Photo by Muffy Aldrich
The Modern Guide to The Thing Before Preppy

Showing posts sorted by relevance for query sweater OR aran OR Ireland. Sort by date Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query sweater OR aran OR Ireland. Sort by date Show all posts

Friday, August 23, 2019

The Handknit Aran Sweater

Photo by Salt Water New England
The traditional Aran Sweater (Irish Fisherman's Sweater) is thick, warm, soft, versatile, and always good looking.

100% knitted by hand in Ireland (with knitting needles and 100% non-itchy merino wool), these classic garments have that unique drape with patterns that look almost chiseled in.  These are the most substantial of sweaters, very warm, very comfortable, and not as prone to the bagging found in machine made versions.

However, Aran sweaters that are authentically and locally hand-knit are increasingly rare as they are so labor intensive; each sweater takes between forty and fifty hours to knit.  They typically cost over $350 if bought from the source, and even so, increasingly use labor that has been imported for such tasks.

Sunday, August 27, 2023

Chunky Glenugie Nep (formerly Soft Donegal) Pullovers from Bosie - Made in Scotland

Photos by Salt Water New England
It is always exciting to see what the new Bosie season brings. Their chunky (4 ply) Glenugie Nep (formerly Soft Donegal) pullovers are stand-outs.  Very soft and very thick,  they are utterly delightful both to look at and to have on.  

For Men, the Trawlerman Chunky Glenugie Nep is a wonderful addition to their hearty Blue Mogganer collection:

Our Blue Mogganer Collection is inspired in fashioning/shaping, by the old and long established fishing communities of our locality in the North East of Scotland. Seam free, chunky and hard wearing, it is a true replica of the traditional garments Scottish Mariners would have worn in the extremely harsh North Sea, in the early 1900’s. Our town of Peterhead was nicknamed The ‘Blue Toon’ and fishermen were locally branded as ‘Blue Mogganer’s’ in tribute to the (often Blue) Moggan’s (thick knitted socks) they wore.

Shown here in Jura Navy, it comes in three other colors as well.  It is generous in fit for outstanding comfort.

Trawlerman Chunky Glenugie Nep Sweater


 And for Women, the Braid Chunky Glenugie Nep Womens Jumper, also available in four colors.  (Shown here in Eriskay Green, which I adore.)  The fit is surprisingly generous, especially through the shoulders and arms, which is very welcome indeed.  But it is not too long, so is flattering.

And worn with the Ladies Liberty Tana Lawn Shirt from Cordings of Piccadilly:

Sunday, November 6, 2022

Le Tricoteur Guernsey Resupply

Photos by Salt Water New England
"All our guernseys are knitted on vintage flatbed machines, and come with hand knitted necks & shoulders and then linked by our talented team at Rocquaine. Buying a Le Tricoteur guernsey means owning a piece of island heritage. 100% British wool under license. All our items are unisex so you can buy from any section and receive the exact same item."

Yesterday's Le Tricoteur Guernsey resupply included (starting with the most traditional color):

They are also available from the Women's pages:
Four Guernseys.  All totally fabulous.  

 

Saturday, March 4, 2023

Why People Love Preppy Clothes. Why People Hate Preppy Clothes.

There is a group of clothes that I find perfect.  These include pure cotton khakis and baggy oxford shirts in a handful of colors, Scottish Fair Isles, British rain coats, tweed coats, D-ring motif belts, Maine made bluchers and boat shoes, toggle coats, tartan cashmere scarves made in Scotland and Aran sweaters made in Ireland.

These clothes blend into the New England coast.  They are ideal for getting in and out of boats, for students throwing on as they run across the quad with wet hair on the way to class, for casual business meetings that turn into hikes across Cambridge to find some obscure used bookstores. The pink and green match the beach roses along the New England coast, the blues feel like the ocean, and the Donegal sweater I am wearing right now has the rugged complexion of the rocky Maine coast.   

These clothes also fit my highest compliment, which is 'class-feral'.  They are the Herreshoff yachts or Sarouk rugs of clothes; they wear well.  They also, rather than highlight the wearer, improve the scene.  

Many would describe these as 'preppy' clothes.  I think of them slightly differently, as "the thing before preppy."  My parents wore such clothes as early as the '50s and '60s.  I “never didn't” have these clothes.  (For context, I grew up around New Haven, where my family has roots that go back to its founding in the 1630s.  One of my great grandfathers, Deacon Samuel Heminway,  paid the first Yale tuition in 1702, and another, John Brockett, laid out the Nine Squares of New Haven in 1638.) But we never referred to them as preppy.

Saturday, June 3, 2023

"If you don't like the weather in New England..."

A Hot Yesterday...  (Photos by Salt Water New England)
"Yes, one of the brightest gems in the New England weather is the dazzling uncertainty of it." -  Mark Twain 

Shown:

Wednesday, September 6, 2023

Ask Muffy: “Should I get my Scottish Shetland sweaters stateside or directly from the Scottish vendors?”

Photos by Salt Water New England
I understand why some people prefer to go through the various U.S. based clothing stores.  They sweaters are easier to return if you order the wrong fit, and shipping would appear to be faster.  And it just feels familiar. 

However, there is no reason not to buy them directly from Scottish vendor any longer, simply because they cost less.  I compared a few items just now:

  • Scottish vendor: Shetland Crew Neck is $135.00 (£108.00) for Men's, $127.50 (£102.00) for Women's plus shipping of £22 (plus £2 per extra item) for DHL Two Day Shipping to the USA. (Shaggy Brushing from £12.00.)

  • U.S. Importer #1:  Shetland Crew Neck is $195.00 plus shipping of  $15.00 (UPS Ground) or $30.00 (2-Day). 

  • U.S. Importer #2: Brushed Shetland Crew Neck is $245.00 with Free Shipping.

For whatever reason, U.S. clothing stores and companies have grown very comfortable with substantial mark-ups.  This either means you pay more for your sweater, or you get a lesser quality for the same price.   So unless there is a specific color that you can only get from a US vendor, buy directly from Scotland.  They are often from the same Scottish producer.

However, I do recommend getting comfortable using an overseas vendor's sizing chart.  And if you are not sure between two sizes, order larger the first time. 

Buy hard, dress easy,

Muffy  

 

For example (Bosie is owned by a Harley family member): 

Women's Harley of Scotland Seamless Saddle Shoulder Shetland Sweater - Kelly Green (and Iced Sea Blue Behind It)

 

Wednesday, September 13, 2023

Guernsey Jumper Arrival

Photos by Salt Water New England

The first Guernsey you buy should be Navy.  The second should be Aran.

Some Aran Options:

Shouldn't all Guernsey jumpers arrive in a Guernsey Potato bag??



 

Friday, August 12, 2022

New from Bosie - West Coast - Crabapple Fair Isle Lambswool Sweater

Photo by Salt Water New England

Bosie has come out with their strongest season yet, with irresistible Fair Isles including this (Scotland’s) West Coast - Crabapple Fair Isle Lambswool Sweater.  
For those of us who were spoiled by The Country Store of Concord or Triminghams, these fit the bill.  Legendary construction, great fit (use the size chart), and perfect colors. An example of the nice details:  This sweater has turnback sleeves (the sleeves are long and arrive "turned back"), which gives more flexibility on the fit and gives the garment a shape I prefer.

Sunday, October 24, 2021

Wear Your Favorite Clothes, Don’t Save Them.

Photo by Salt Water New England

You are heading out the door.  It is a bit chilly so you reach for a sweater.  You have to make a split second choice between your favorite sweater or something less precious.  Which do you take?

Far too many of us far too often reach for the lesser item.  We want to save the best examples.

This is, most of the time, wrong.  

Wearing an item is a great way of testing it.  You think you like something?  See if you are right.  You may find that you don’t like it as much as you thought.  Some items we love in theory, even how other people wear them, but they just don’t work on us. It is also a way of evolving your tastes.  You want to learn from experience to make your next purchase more intelligently.  

And clothes are not always like fine wines or a great scotch.  If you are not wearing an item, it seldom gets better with age.  

The items we love and don’t wear today end up clogging up the closet within a few years.  Pretty soon we can’t give them away.  In other words, the rule of thumb that you should get rid of clothes you haven’t worn in one to three years is true.  (Society is more interested in listening to thoughts on cleaning than on clothes but the message here is the same.)

I do have a few exceptions.  When I find clothes I really like, I tend to do some gentle stockpiling,  especially if they go on sale.  I have backups, and backups of backups, of various shirts and trousers that I currently wear.

And I do have a handknit Aran clan sweater still in its box, but even now I am thinking I should just wear it.

The truth is that we change.  Our tastes evolve.  We find better or alternative examples.  We more comprehensively understand what works well with what we want to do.  We move.  Our hobbies change.  Our bodies change, even if they don’t get thicker.  Our skin tone and hair color changes.

So wear what you love.  Take pleasure in getting every stitch of value from it, not in archiving it.  It will improve your world in more ways than you think. 

Shown:

Saturday, December 19, 2020

Washington Post: Traveling via my sweater collection


This winter, I'm traveling via my sweater collection.

I buy few souvenirs when I travel. But there are some parts of the world that require me to leave ample room in my suitcase: good sweater places. I’m drawn to cold climates and northerly latitudes — and wherever harsh weather exists, you’re likely to find tough wool sweaters knitted for the purpose of surviving it. 

- Karen Gardiner <https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/travel/sweaters-travel-ireland-iceland-scotland/2020/12/17/e5bc6442-366b-11eb-8d38-6aea1adb3839_story.html>

 

 

Monday, October 17, 2022

On the Walk Today

Photos by Salt Water New England
Shown Above:

Shown Below:
  • Doe
  • Young Buck

Friday, January 21, 2022

Brooks Brothers offers ultra-soft Italian-spun merino blend sweater


Imagine someone told you that Brooks Brothers is offering a "luxe" sweater "spun from an ultra-soft Italian-spun merino blend" that combines their golden fleece logo with an intarsia tiger motif to celebrate the Lunar New Year.  (From Wikipedia: "Intarsia is a knitting technique used to create patterns with multiple colours" and "[a]rgyle socks and sweaters are normally done in intarsia".).  

Take a moment and consider what this could look like.  Now click on the link to see how close you came:  



Sunday, November 10, 2019

Shetland Sweaters

Warmth without Bulk - Harley of Scotland's Shetland Sweater from Bosie Knitwear of Scotland - Photos by Salt Water New England
There may be no single item that is as much a staple as a Shetland sweater.  It starts life ready for a nearly formal settings, and ends up perfectly suited for watching games by the sidelines.  Surprisingly comfortable, its warmth without bulk makes it perfect for cool summer evenings and for layering under other garments.

Harley of Scotland's Classic Shetland Sweater from Bosie Knitwear of Scotland

Our favorite source of authentic Shetlands is Bosie.  Bosie Knitwear's Harley of Scotland Shetlands are the softest I have even encountered.   They credit this to their yarn,  which comes from a "200 year old spinner," being milled in "some of the softest water in Scotland".

Made in Scotland, their Shetlands are seamfree and are extremely comfortable.

The most versatile is the classic Navy.

Sunday, October 23, 2022

Turtlenecks

Past Season L.L. Bean Turtleneck - Photos by Salt Water New England
A reader question:

Help! Please can you or your readers tell me where I can find good turtle necks that are like the ones you wear that don't stretch? Many thanks.

Turtlenecks shown:

Wednesday, November 1, 2023

Around Wiscasset

Photos by Salt Water New England
Shown below:

And the Women's version:
Admiral 4 Ply Geelong Polo Neck Sweater - Naval Jack

Also Shown:

Made in England

Made in Scotland

 

Monday, September 6, 2021

How Do Devold of Norway's Classic Birdseye Fisherman Sweaters Compare to L. L. Bean’s?

Photo by Salt Water New England
A thick and hearty Devold Nordsjø classic birdseye sweater in Off White, from Arthur Beale.  Pure Norwegian Wool.

 A Reader Question:

Dear Muffy, 

I was curious if your readers had any experience with Devold Sweaters?  One would think that L.L. Bean had invented the Norwegian Birdseye Sweater, but there appears to be several others that had come before them.  I have been hearing a lot about Devold, based in Norway, and specifically that the quality is much higher.  I have been less than thrilled with the Bean version.  Any thoughts?


 

Thursday, September 17, 2020

A Reader Question for the Community: Building a Wardrobe after the Core Items?


A Reader Question for the Community:

Dear Muffy, 

I enjoy the insights of you, your community of interested participants, and your advertisers regarding the tasteful, serviceable, clothing that is the Trad idiom.  A thought occurred to me that for most items of male attire there will be general consensus on number one, but there is rarely discussion of number two.  For example the navy Shetland crewneck is the clear number one sweater, but what is number two?  When you have number one, what is your next selection?  Do you go wild, such as buying carnation cashmere after you bought your navy Shetland, or is it the same sweater in dark grey (or the the lambswool v-neck in yellow, or something else)? I wonder what you and your readers think.