ABSTRACT
The turtleneck first appeared as a sportswear staple shortly before the turn of the century. When Noel Coward began wearing colored turtle-necked jerseys in the mid-1920s, the garment took on a new role; i.e., acting as a formal substitute for the shirt and tie. The turtleneck enjoyed a major resurgence in the 1960s. The beatniks and folkies bequeathed the look to the flower generation, and, from there, it filtered down to the mainstream. By early 1967 they were being worn with blazers and sports coats to the office. At small Manhattan parties, half the men were then showing up in turtlenecks. Many have testified to the garment's appeal over the years. John Berendt noted, the turtleneck was the boldest of all the affronts to the status quo. It was the picture of masculine poise and arrogance, redolent of athletes, sportsmen, even U-boat commanders. The designer Halston argued, Turtlenecks are the most comfortable garment you can wear.
