A passing reference to turtleneck sweaters in this blog post by William M. Briggs has me thinking about this sartorial feature.
I've never warn a turtleneck myself, to my recollection. But I've always been intrigued by them. They seem to signify something, but what is it?
(They were generally called polo-necks in my childhood, but turtleneck seems to be the favoured term today.)
Briggs mentions them in the context of the 1970s, with particular reference to Leonard Nimoy in the 1978 film Invasion of the Body Snatchers. He also wore them frequently on In Search Of..., an unsolved mystery show he presented. (It's gloriously corny, and available on YouTube.)
Another famous turtleneck-wearer from this time is Carl Sagan, popularizer of science and presenter of the TV series Cosmos, in which he spread the lie that the Great Library of Alexandria had been destroyed by Christians.
Our third fan of the turtleneck is Michel Foucault, superstar of Francophony philosophy and purveyor of various weird and out-there theories, particularly the idea that Everything Boils Down to Power (perennially popular with the left, and some on the right).
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We all know about Steve Jobs, although to be honest his turtleneck is kind of minimal.
Then there is John Shaft, that bad mother-- (shut your mouth!), and the protagonist of one of my favourite films.
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Admittedly, I have no ladies in the above gallery. They've become more a male accessory in recent decades, but they were also popular with the ladies in the seventies. (Come to think of it, I have heard many complimentary references to female necks-- white, swan-like, etc.-- but never such a reference to a male neck, which might have a bearing on this.)
Some years ago, I became friends with an elderly gent who habitually wore a turtleneck. He's since passed away, God bless his soul. He was a cantankerous dude, but an entertaining raconteur and self-mythologizer. His turtleneck seemed a part of his persona.
Perhaps it's significant that turtlenecks have never become common, per se. Even at their height they were a minority choice, or so it seems to me.
So, what does a turtleneck signify?
Well, more than anything, I associate it with big and mind-bending ideas. If you have big and mind-bending ideas, you might wear a turtleneck. Why, I don't know. Perhaps because it's unconventional.
What do you think a turtleneck signifies?
Leaving aside US abuses of language (!) - in my childhood a polo-neck was a rolled-over neck, while a turtle-neck was a double-thickness of cloth sewn into position: i.e in the pictures above Steve Jobs was wearing a turtleneck (and maybe Shaft) while the three above Jobs are polo-necks.
ReplyDeleteI remember this because my Mum and Grandmother used to knit pullovers for me, and would sometimes ask which I would prefer
The choice arose when a v-neck was Not required, necessary to show-off a tie.
IMO the significance of polo and turtle neck was related to these types of pullover, sweater being worn without a tie; and it was the absence of tie that was the point of all the examples you gave.
Not to wear a tie in a situation where a tie had previously been required (or, at least, expected) was an intentional sign of "independence of mind", some degree of affiliation to the counter-culture.
Yet, at the same time, polo/turtle was a badge of membership of an "alternative" sector of the Establishment, in a way that simply leaving-off the tie, and having an open-necked shirt was not an Establishment thing (too working class, merely uncouth).
Of course Jobs was a throwback in this respect, an ironic "retro" gesture - because the tie dress code was long dead before Jobs came along.
I had never heard of that distinction between a polo-beck and a turtleneck! Thank you! You learn something new every day, or in my case-- every second day.
DeleteAlso, your explanation of preference for these sweaters is very convincing, and I'm a bit disappointed it didn't even occur to me. A counter-culture within a counter-culture...I like that idea.
I always wonder at what point these iconoclastic tech companies such as Apple start expecting their employees will wear shirts and ties.
no special significance to me other than my neck is sensitive to lower temperatures and it helps me avoid colds. wearing a tie also works, but if i have to go to the grocery store, it doesn't really make sense to wear one.
ReplyDeleteLaeth
The significance is obviously subliminal in your case! I refuse to accept a utilitarian explanation for anything!
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