that fucking long-collared sweater and put a ruff around your neck before i have to come over there and make you.
posted by Reclusive Novelist Thomas Pynchon at 8:01 PM on September 18, 2019 [6 favorites]
The sartorial style of Howard Wolowitz in Big Bang Theory.
"It's a dickey."
posted by bryon at 8:58 PM on September 18, 2019
"It's a dickey."
posted by bryon at 8:58 PM on September 18, 2019
and i know what you’re thinking: you’re thinking wait is that a reference to george villiers ...
*raises hand slightly
I'm not
posted by Greg_Ace at 9:48 PM on September 18, 2019
*raises hand slightly
I'm not
posted by Greg_Ace at 9:48 PM on September 18, 2019
> I'm not
don't be coy there's no shame in thinking about buckingham. as théophile de viau put it:
don't be coy there's no shame in thinking about buckingham. as théophile de viau put it:
Apollon avec ses chansonsposted by Reclusive Novelist Thomas Pynchon at 4:50 AM on September 19, 2019 [1 favorite]
Desbaucha le jeune Hyacinthe...
Et ce sçavant Roy d’Angleterre,
Foutoit-il pas le Boukinquan?
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