A style that goes back a century, lived through significant social events, is profound, and how! Even today, the turtleneck style stands for comfort, strength, and resilience, quite like its eponymous animal.
Call it a polo neck, roll-neck, turtleneck, or skivvy, this close-fitting collar, fold-over collar style that covers the neck has quite an illustrious story around it and we often use it as an adjective as well.
History of the turtleneck style
The basic idea of keeping the neckline covered with the collar dates back to the 16th century, where knights in medieval Europe would wear clothes with such collar underneath the chainmail to protect the skin from abrasions.
The utility factor of turtle necks stayed for almost a few centuries, where athletes, fishermen, navy men, and factory workers used the same rationale. Simply put, it was a clothing norm, meant mostly for men, but only for its functionality – warmth, and protection.
Fashion columnist Mary Marshall wrote –
“There has always been a certain air of toughness about the turtleneck when worn by women”.
Then in the 1900s, girls and women started appearing in sports and social settings donning this age-old neckline. By the 60s, turtlenecks started becoming synonymous with civil rights activism and the feminist movement. It became a symbolism of resistance, rebellion, strength, and modesty.
Iconic social personalities like Kathleen Cleaver, Elaine Brown, Angela Davis, Gloria Steinem, and Dorothy Pittman-Hughes, have sported turtlenecks in their hay days of activism, fists raised in support of their causes.
Significance of the turtleneck style
These social circumstances around the turtle neck created a strong visual imprint that would come to be associated with this fashion concept.When it comes to a style statement, it is its journey that makes us adopt it.
Inspired by the history of turtlenecks, we look at the key characteristics of this concept – it’s highly functional, gives subtle confidence, is progressive, makes you look powerful, and brings out flair. And then, we marry the idea with the elegance and sophistication of dresses, blouses, or the coolness of a t-shirt.
By integrating qualities like strength, positivity, meaningfulness, encouragement, and confidence, all in one, turtleneck brings about a holistic styling idea that is also subliminally empowering.
