Crewneck, V-neck, shawl collar: opinion on different knitwear collars and advice for wearing them well

The men's fashion market has evolved considerably in recent years: it has diversified.

If we go back 10 years, there were only round neck sweaters, V-neck sweaters, cardigans and a few turtlenecks. An offer that did the job but remained fairly basic.

Today we are witnessing the emergence and democratization of a wider range of sweater shapes: funnel neck, trucker, polo, shawl, etc. It's good to see all that.

In this article, I offer you a style opinion on each of these shapes and advice on how to best integrate them into your silhouettes.

1. Twist the unbeatable round neck

The round neck sweater is a must-have.

It is simple and versatile. You will find it in all styles, all thicknesses, for all budgets.

You probably already have one or more crew neck sweaters, and you're doing well.

On the other hand, I find that over time, we can end up getting tired of this collar that we end up seeing almost everywhere.

To make her neckline more interesting, here's what I suggest:

Letting a white t-shirt collar stick out

The little white (or cream) t-shirt that peeks out from under the neckline of a crew-neck sweater is a sure bet for your style: it works every time and visually enhances the look of the sweater while adding a bit of contrast.

Wear a bandana

As soon as I buy a crew neck sweater, I automatically pair it with a bandana.

The ends of the bandana can be left over the collar, or tucked inside.

The bandana dresses the neck and adds a touch of style. I tend to choose the bandana with a pattern, and in monochrome of the sweater, but we can also wear it in contrast.

Shirt under sweater: yes or no?

Many men wear shirts under their crew neck sweaters. This is not my favorite combination , especially when we are talking about a shirt with a smooth fabric (for example, cotton poplin) under a thin, smooth sweater.

It's not fundamentally a mistake but the rendering is a little austere I find.

To achieve this combination, I would recommend adding thickness and texture. For example, a chambray or denim shirt under a slightly thicker sweater. Visually, it's richer.

2. The thorny case of the V-neck sweater

Let’s take the time to talk about the V-neck sweater.

My opinion: they are not all equal . We recommend some and not others.

We don't necessarily recommend the V-neck sweater in its basic version that you find everywhere: fine, smooth, fitted, worn over a white t-shirt or shirt.

The result is a little too bland: it doesn't have much stylistic value.

Even though it's not shocking, I don't find it very interesting either. Left: Missègle. Right: Orson Bay

In my opinion, the V-neck is only of interest if it is well worked and assumed with a textured material, a well-studied depth of the V, a precise fit.

So, it is necessarily more divisive but at least we arrive at pieces of character, which have something to say.

A typical example would be the “cricket sweater”, very Ivy in spirit, with its cables and contrasting collar.

But you will also find other great V-neck sweater options by digging deeper:

With a nice V-neck sweater, the shirt is quite obvious. White or blue to keep it simple. Optionally add a tie for more elegance.

Also try to wear it without any visible clothing underneath, to let the V of the collar express itself fully:

3. The subtle elegance of the polo sweater

Quite discreet in recent years, the polo neck sweater is slowly taking its place in brand wardrobes. And perhaps in yours too.

I think it's a good thing because it's different from the others while remaining very easy to wear.

The polo sweater is rather elegant, perfectly suited to a casual chic style .

You will sometimes find it buttoned for a more classic look, sometimes unbuttoned and with an open collar, for a slightly more majestic look.

Under a polo sweater, I see either a white t-shirt or an ecru turtleneck sweater. Or nothing at all, for people who like to wear their sweater next to their skin.

I sometimes see the shirt worn under a polo sweater, and I have to admit that I have a hard time. I find that the combination of the two collars doesn't really work.

4. Well in place: turtlenecks and chimneys

I put the chimney collars and turtlenecks in this same part because they are quite close.

The funnel neck comes up on the neck, but does not roll up on itself like a turtleneck.

These are two fairly elegant shapes that we recommend , for their thermal protection and their visual sobriety.

We have a complete guide to the turtleneck that you can find here.

Here are two personal tips to make them more interesting:

Take an ecru high collar

The ecru or cream sweater with a high collar is a great piece.

This is your white t-shirt for winter.

Your traditional white t-shirt + shirt combo for sunny days becomes an ecru high collar + overshirt in winter.

And it can be used in many other combinations: white t-shirt + light blazer becomes ecru high collar + winter blazer for example.

Etc.

On our side, we have the Brest sweater which perfectly fulfills this function in ecru:

Try thick, high-necked sweaters

While high neck sweaters are often quite thin, it is of course also possible to find thicker ones.

The piece gains in warmth of course, but also in character, the extra thickness allowing more texture.

More specifically, I find that thick turtlenecks and turtlenecks have a lot of charm.

5. The trucker sweater: the rising star

I wouldn't have predicted his return.

4 or 5 years ago, I had a fairly ordinary image of the half-zip sweater, and I didn't see it coming out of this "meh, nothing more" box.

Then we started to see more elaborate ones appear, with beautiful thicknesses of knit, beautiful high collars, which gradually changed my view of the piece.

I think the main differentiating criterion for this type of sweater is the height of its collar.

First you will find the small zipped collars which I find a little timid :

Then you have the mid-height trucker collars that you can start to have a little more fun with. The taller zip height and slightly higher collar give the piece a little more allure:

Finally, you have the zipped sweaters with a long collar like on our Matera sweater.

The large collar allows you to really play with it: wear it fully zipped up like a large stand-up collar, or wear it open and let it fall to the sides, for a polo-neck look.

My opinion is therefore that the funnel neck is an interesting garment as long as you play with it :

• Either because the collar is large enough to allow several possibilities of wearing it
• Either because we have interesting layering ideas to do with it

6. Yes, it still exists: the shawl collar sweater

The shawl collar sweater is not very popular among brands at the moment.

They are mainly found in entry-level brands where they are generally not very visually interesting.

By digging, we can find more elaborate models, but they are not legion:

My opinion is therefore that at the time of writing this article (2023), we do not really recommend the shawl collar sweater , due to a somewhat weak offer.

On the other hand, it is not excluded that it will come back in a few years: if enough cutting-edge designer brands work on it, it could then come back down to more accessible brands, this time with interesting designs!

7. One watchword with the cardigan: have fun

We finish with the cardigan.

I have always found it interesting even if it retains an old-fashioned image among some.

It is a piece that has two great advantages for me.

First of all, its open neckline naturally encourages layering, as long as it is not chosen too fine or tight. It is not for nothing that 6 of the 15 suggestions from Michel in his article on layering knitwear include a cardigan.

And it is with this in mind that we designed the Lovere and Plockton cardigans: with just the right amount of thickness and fullness.

Then, today we find some really fun ones . I like the idea of ​​choosing an original cardigan, colorful or patterned for example, that we frame with more sober clothes.

I'm thinking of the “fleece” cardigan from Universal Works, which the British brand offers every season with some pretty vibrant patterns, which can really enhance winter outfits that include green, grey, and blue.

You also have Beams+ which regularly offers cardigans with a strong but wearable style: