On a roll: we explore the rise of the roll-neck to this season's knit of choice

For Londoners determined to dress down, sticking your neck out is a thing of the past
Cosy comfort: rib-collar tunic knit, £260, &Daughter
Karen Dacre3 November 2015

Last Tuesday I attended a dinner at which 50 per cent of those present were sporting roll-necks.

While I realise that you might consider this to be an innocuous, bordering downright pointless observation, I’d like to suggest otherwise. Namely because I believe the rise of the roll-neck to be a phenomenon that speaks volumes about how we, as a capital city, choose to dress.

Having floundered from retro into obscurity, the roll- or turtle-neck returned to favour a few years ago and this winter stands out as the knitwear item of choice, from the budget end of the high street to Chanel.

While it may owe a modicum of its popularity to the new Steve Jobs film (undoubtedly, Michael Fassbender cuts a mean figure in black merino) and to current catwalk trends, the roll-neck’s popularity also comes down to the fact that the jumper has become a sort of collective comfort blanket. This would certainly explain its current success at dinner parties, not to mention in London’s offices, where the roll-neck is gaining fans at pace.

Jourdan Dunn in Topshop Unique
Neil Mockford/Alex Huckle/GC Images

Look up and down your Tube carriage or around the table at your next meeting and you’ll see them: legions of tired/busy/hungover Londoners with chins nestled cosily into Uniqlo cashmere or lambswool from M&S.

For Buffy Reid, co-founder of knitwear brand &Daughter, a father and daughter partnership that works predominantly with factories in Scotland and the west of Ireland to create a small but perfectly formed range of Aran sweaters and sumptuous lambswool jumpers, the roll-neck has proved a particularly lucrative addition. One particular style, made from cashmere sourced from Scottish spinners who have been making the textile on the banks of Loch Leven for more than 150 years, is consistently the brand’s bestseller.

Caroline Issa attends a COS Dinner
Dave Benett

“In the same way as an oversized coat, the roll-neck offers security. There’s the ability to hide or reveal yourself as you see fit,” says Reid. “We designed our rib-collar tunic with an extra high neck so it’s very face-tuck friendly.”

While this all makes a lot of sense, particularly for those of us who look to our clothing as something that should give us a hug during the long days when we need it most, the roll-neck’s popularity as a piece of evening attire is more complex. Namely because it stands as yet more proof of our desire to dress down for all occasions.

Hikari Yokoyama at the Frieze Art Fair
Dave Benett

While a casual approach to evening wear is no new thing where Londoners are concerned, it strikes me that more and more of us are ditching heels and donning our sweaters ahead of nights on the town. And no more so than among the high-fashion crowd, where the rise of the roll-neck follows the emergence of trainers as respectable dinner-party attire. As a capital we hate looking or even feeling like we’ve tried too hard, so in that respect roll-necks, particularly those of high quality, are a no-brainer.

Among those to pull off roll-necks on the red carpet in recent weeks is Erin O’Connor, who attended the BFI’s gala wearing Erdem’s roll-neck gown, and Caroline Issa, who wore a marl-grey version with matching grey slacks to an event last week. Should you wish to roll with them, I’d suggest seeking out roll-necks in neutral shades and working them into your daily repertoire.

The high street’s extensive cashmere offering is great for those looking to find a roll-neck for every day of the week. Make like Amal Clooney at court and wear a classic white style under a formal suit in place of a shirt, or team a fine-gauge version under a cocktail dress to create an easier, effortless aesthetic.

And if a show-stopping cocktail party-proof roll-neck to last a lifetime is on your wish list, see &Daughter, where the options are plentiful, along with fellow Brit brand 1205.

Just be sure to bag a seat close to the door when you give yours its night-time debut: after all, the best kind of roll-necks are hot in more ways than one.

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in