New Year, New Blog Entry; or, How to Wear a BTS (Black Turtleneck Sweater)

Ah, a new year is upon us, and 14 days in I decide to write a blog post. :) Happy new year! Classes resume next week, and I have been slacking off. I have been wearing sweatpants, sweatshirts, PJs, slippers, and such lately. Last week I did set foot on campus after my hiatus, and because I went to a meeting I decided NOT to don the sweatshirt/jean combo I pulled out of the drawer. I thought that I had better start transitioning into "professorial" attire, but I didn't feel like going all the way. Hence, I wore a black ribbed cotton turtleneck sweater and jeans.

Just as everyone should own a LBD (little black dress), everyone in climes of cold should own a black turtleneck sweater (which I will now call the BTS). Notice that I didn't stop at turtleneck. Um, no. You have to pick your turtlenecks wisely. Avoid the jersey knit or a thin stretch cotton shirt. Those are really meant to be worn under sweaters (and they haven't been popular since the 70s?). If you want to wear a turtleneck properly, pick a cool one. Pick one that has a kind of materiality that makes it interesting. Hence, go for a ribbed one, or one with a kind of knit that is visually striking.

You should also think of the BTS as a blank slate, a canvas needing some paint. You can go simple and pair the BTS with a simple silver necklace, or you can find something wide or long and let that piece do the talking. The image above shows a necklace my dad brought back from China on one of his business trips. What I like most about this combo is that the black rope that holds the pendant part together makes this necklace look like it's hovering on the top. It's kind of cool that way. If you have a colorful pendant affixed to a black rope or a black leather necklace, that might be your best bet for adding some fun to the BTS, which worn alone can be too reminiscent of emo, goth, 60s artist, 70s mom, hairdresser, wait-staff, etc. You might also choose a colorful scarf. I will talk about that in a future post!

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OK....one blog post into the new year. Look for more next week!