Cotton Turtleneck Sweaters – Five Plus One

Five Plus One is our weekly series of buyer’s guides. We pick a specific category and dig up five great options along with one that’s a little outside the norm.


I love a thick, chunky wool sweater as much as the next person, but they’re just too warm to wear on anything but the coldest days. As such, it’s nice to have a wide array of cotton sweaters, which can be worn, and even layered with, much more often. Today, we’re specifically looking at turtlenecks (a personal favorite) as they’re easy to dress up or down and can add a bit of flair to an otherwise simplistic outfit.

1) J. Crew: 1988 Rollneck Sweater

Cotton-Turtleneck-Sweaters---Five-Plus-One 1) J. Crew: 1988 Rollneck Sweater

J. Crew makes handfuls of interesting pieces, but their 1988 Rollneck Sweater is especially compelling as it’s a recreation of an older pattern from their archive. It’s made from heavy-duty knitted cotton with texturally contrasting cuffs and a rollneck-style turtleneck which features the same knitting pattern as the body. It comes in a wide range of colors as well as a price point that makes it easier to swallow, especially if you end up falling in love and want a few more colors.

Available for $88 from J. Crew in Burgundy, Heather Natural, Pine Forest, and Navy.

2) Merz b. Schwanen: 219 Turtleneck

Cotton-Turtleneck-Sweaters---Five-Plus-One-2) Merz-b.-Schwanen-219-Turtleneck

Merz b. Schwanen is probably best known for their loopwheel sweatshirts and wool sweaters, but their cotton 219 Turtleneck is arguably an even more compelling garment, especially considering the low price point. It’s available in two different colors, both of which are constructed in Germany using fabric made from organic cotton. The texture on this sweater is a bit finer than that on many of the other sweaters on this list, but it certainly matches the understated design of this piece perfectly.

Available for $103 from Cultizm in Deep Black and Ink Blue.

3) L.L. Bean: Interlock Turtleneck

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L.L. Bean’s Interlock Turtleneck might be a bit too thin to technically be a sweater, but given their slightly oversized fits and thick fabrics, it’ll at the very least a great layering option for the fall and winter. It’s made from 100% cotton, like all the sweaters on this list, and features the same knit for the body, neck, and cuffs, although the cuffs are a bit tapered to keep in the warmth. They’re available in a wide range of colors and are quite inexpensive, so once you find the right size don’t be surprised if you soon find your drawers overstuffed with these turtlenecks.

Available for $23 from L.L. Bean.

4) Sandro: Striped Cotton Rollneck Sweater

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Cotton turtlenecks are often pretty understated in terms of color and pattern, so it’s great to see Sandro breaking the mold with their Striped Cotton Rollneck. This sweater seems to feature two different fabrics: one for the body and a second for the neck, hem, and cuffs. But the fabric simply uses a ribbed knit for the trimming, giving the sweater an almost dizzying appearance. It’s certainly a bit divisive, but I can’t help but feel it would be a fun piece to bring out every once in a while.

Available for $280 from Mr. Porter.

5) Blurhms: Wide-Wale Ribbed Turtleneck

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Blurhms has only been around for a few years and has quickly become one of my favorite new brands, along with many others. Their unique styling is certainly noticeable in their Wide-Wale Ribbed Turtleneck, which results in a sweater that is incredibly unique without being garish and difficult to wear. It features a vertically-oriented wide-wale jersey knit body with a finer wale for the turtleneck and trimming, which adds some interesting textural contrast. Each piece is made of 100% cotton in Japan to ensure great construction quality and longevity.

Available for $255 from No Man Walks Alone in Black and Brown.

Plus One – Maison Margiela: 14 Classic Elbow Patch Roll Neck

Cotton-Turtleneck-Sweaters---Five-Plus-One-Plus-One---Maison-Margiela-14-Classic-Elbow-Patch-Roll-Neck

Maison Margiela’s pieces are often a bit too overly stylized for the workwear-style clothing we usually feature at Heddels, but some of their designs, such as their German Army Trainers and this 14 Classic Elbow Patch Roll Neck, are simple, elegant, and perfect for almost every wardrobe. The latter features a beautiful, fine charcoal colored cotton fabric with a lightly contrasting stretchy fabric at the cuffs, hem, and turtleneck. What sets it apart from the rest of these sweaters are the lambskin elbow patches, which feature an extra fun concentric oval stitching pattern to secure them to the arms.

Available for $405 from End.