Janet, I know how you feel. It has taken me years of trying to get some itchy sweaters to work, adding a turtleneck, a scarf to keep it from touching my neck, or both before rejecting any sweater that has mohair in it. Love the look, but not the itch.

Joy, I itch just thinking about mohair! *shudder* I had a sweater of it in the 80s — wore it once and got rid of it.

I wear a thin cotton liner turtleneck under my regular turtlenecks and that takes care of the itchiness problem for me. It also extends the life of turtlenecks because they need less laundering. Last year I got some good thin cotton lining turtlenecks from J Crew.

You have my sympathy, I also claw off real turtlenecks. I hate having something tight around my neck or on my head. I have learned to look for mock necks, which are almost as warm and much more comfortable to wear. On sweater sources, Saks house brand has some modern patterns and I find the quality acceptable. To calibrate to see if we are on the same page, I hate the quality of the Nordstrom house brands, of Ann Taylor and of Talbots.

Cat2, I’ll look at Saks — can’t say I’ve ever really investigated their knits although I probably saw some at the nearby Off Fifth outlet shop at some point or another. I’m not even sure if that store is still open! I have no experience with Ann Taylor or Talbots knits. I do have a very lightweight Halogen sweater (the black and white stripe in my photos up thread), and I wouldn’t say it’s top quality but it’s held up fine for a few years. I find Boden and Rag & Bone knits to be of really good quality. Lord & Taylor used to have some decent house brand merino sweaters but they were super basic and solid colors and I’m set for that kind of thing.

Send all unloved turtlenecks my way! I love a good turtleneck and sometimes wear mine unrolled so that it comes right under my chin. I especially like one if I’m going for a long walk on a snowy day, or if I’ll be in a cold venue. I want to add sleeveless turtlenecks to my summer wardrobe. It’s a good look for me, but a hard to find item. Like you, I’ll use a scarf to fill in an open neck if I’m going out, but it doesn’t work so well if I’m busy around the house. A flannel shirt with the collar popped keeps the back of my neck warm on cold days.

This year I’ve sworn off crew neck t-shirts and sweaters - and It’s team v-neck for me!

Carla, I confess I have never been able to get behind sleeveless turtlenecks! LOL I can see how they look fantastic on someone with great arms and a small chest, but that person is definitely not me. One time my husband gave me a beautiful chunky knit cream sleeveless turtleneck that a SA in a nice boutique recommended. It was gorgeous but didn’t suit me, or our climate! If it’s warm enough for sleeveless, it’s way too warm for anything around my neck.

I did used to wear turtlenecks unfolded so they came high up under my chin, but that was a long time ago when I was younger and skinnier and ran colder! But even then, 20 lbs smaller than I am now, I had big boobs and it was probably not my best look. I’m learning! LOL

I prefer scarves too, because I find them easier to manipulate (I'll wrap them around me during a Zoom call for overall warmth, or tie them around my neck if just my core needs warming up).

I honestly don't wear turtleneck jumpers as much here as I did back home, but I tend to stick to cotton or viscose/ rayon ones when I do due to comfort levels, so that's possibly something to consider.

Another alternative may be to layer a turtleneck dickie in a relatively neutral colour under a printed V neck (or just generally lower neckline) jumper instead - I imagine it would then be easier to slip the dickie off if it got too hot, rather than the whole jumper.

This thread has turned out to be sweater eye candy. Love the look of the Zebra BR one for example. Anyway, I hear you and everyone about skin sensitivities that have developed out of nowhere. Well somewhere, namely hormonal changes I suppose. Hope to see some modeling!

Indeed - sweater eye candy like @shevia said.
I really like Ted Baker sweater that you mentioned - nice color/print that won't get tiresome. Following this discussion with interest,

I love turtlenecks but you should definitely stick to things that feel better on your bod. As you say, you have enough variety in your closet, no worries about letting go of things that don’t work!

Right now I am driven to distraction by my two “boiler suits”. I love how they look but they are so fussy . Ironic because they LOOK easy!

My DSIL, who is big busted and short , hates turtlenecks, especially those with a ribbed texture. She likes a V neck top and says turtlenecks make her boobs look bigger. That is probably why I like them. My little cupcakes do not pull ribbing apart, stretching it. Having a rather skinny neck helps too. Janet I know Mohair was a style in the 50’s and early 60’s. I can’t imagine how it got so popular unless it was part of the “$weater girl” look.

Janet if t-neck sweaters don't work for you, just stay away from them, although that purple striped sweater is lovely and consistent with your style. It is so annoying when you want something that should be easy to find, but it is not!

The one wardrobe item I lemmings others in buying and then feel all sorts of wrong in is cardigans. I see others looking very cool and tom-boy nonchalant in oversized cardigans. On me they just feel wrong and do me no favours, highlighting my hips and giving me a shape like a potato. Cropped, fitted cardigans look 1950's retro on me, too much like a costume. I have two long cardigans which are OK and have resolved to stick with those or my many jackets and blazers. Do shops have magic slimming mirrors? When I buy a cardigan I am always hopeful to have found "the one that works" only to get home and be disappointed!

I bought several solid color french connection turtle necks a few years back and wore them a lot. Oh do they bother me now though. I have one thoroughly stretched out tneck I wish I could have duplicated, soft, didn’t cling, great for layering. I’ve been on lookout - and I guess have purchased - looser neck t necks, if that makes sense. I totally agree they’re bothersome as a rule, unless looser. As for patterned sweaters I’ve been eying this from the Sundance catalogue and also the lovely little cashmere neckerchief. I have almost no patterned sweaters, some color block but mostly solid neutrals, and a lot of black and grey. But this below? Love!

https://www.sundancecatalog.co.....lsrc=aw.ds

I can't remember the last time I even tried on a turtleneck. This one Cuddleduds top I got for sleeping has a high but not quite turtle, and it feels tight. Hope I get used to it :/
Off scarves too though. I have lots of nice ones, but hate the way they feel on my neck now.

It is a fatal flaw of some turtlenecks. I wore cotton ones comfortably when I was younger but more recently tried some Uniqlo merino ones. They are totally fine until my body temperature increases (due to a brisk walk or maybe being in a store in my winter coat), then the neck will get itchy. Even in the coldest weather I generally much prefer dressing in top layers or scarves I can take off, rather than adding underlayers, and this is similar.

I love a tall fitted turtleneck on my giraffe neck, as long as it doesn’t have a hint of wool or anything else that might make me itch. Good luck on your hunt, Janet.

It’s reassuring to know I’m not alone!

I think I can justify one new sweater for this season, just to give my winter tops a bit of a lift. Do I *need* one? No, in terms of numbers I have enough to wear. But I’m obviously craving a little something new, as you can see between my investigating colored puffers and this thread! I’m in a bit of a gloomy mood at the moment, which can spark a desire to shop, a desire for something new.

How about trying this sucker on for size !?

LOL Cee! Now there’s some attire for social distancing.

No more T-necks for you, young lady!

Wear What Works (WWW)

T-necks and mock T-necks are one of my best necklines due to VERY long neck. I find them very comfy as long as they aren't itchy. I will leave the V-necks to you!

It's the jumper Anna Faris wore in Scary Movie 4

It was in a joke scene where it increasingly got bigger and was overwhelming her, but was cut from the movie for being too silly, but she wore it well !

One place I worked at the workplace sweater was slightly itchy on my arms so I'd wear either a long sleeve oxford shirt or a long sleeve skivvy underneath.

Janet, I love your Argyle collection, and I'm with you on turtlenecks, they make me feel a bit claustrophobic:).

Susan, it's hard to imagine anything making you look like a potato :)!

Years ago I used to try to make all sorts of too-narrow footwear work for me; I'm kinder to my feet these days.

When I worked at a desk all day, I lived in turtlenecks. Now I have a zillion that have no office to go to, but I feel reluctant to give them up. This is my problem.

Rachylou, I’m getting better at letting go of things if I can’t imagine a scenario or outfit for which I’d wear them. But i hear you! I keep too much too.

Angie, I’m not going to say never to turtlenecks — I will keep a thin tissue weight layering one for really cold days, and I have a black loose mock neck that comes up a little higher than some mock necks (I don’t like mock necks that are neither here nor there), but sits away from the neck so doesn’t construct or itch. We’ll see if I reach for it this winter. If air can get into it, and it’s not an itchy fabrication, it’s probably ok.

Suntiger, I can only imagine sleeping in a turtleneck if I’m camping and it’s freezing, but even then I’d probably be too warm! I hope that works out for you — I can’t sleep in anything snug or constructing, I size up in pajamas sometimes to make sure they’re nice and loose and airy!

Joyce, I think that’s how I wore the offending sweater in the past —layering the thin turtleneck under the itchy one. But I’m not sure I’m running cold enough for both of those layers these days. Maybe if our winter turns bitter, I’ll get it out of the holding zone/donate box and layer up!

I never wear turtlenecks, but I'm not drawn to them either so I guess it's not a problem! It's a little bit the itch factor but mostly I look and feel bad in them...broad shoulders, semi-busty, nope nope nope. I don't really like crew necks either unless it's winter and I can add a scarf to break up that line.