# Zip-neck sweaters, yea or nay?



## Himself (Mar 2, 2011)

I've been wearing them a lot, and finding nice knits and colors while the crewneck selections are so blah (or ungodly expensive).

What say you tradly gents?


----------



## Youthful Repp-robate (Sep 26, 2011)

Himself said:


> I've been wearing them a lot, and finding nice knits and colors while the crewneck selections are so blah (or ungodly expensive).
> 
> What say you tradly gents?


Crewneck>V-Neck>Half-zip mock neck, at least in my opinion.


----------



## ArtVandalay (Apr 29, 2010)

Not a fan of half zips in any incarnation.


----------



## leisureclass (Jan 31, 2011)

Don't do it


----------



## Flanderian (Apr 30, 2008)

It's a fashion that has come, and gone. But if you love 'em, there are more objectionable choices of attire.


----------



## 32rollandrock (May 1, 2008)

I used to hate them but have changed my mind since thrifting a BB argyle zip neck sweater. It looks good with an OCBD and is more versatile/practical than a crew neck, given that you can open it up if you start getting too warm. By zip neck, I mean that the zipper goes down perhaps six inches.


----------



## Jovan (Mar 7, 2006)

I'm a fan of zip necks, but not the half-zip.

There's plenty of room for all manner of sweaters for different situations, though.


----------



## Brio1 (May 13, 2010)

Mr. Winston Chesterfield on the button versus zipper dilemma: https://www.mensflair.com/style-advice/zips-vs-buttons.php


----------



## Brio1 (May 13, 2010)

*Men's Flair article*


----------



## Miket61 (Mar 1, 2008)

I have several and I like the look, but I leave them completely unzipped - I don't feel the zipper itself adds anything to the style.

(I'm still trying to figure out the cardigans Bob Hartley wore in several episodes of "The Bob Newhart Show." The bottom buttons like a typical cardigan, but above that point there's a collar that has the buttons on what would be the inside of the sweater if they were pulled up.)


----------



## Trip English (Dec 22, 2008)

I don't particularly care for them, but they're not offensive. Brooks Brothers used to release very thin merino wool sweaters with 3 buttons and a polo collar that used to look great worn under a sport coat with an open collar shirt underneath. This would seem to suit the same purpose with a little more panache.


----------



## nolan50410 (Dec 5, 2006)

Half zips are my preferred style of sweater. You see them a lot in the South. They layer well and add some color to the face if you wear a lot of bland sport shirts. Crewnecks get saggy around the neck and v-necks make me look like a grandpa.

I've also noticed that a lot of the Italian companies, like Cucinelli and Zegna, carry a lot of half zips each fall.


----------



## sbdivemaster (Nov 13, 2011)

I'd say nay to the zip necks. But again, there's a bunch of v-neck bashing going on here, and that's my go to for dressy casual, so you might need to ignore my opinion... :icon_jokercolor:


----------



## AlanC (Oct 28, 2003)

I was always ambivalent about them until I picked up a Venanzi gray cashmere, and I must say I quite like it. Mine is more of a quarter zip than a half zip.


----------



## godan (Feb 10, 2010)

Several zip neck sweaters, including those from higher-end sources, seem to have a built-in wrinkle or fold at the top front of the neck, where the knitted material meets the zipper. I think it reflects a failed understanding of how the two materials interact. In any case, I prefer the button versions.


----------



## Himself (Mar 2, 2011)

godan: I've seen this but not with mine.

AlanC: I never liked them before but now do, after acquiring a couple of nice ones and seeing nice ones on others.

sb: V-necks are cliche to me. Crews can be too constraining, and sometimes it's nice to show a little more shirt. So I've gone to zips but for me they're less-than-dressy casual.

Trip: I'm with ya that buttons are probably nicer, but a rustic brass zipper isn't too bad, and the overall sweater is what counts. BB has a couple of nice ones on sale right now. 

Button-polos have been my go-to for many years and now I'm bored with those. The collar flaps seem extraneous unless they're functional (which is rare).

I still don't like zip cardigans.


----------



## Trip English (Dec 22, 2008)

I had a zip cardigan once (probably still do actually) and I remember that as it aged the zipper got kind of wavey and wouldn't straighten out. Probably less of an issue with a half zip.


----------



## filfoster (Aug 23, 2011)

leisureclass said:


> Don't do it


Ditto, don't.


----------



## oxford cloth button down (Jan 1, 2012)

Youthful Repp-robate said:


> Crewneck>V-Neck>Half-zip mock neck, at least in my opinion.


Co-sign.

Also, imho Buttons>Zippers & Half-zip mock neck>Full-zip sweater.


----------



## Walter Denton (Sep 11, 2011)

I have one merino quarter zip neck I bought a couple of years ago but I found I only wore it once last winter. I mostly prefer crewnecks or, for slightly dressier occasions, a merino or cashmere v-neck (but, then again, I'm old enough to be a grandpa). Although it seemed like quite a practical idea when I purchased the zip neck, it now just seems a bit too non-traditional for my taste.


----------



## Green3 (Apr 8, 2008)

I got the LL Bean Norwegian sweater in a 1/4 zip this year. I find it makes it more like outerwear than a sweater (just how my mind works), and I like being able to vent it as I run hot.


----------



## Youthful Repp-robate (Sep 26, 2011)

oxford cloth button down said:


> Co-sign.
> 
> Also, imho Buttons>Zippers & Half-zip mock neck>Full-zip sweater.


I tend to think that sweaters shouldn't have zippers, as a general rule, but I find myself wearing my thrift store full-zip suede/knit sweater-jacket thing fairly often. It fits under my polar fleece (my other winter jackets are packed away), it's a good weight, and I'm not too concerned about beating it up. It's probably the least trad thing I own, though, and I wouldn't have it if hadn't been $2.


----------



## MikeDT (Aug 22, 2009)

I like them, bought an Erdos one a few weeks ago. They're quite popular as well.


----------



## David J. Cooper (Apr 26, 2010)

I like full zip cardigans for golfing. I went to that Men's Flair site and ended up with the Smart Fortress Malware.Beware!


----------



## Himself (Mar 2, 2011)

Green3 said:


> I got the LL Bean Norwegian sweater in a 1/4 zip this year. I find it makes it more like outerwear than a sweater (just how my mind works), and I like being able to vent it as I run hot.


It _is_ outerwear for me, for winter or cool mornings/evenings.

Sport jackets are actually great for temperature regulation, but not to lounge around in.


----------



## Baxter (Feb 1, 2008)

I'm yet to see one I like.


----------



## Miket61 (Mar 1, 2008)

oxford cloth button down said:


> Co-sign.
> 
> Also, imho Buttons>Zippers & Half-zip mock neck>Full-zip sweater.


Fred Rogers (ex-Dartmouth, Rollins '51) would disagree.


----------



## Green3 (Apr 8, 2008)

I like the collar effect from the 1/4 zip.


----------

