Turtleneck Season

Dressing for rebellion

Though I didn’t know it when I hit publish, I now understand that launching Hot Flash the day after the election was an impulsive act of rebellion (we will charge on, joy is resistance, community is the lifeline). For what it’s worth, over the last few years, I’ve intentionally shifted from talking about politics online to engaging in political action IRL. As such, political talk will probably not come up much in this space. That said, it’s worth mentioning that I consider myself a political person who makes no qualms about my beliefs and refuses to hide my ideologies. It’s probably best to know that now, early on, so I don’t frustrate you if and when politics come up. They will.

But I digress…

I started planning my first few posts before the election and knew that I wanted my second post to be about turtlenecks. Well, it turns out that was quite serendipitous: the turtleneck has a bit of a radical political history that I find delightfully apropos.

It’s true that there was a period of time — maybe a time that you remember and are holding onto — when the turtleneck felt more modest schoolmarm than chic revolutionary, but those days are far fewer and, dare I say, over.

Turtlenecks are timeless classics that, depending on the material, can be worn three of the four seasons, on their own or layered. They are multipurpose foundational pieces and, if you ask me, you should own one (or two).

I put together a list of fantastic fitted turtlenecks at a range of price points that are a great place to start. I’d get one in black and/or white. Grey and cream are also great choices. I threw in a fun floral, too, which will look just as stylish as a sleek black turtleneck tucked into a cute pair of jeans, but with a bit more whimsy. (And if you love being playful with patterns, it’ll look great layered under another pattern.)

Hands down, my favorites are the ribbed turtlenecks by Favorite Daughter (you see me wearing my black and white ones here). I cannot overstate how soft and comfortable these are. So much so that I ended up buying the ribbed long sleeve (in black, though it also comes in white) and am eyeing the henley version too.

Check out all the turtlenecks and suit up, mamas. Revolutionary chic looks good on us.