After nearly four years of knowing fashion writer Emilia Petrarca, three things immediately come to mind: her big dark curls, her relatable and witty Twitter account, and last but not least, her devout love of turtlenecks: “My dad was always in a turtleneck; my parents dressed me in turtlenecks; I grew up in New York City, the black turtleneck capital of the world,” says Petrarca. If you know her, you’ll also know that the wardrobe staple is basically her style trademark–from utilitarian performance zips, to trendy sheer second skin tops and luxurious knit sweaters, Emilia is an equal opportunity turtleneck collector. At this point, you could call it a lifestyle. “Turtlenecks make me feel secure — physically, emotionally, mentally. I’ve even started wearing them to bed. (This year was rough, okay!) Who doesn’t love a turtleneck? We all know they make you look smart. (Sometimes deceptively so…) We all know the Rock wore one with a silver chain and that Drake likes to dance in them, and that both of these men are kinda corny. But at this point, I simply cannot imagine wearing something else in the winter months.” Because my closet could never not use an added turtleneck to the roster (it’s been an unseasonably chilly week here on the west coast!), I turned to the queen of turtlenecks herself for her seasonal recommendations. She sent me a list of her favorite “turts”–as she calls them–detailing what makes each worthy of a buy. You should already know that I can’t keep a good recommendation to myself, so I’m sharing the list of Emilia-endorsed turts to get you correct into the season ahead. Keep scrolling below to see them all.
“Let’s start with the basics. I have about five of these and wear them with pretty much every outfit. They’re super thin and soft and are great for wearing underneath sweaters and button-up shirts. They keep me warm, but they’re also almost like a safety blanket at this point; I feel naked without my Heattech!”– Emilia
“Norma Kamali has been doing her thing since the ‘80s, but her stretchy, comfortable, cozy clothes have had (another) Renaissance during the pandemic. This turtle-jumpsuit looks like a second skin.”
“If I’m being honest, most days I’m wearing my black Uniqlo Heattech underneath my black Uniqlo cashmere. Yes, I’m double turting. I’m double masking with a black surgical mask underneath a black KN95. It’s extra but, whatever. Stay safe!”
“Here’s what I call a first date turtleneck. I think the key to a good first date turtleneck is that it’s sheer, but not too sheer. This Helmut Lang top is extra sexy because, well, velvet!”
“All I want in life is a black turtleneck by the Row. I can’t believe how good of a deal this is… I might have to buy it for myself.”
“Black turtlenecks get all the credit, but as Laia Garcia wrote in her ode to white turtlenecks, loving them too much is boring, even cliché. Let a white turt into your life.”
“As a New Yorker, this feels very LA to me, but I’ll allow it.”
“Thankfully, every year brings new and exciting turtlenecks for me to lust after. So I can say with complete certainty that I will never, ever get bored of them.”
“For sweaters, Babaà has the coziest jumpers that are all made locally with natural materials. I love how high the neck is on this one and its oversized shape. I think it looks so cool on the model with baggy blue jeans.”
“Before we move on to the more eccentric turtlenecks, I have to devote a section to turts that you can wear as you sip hot toddies in the freezing cold. It doesn’t get any better than Arc’teryx. Their base layers kept me warm on a snowy winter hike this month, and I’ve been on the hunt for secondhand colorways ever since.”
“For your weekend chopping wood upstate.”
“Ok! Now for the fun stuff. Variety is the spice of life, no? My roommate said that recently — and she also bought this Eckhaus Latta Baby Turtleneck, which looks so cute on her.”
“Lauren Manoogian’s knits are like wearable clouds.”
“It’s technically a collar, but I see it almost like a detachable turtleneck. Never be without a high-neck, no matter what you’re wearing.”
“I love the preppy vibes that this Telfar turt is giving.”
“Guaranteed to make your Zoom meetings more interesting.”
“My dream is to wear this with platform Molly Goddard Uggs.”
“Well obviously, Prada is amazing. Start a RealReal feed!”
