I noted last week in my fashion roundup that there are a lot of new roll neck and funnel neck tops coming on to the market right now from a variety of designers. For the last few years people have been releasing these in the Autumn/Winter collections but they never really gathered steam and became a true trend for men – especially for the younger generations. When I was younger they actually were very popular each and every year and I remember people wearing them to school everyday. Last year I actually tried to get on board and help kick start the trend back into popularity and even picked up a great merino wool version from All Saints. It never did take up though and I couldn’t really seem to get it to work with the trends that were popular last year.
This year though, there are a lot of trends that will work with this item such as the whole country/brogues look, macs becoming really popular again (check out the look book) and you can even pull off a military vibe with the right surrounding jackets and footwear. The roll neck typically has a very formal and maybe even edging on “stuffy” stigma associated with it. This is true if you have a simple plain roll neck from Marks & Spencers or the like and it can make you look very “old” if you do not wear one correctly.
The way to rock it is by pairing the roll neck with the right surrounding items. You can dress it up with skinny jeans or even skinny razor trousers which have much more of a younger fashion forward edge to them. You can also layer the roll neck easily by mixing it underneath a great military jacket, hoody, leather jacket or mac in order to direct your whole look the way you want it. Do not be afraid to mix thin lightweight versions underneath on trend items like check shirts, over shirts and the like. A black colour roll neck would look great underneath a bold statement shirt in a red/blue/yellow check that would contrast but also provide creative layering.
The other way of rocking this item but with a twist is to pick up a funnel neck version. All Saints are leading the way with roll necks that instead use more of a loose “funnel” at the top or even snoods as we showed last week. This brings the item bang up to date and provides variety to a very traditional item – it is also slightly edgier and doesn’t have such a formal approach when compared to a roll neck.
So what do you guys think? I personally like the item but maybe that is me clamouring for something different to add to my looks this year – and me wanting to get use out of the one I bought last year! I truly believe that matching any item with the right surrounding pieces can make it work, and I love the thought of using it more of a creative layering item that is matched with statement jackets or shirts this year. We showed how to use it successfully in an eccentric fashion forward look last week, and there are plenty more options like that to consider.
For now though let’s take a look at what is on the market right now.
Below shows that you do not have to go down the traditional roll neck route if you want something a little more up to date. There are some half zip knitwear and cardigans which have high necks in the style of the roll/funnel. Choose lightweight versions in merino wool or jersey material for layering with shirts and other knits and thicker versions for using on their own or matched with a jacket in the winter.