Every November I drag the turtlenecks out of the bin under my bed, and every November I remember why I love them.
A turtleneck makes the whole neckline decision for you.
No necklace to pick, no bra strap to hide, no cold draft down your collar while you wait outside.
The catch is that a turtleneck can look really sharp or kind of like you’re about to give a tour of a museum.
The difference is mostly fit, plus what you put over it and under it.
So here are the turtleneck outfits I’ll actually wear for the next 5 months, and the getting-ready tricks I wish somebody had told me years ago.
Turtleneck, Mock Neck or Funnel Neck?
Quick sort first, because shops use these names loosely.
A true turtleneck has a tall collar that folds down over itself.
A mock neck is shorter and doesn’t fold, it just stands up a little.
A funnel neck stands away from your neck instead of hugging it, kind of like a soft tube.
Which one’s right depends on your day more than your neck.
A full turtleneck is the warmest, and it looks the most finished under a coat.
A mock neck is easier under a blazer and plays nicer with a necklace.
The funnel neck is the comfy pick if anything snug at your throat drives you up the wall, which, honestly, is a lot of people.
My fitting room test: fold the collar down, then turn your head all the way left and right in the mirror.
If the fold rides up and bunches under your chin, or you feel it tugging, it’s going to bug you by lunch.
Put it back.
Fabric matters as much as the collar.
A fine merino or a smooth cotton knit is the one that slides under a blazer or a dress without adding bulk.
A chunky cable knit is the one you wear on its own, or under a coat that has room for it.
If I could only own two, I’d pick a thin black one and a chunky cream one, and I’d be set for the whole winter.
A Black Turtleneck and Straight Jeans
This is the outfit I reach for when I can’t decide, and the one I’d tell anybody to start with.
A fitted black turtleneck, straight-leg jeans, boots or loafers.
Tuck about 2 inches of the front in so your waist shows.
It works because the top is plain and dark, so whatever you add gets noticed: a camel coat, a red lip, big gold hoops.
I wore a version of this to my cousin’s gallery opening, swapped the loafers for heels, and nobody could tell I’d planned it in about 4 minutes.
Not a fan of black right up against your face?
Try cream, chocolate brown or charcoal.
They all do the same job, just softer.
A brown turtleneck with light-wash jeans is honestly one of my favorite combos, and a cream one with mid-blue jeans looks fresh even in February.
Watch the fabric, though.
A thin, smooth knit looks polished.
A fuzzy one that’s starting to pill looks tired fast, especially in the photos.
The pilling fix is down in the care part.
Under a Blazer for the Office
A fine-knit turtleneck under a blazer is the easiest “I have my life together” outfit I know.
It’s warmer than a shirt, there are no buttons gaping open at your chest, and you don’t have to iron a thing.
Keep the turtleneck thin so the blazer’s shoulders still sit right.
Cream under navy, black under camel or gray under black all look grown-up.
A double-breasted blazer and a turtleneck are especially good together, since the knit fills that deep V. I went through more of those pairings in my double-breasted blazer outfits.
For a casual Friday, swap the trousers for dark jeans and keep everything else.
Same outfit, half the effort.
Layered Under a Slip Dress
Here’s how a summer dress makes it to December.
Pull a thin turtleneck on under a satin slip dress, add tights and boots, and suddenly it’s a winter outfit.
Black under black is the safe bet.
A cream or chocolate turtleneck under a black slip dress looks a little more interesting.
Use the slimmest turtleneck you own for this one.
Any bulk under a slinky dress shows every ridge and seam.
If you like the trick, there are more ways to wear one in my slip dress outfits.
Rather skip the layering?
A sweater dress with a turtleneck collar does the same job in one piece.
With a Midi Skirt and Tall Boots
A turtleneck tucked into a midi skirt, with tall boots that meet the hem, is my favorite cold-weather date outfit.
You’re covered from chin to toe, and it still looks soft and pretty.
Pleated, satin, wool or knit skirts all work.
The tuck is the tricky part.
A bulky knit tucked into a skirt makes a ring of lumps at your waist.
So either go thin and tuck it all the way, or leave a chunky one out and let it end at the top of your hips.
A belt over the tuck hides a lot.
Boots that reach the hem, or disappear under it, keep the whole line long.
Even 2 inches of bare leg in January just looks cold, even when you’re not.
A Cream Turtleneck With Wide Leg Trousers
Cream on cream, or cream with camel, gray or chocolate, is the outfit that makes people ask where you shop.
A ribbed cream turtleneck tucked into high-waisted wide leg trousers looks expensive even when neither piece was.
Hem length makes or breaks wide leg pants.
I like mine about 1/2 inch off the floor in the shoes I’ll actually wear, so I try them on with those shoes.
I wrote a whole guide on wide leg trouser outfits and the hem each one needs, and it applies here too.
Fair warning: cream shows makeup.
More on that in a second.
Under a Long Coat When It’s Really Cold
On the days when it’s freezing, a chunky turtleneck under a long wool coat replaces the scarf.
Your neck stays covered, nothing unwinds in the wind, and you don’t end up with a giant knot of fabric under your chin.
Go for contrast so the turtleneck shows at the coat’s collar: a black coat with a cream turtleneck, or camel over black.
Leave the coat open when you’re walking from the car and it reads as an outfit instead of a pile of layers.
Down at your feet, go a little chunky to balance the long coat.
Lug-sole boots or thick loafers with socks peeking out look right.
Delicate flats under a big coat can look like you borrowed somebody else’s top half.
Jewelry, Hair and Makeup With a High Neckline
A turtleneck changes your getting-ready routine a little, and nobody warns you.
Foundation on the collar is the big one.
These days I pull the turtleneck on before I do my face, or I hold a thin scarf over my face while it goes over my head.
Ask me how many cream collars I’ve ruined.
Actually, don’t.
Skip the short necklace, since it just disappears into the fold.
Earrings do the work instead, hoops or drops, or a long pendant that hangs over the knit.
A watch or a few bracelets peeking out of the cuff look great too.
And I do check my nails, because your hands are basically the only skin showing.
A chipped top coat gets noticed.
Hair down can bunch up against a high collar and get staticky.
A low bun or a sleek ponytail shows off the neckline instead.
Four bobby pins and 2 minutes at the bathroom mirror, done.
My one real habit with turtlenecks: I lay the outfit out the night before and try the hair with it.
A collar can make a hairstyle that works with a crew neck look totally wrong, and 7 am is a bad time to find out.
It also saves me a good 10 minutes in the morning.
Keeping Knit Turtlenecks Nice
Turtlenecks get worn hard, right up against your skin and your makeup, so a little care goes a long way.
Always check the care label first.
Cotton and synthetic knits have their own rules, and some wool can go in the machine.
The label wins.
For a wool sweater you wash by hand, The Woolmark Company’s steps are simple.
Soak it in a wool detergent for 10 minutes, rinse in lukewarm water, then rinse again in cold.
Dry knits flat, in the shade, never on a hanger.
Store them folded, too.
Woolmark says folding instead of hanging helps knits keep their shape, and I’ve got the hanger bumps on an old sweater to prove it.
Pilling shows up wherever there’s rubbing: under the arms, under a bag strap, against a desk.
Woolmark suggests turning wool inside out before washing to help prevent it, and says a small fabric shaver is cheap and very effective at removing the pills.
Mine cost about $15 and saved the black turtleneck I’ve had for 6 years.
And I don’t wash mine after every wear (who has the time?).
I air it out over the back of a chair overnight and spot-clean the inside of the collar, since that’s where makeup and skin oil build up.
Then it goes back in the drawer, folded.
If you only buy one turtleneck this year, make it a thin black one that passes the head-turn test.
Every outfit above starts with it.
