Having scrimped and saved for so long, working every bit of overtime going, staying in at night and generally practising self denial, it looks like I am finally in a position to contemplate the purchase of a heavy knit shawl neck cardigan, something I have wanted since I was a little boy but my parents could never afford it. They were just poor dirt farmers.
The question is do I go for ribbed or cable knit?
I vote cable knit.
And I suppose you lived in a Farmhouse? You were lucky to have a HOUSE! We used to live in one room, all hundred and twenty-six of us, no furniture. Half the floor was missing; we were all huddled together in one corner for fear of FALLING!
I say keep saving and in a few decades you can buy some JS Tweed.
I bought all of the XXLs
http://www.e-outdoor.co.uk/441024/products/barbour_clifton_chunky_mens_cardigan.aspx
Careful of that Barbour... I've got the same model and it feels cheaply made. The buttons don't stay buttoned because the holes need to be restitched (they get loose and pop out) and the wool pills and starts looking ratty after several months. Not slumpy and worn in a good way, but feeling rather poor quality. Wait to see what Orvis offers in their winter catalogue.
Good call Oliver.
Maybe this one?
http://www.orvis.co.uk/store/product.aspx?pf_id=57RE
My lunchtime constitutional today took me to Brooks Brothers Woof...they've a navy and maroon one but £419 ( I think) on the tag didn't make me look any further...
I tried one on in Orvis a few years ago and the "medium" was swimming on me...v odd sizing....
Just had a quick look at Berk in Burlington Arcade...they do some cashmere ones (dear obviously).. and a nice bit of camel hair...
I got an "el cheapo" St Michael a few years back... may be worth checking if you don't wanna spend heavy...
Smedley doing some at the mo too...
Orvis runs huge for sure. The Lovat model looks good to me and much better than the Barbour... they had a burgundy last season with the hidden button detail on the shawl that was based on a '60s model that looked lthe biz. I've got a chunky ass one from Black Sheep in the UK as well, without the hidden button loop. It's heavy duty, I can wear it as a jacket on it's own.
Last edited by Oliver (2013-10-17 16:47:47)
Last edited by the_slacker (2013-10-18 01:00:11)
I went down the ribbed road and bought a dark grey Black Sheep shawl collar cardie. I like it - for me, the fit is neither too roomy nor too slim (mine looks a bit slimmer than that on their website) and it has the button stance I was looking for which means that the collar is not too low. I like the proportions, the only bit I was partial to in the beginning was the fact that it has raglan sleeves.
AFAIK, this kind of knit requires these sleeves, so what the heck.
The only thing which has to be considered is that they call it "jacket" for a reason. Unless you don't dwell in some kind of drafty castle or 14th cnetury cottage, it is way too heavy to be worn indoors.
http://www.blacksheep.ltd.uk/jacket.html
You did look good in it too.
Last edited by Kingston1an (2013-10-18 07:55:55)
Here's an old ILFT photo of the Barbour cardi when it was new and fresh, before the button holes turned into canyons and it began to look like a sloppy mess:
http://img838.imageshack.us/img838/1391/47475360.jpg
Last edited by Oliver (2013-10-18 09:22:50)