Turtlenecks? Turtlenecks!? Yes. If you told me ten years ago that I would be considering buying a turtleneck ten years from then, I would’ve slapped you in the face and called you silly. Well, now it is ten years from then, and I am very much so considering buying a turtleneck. Who’da thunk’it?

Here’s the thing: I live in Canada – specifically the prairies – which are known for their brutal cold spells. We’re talking temperatures as low as -50’C with the windchill in the depths of winter. What if I told you that you don’t have to be uncomfortable to look good AND stay warm in that kind of cold? The turtleneck combines all the best qualities of wearing a scarf over a crew neck sweater, such as a merino wool or cashmere composition, without giving you that restricting feeling that scarves are sometimes wont to do.

Still not enough to convince you that turtlenecks are awesome? How about the fact that the turtleneck was made popular in medieval times because knights required a garment that would protect their necks from chafing due to the chainmail they wore? Pretty cool, right? Fast forward to the 20th century and the turtleneck was still popular, enjoying a surge due in part to Sir Noël Peirce Coward, the famous playwright, composer, actor, director and singer, who played Mr. Bridger in the original The Italian Job. Fast forward further yet, and we’ll see Apple co-founder and CEO Steve Jobs wearing what I can only assume is a rotating collection of turtlenecks pulled from the closet of a cartoon character.

And that would mark the beginning of the downfall of the turtleneck. The ’90s were a time when associating with geekdom was a social death-sentence. Anyone wearing a turtleneck in highschool was undoubtedly going to be experiencing a unique view of a toilet bowl, regardless of how many Fortune 500 companies they were in charge of. Thankfully, the ’90s are behind us, and what was then brushed off as a lack of fashion sense is now coined as “smart casual”. Gone are the days of three-sizes-too-big jeans and wrap-around sunglasses, and the world is a better place because of it. Cardigans, sweaters on top of button down shirts, argyle patterns and large framed glasses are all popular – to my amused bewilderment – and we live in an era in which men are not chastised for caring about their appearance, but encouraged. Personally, I believe we have a poor job market to thank for that. You have to look good to stay competitive in your field, and “the clothes make the man” hasn’t been as relevant as it is today in quite some time.

I hope I’ve convinced you that turtlenecks are a symbol of everything good and righteous. A small part of me believes that in the future they may be responsible for bringing an end to war and famine. If you want to be the cause of world peace but aren’t sure where to find the catalyst, check out le31’s collection at Simons. Alternatively, Uniqlo carries a finer weave merino wool option. Both are affordable (the one from Simons that I linked is on sale right now, in fact) and will provide warmth and compliments for many winters to come.

As always, take care and thanks for reading.

I’m not saying I invented the turtleneck, but I was the first person to realize its potential as a tactical garment. The tactical turtleneck! The…”tactleneck”! — Sterling Archer