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

Wednesday, November 11, 2020

What Is Your Most Used Sweater?

Photos by Salt Water New England


 

52 comments:

  1. Guernsey Woolens cotton navy blue crew neck Guernsey "jumper". I find the cotton crew neck more practical than the traditional wool, as it can be worn all-year round. It's a "weighty" sweater, without being too "hot." And yes, I do where it with shorts, especially in the spring and fall, and on "cool" summer evenings, whether on the shore or in the mountains.

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  2. I won't be all high and mighty and say my most used sweater cost a fortune and is British, more's the pity. However I will say that I've had it more than 20 years. It's a cotton pullover I bought from The GAP, of all places, and the reason that I wear it the most is because I clean my clothes often and I can throw this one into the washing machine, so it's just a matter of being practical. But my most loved sweater is a black cashmere pullover I bought from LL Bean years ago when they were making them a lot softer than they are now.

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    1. Thank you Susan I learned all about the phrase 'more's the pity' and the old adjectival use of 'more' to mean "greater, bigger"

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  3. Any of my crew next sweaters, both wool and cotton.

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  4. Or is Mavy sweater, but it looks like they stopped carrying them. I’ve had a few.

    https://www.orvis.com/p/us-navy-seamans-sweater/7a7g
    The collars eventually fray, and I have a tailor roll them in half and sew them down. They look good that way too.

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  5. Any of my LL Bean shetlands, crew neck and v-neck. Too bad they don't sell them any longer, thanks goodness for eBay.

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  6. Right now it’s an Irish Black Sheep crew neck from Orvis.

    David J. Cooper

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  7. My navy Shetland constitutes a full sweater wardrobe in Austin. How nice and how sad.

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  8. How can the answer be other than an L.L. Bean Norwegian Fisherman’s Sweater?

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  9. I have two Dale of Norway Setesdals, I wear my pull over and cardigan versions equally as much. Forgo the LL Bean Norwegian sweaters and invest in one of these.

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    1. Equally good! And heavy.

      Heinz-Ulrich

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    2. I ski in my Dale but it's too heavy at other times. The Bean is much more versatile.

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  10. Somewhat like Susan, above, my most used and favorite are two different sweaters. Most worn is a gray Orvis merino cardigan that I wear around the house almost every day, including over pajamas. My favorites are a collection of old LL Bean lambswool crewnecks that I have had for decades and are still great looking as well as comfortable. Sweaters are my favorite item to collect, but storage space is always a problem!

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  11. I live in turtlenecks but I wear some nice old fair isles too. Need to replace the Aran sweater.

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  12. My four Locke wool cardigans-1 each in tan, bottle green, rust and navy. I have many other sweaters, some precious or iconic; but the cardigans are the most flexible so I can button or not or remove as the room or body temp dictates.

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  13. John Smedley Extra Fine Merino. Depending on the temperature and occassion it can be worn on its own, over a t-shirt/shirt, or as a base layer under a heavier wool garment. There is none more versatile sweater. They last well, too. I've got one which I've had for over a decade.

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  14. My L.L. Bean Norwegian fisherman's sweater.

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  15. My vintage L.L.Bean Norwegian fisherman's sweater, of course! Thank you so very much!

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  16. I have two favorites. Both are crew-neck cashmere sweaters given to my father by my mother 65 years ago next month, the Christmas before they married. One is tan, the other charcoal. Both are in great condition, and I wear them often.

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  17. I live in Michigan so I own a lot of sweaters, Dale Norway, 40-year old unlabelled Swedish Raggs from a deep discounter that still hold the heat, Bean Norwegians, etc. Two newer Lines I like in a crew are the Woolrich, maybe discontinued because with year end discounts etc they were under $40 but grab if you can and also the private label crewneck shetland sweater @Hunter-Coggins, Asheville, NC. They've been around just about 50 years. Ask for Jim Hunter and he will take good care of you. He also has Alan Paine. Beautiful store and no " attitude ". Also, the Filson wool crewnecks are/were indestructible.

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  18. An old grey crewneck cashmere sweater, that's been mended several times over.

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  19. An LL Bean navy stitch work cardigan from about 25 years ago. Soft, durable, wonderful. Sadly the new one aren’t as nice.

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  20. A navy blue Lands End Shetland crew neck sweater that I purchased when I was in college. Even though it is over 40 years old it is still in great shape. It is my go-to comfort sweater. Although the blue is slowly fading. I have a replacement from Pennington that I wear often, but it just doesn't have that broken in feeling as the Lands End sweater. Actually none of my other sweaters do either.

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  21. My mom knitted a thick gray crew neck sweater for me from Icelandic wool about thirty years ago. It is my most-worn sweater when it's cold outside. On the lighter side of the spectrum, I have a Brooks Brothers brown cashmere v-neck that I probably wear more than any other lightweight sweater.

    My favorite newer sweater is a light gray brushed Shetland from Harley.

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  22. Easy! My 28-year old L.L. Bean cream and charcoal traditional Norwegian fisherman's sweater (from the time when they were still 'Made in Norway'). Actually had it on for my morning walk around the neighborhood today. It has also served me well in Norway during two separate periods of study/archival research during the 1990s.

    Sweaterly Regards,

    Heinz-Ulrich

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    1. They are still made in Norway. I have one that I bought 7 years ago, I can’t comment on how they used to be but the one I own is of very high quality.

      David J. Cooper

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  23. As I'm 7 months pregnant I find myself almost constantly wearing a lovely sweater cape from Seraphine. With a long-sleeved tee underneath, I'm ready for whatever errands throw at me. - hrplo

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  24. I love my H. Moser wool sweaters made in Germany, but bought through the House of Bruar in Scotland. I also have a navy blue wool Guernsey jumper that is fantastic!

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  25. I wore a grey wool ragg sweater from Cabalas for years until it had so many holes in it that it embarrassed my wife and she made me throw it out. Nothing beats wool for warmth. Unfortunately Cabalas doesn't sell them anymore.

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  26. Mine is a cream cotton ribbed sweater. I bought it from Jeremy Hackett in his first shop on the New Kings Road, London in 1985.

    I also have a navy cotton sweater that was bought from Harvie & Hudson on Jermyn Street, London in 1989.

    Both were made in England. After over 30 years of regular wear, they still fit me and look as good as new. That's real quality and fantastic value!

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  27. St Croix sweaters are among the finest wool garments extant. They are made in chilly Minnesota.

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  28. My Aran cableknit cardigan, bought in Derry, N. Ireland at the airport eons ago. It's now got a few holes and I really need to find one replacement horn button but it's been a stalwart default at home to keep the chilblains at bay. Outside, my go-to sweater is a new-ish (less than 5 years) Fair Isle cardigan in a dark olive.

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  29. I knit. I knit Aran sweaters, wool ones in several colors. I olve them, but far too warm to wear inside, and even outdoors when the weather is "inbetween". So, although it may be considered declasse, my most worn sweater is a lightweight, oatmeal colored mockneck pullover knit from... Old Navy. I know. But I lve it. AND it's comfortable, goes with everything and it's flattering. I get a ton of compliments on it too and I can throw it in the washer and tumble dryer without a care.

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  30. Black cashmere turtleneck and navy lambswool crewneck are always in heavy rotation.

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  31. Just getting into sweater weather now — the most used is a black (or v. v. dark gray) cashmere crew neck. Goes with everything when Sweater Time is abroad in the land.

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  32. I have a green lambs wool cable-knit from Brooks Brothers I adore. It is perfectly causal sans a collared shirt, while still timeless over top a OCBD. I wish I had purchased more all those years ago.

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  33. That would be my thick 100% wool fisherman's sweater from Winterhouses in Newfoundland. I bought it back in the 90s and other than needing some mending on the cuffs, its in great condition. I"m not sure if the company is still in business or not. A quick search on Google would seem to say nay, though I have seen pre-owned Winterhouses on Etsy.

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  34. A very old Ralph Lauren all (soft) wool zip up sweater. It has a high neck, is incredibly warm and literally wearing out. I keep darning the little holes and it's relatively sad looking at this point but who cares? It's comfy and no one is going to care what i wear to the outdoor farmer's market this winter.

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  35. During a visit to Amsterdam over 20 years ago, I stopped by a fishing supply store and bought a thick, cable-knit, wool sweater. I always grab that one, and put a windbreaker shell over it.
    The label says "RW Maritime Clothing".

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  36. Navy blue J Crew cotton pullover I found at a consignment store years ago. In Sacramento, CA it's all the warmth I need without the itchiness of wool.

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  37. Lord and Taylor (sad) Cashmere for late autumn into winter.....I have always bought a few each year. Quality was there in years back but sadly in recent years it was starting to dip.. Since I have a stack of them I will wear them until they wear out.....Also I have 2 Dale of Norway Anniversary sweaters that I wear around the Holidays.

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  38. i always wear the classic cable crew neck in a variety of colors, I tend tp like grey shades

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  39. i always wear the cable crew neck sweater by Ralph Lauren,I tend to lake the grey shades

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  40. Always cashmere and by Ralph Lauren

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  41. Dale of Norway that I purchased in Montreal 6 years ago.

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  42. Living on an island in South Florida (81F currently), the answer is NO sweater. When the temps drop below 70F however, the go-to sweater is a navy Italian cotton v-neck I got from Barneys about a hundred years ago. I've also kept my L.L. Bean Norwegian sweater and several Shetland wool crewneck sweaters from the back in the cold N.E. college days.

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  43. I have the most spectacular olive green cable knit wool sweater from GoodWill that is the BEST sweater I have ever owned. My husband found it for me. Been wearing it for years and it's absolutely wonderful. Always gets a compliment. I swear I will be buried in it!! HA!!

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  44. Though I own quite a few, I find myself alternating between two during cooler weather. The first is a Loro Piana cable knit cashmere sweater that I acquired second hand for a measly $95 (the current version of the same sweater retails for $1,800!). It's incredibly warm and soft, and I wear it far more often than I probably should, but I do tend to relegate its use to the indoors. The other is my LL Bean Norwegian crewneck. It is considerably stiffer than cashmere, but far more rugged, and a perfect companion for raking leaves or walking the dog in the brisk air.

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  45. I have a lot of sweaters. My most used one would have to be a merino wool zip up Lacoste sweater that my boyfriend bought me for Christmas back in 2007.

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