# j press shaggy dog sweater



## closerlook (Sep 3, 2008)

anyone own one of these?
what do you think?

more importantly, do they fit generously or are they snug?

cheers


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## stcolumba (Oct 10, 2006)

closerlook said:


> anyone own one of these?
> what do you think?
> 
> more importantly, do they fit generously or are they snug?
> ...


Generous!


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## Pale Male (Mar 24, 2008)

*Shaggy Dogs*

Bought a few Freshman year and kept them until they wore out. Recently bought some more. Simply the nicest of Shetlands. Used to be sized as 40, 42, etc. but now SML.... They match the Press sizes but certainly not "generous" or "loose" or "baggy" if you buy the right size.


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## Desk Jockey (Aug 19, 2005)

Because Press went back to the old manufacturer they are really wonderfully baggy this year. Huge.


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## EastVillageTrad (May 12, 2006)

And more expensive... too expensive.


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## Ron_A (Jun 5, 2007)

I bought one Shaggy Dog last season, and I find the fit to be fairly slim-fitting and restrictive throughout the body (I can't speak to this year's version). I just don't care for the fit, and I find it tight in the neck also (and I don't care for the collar); I'm probably in the minority.


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## Desk Jockey (Aug 19, 2005)

Yeah but they're from Scotland. You know the dudes with the kilts and the SNP and the strong currency and well, Bob's your uncle.


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## closerlook (Sep 3, 2008)

yeah, from what i gather from looking at other threads and this one, the sweaters seem to have jumped in price by fifty percent this year. yikes.


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## Pale Male (Mar 24, 2008)

*Take the Train*

And try on at Press. Obviously production varies from year to year. I bought a Large Fall '06 -- just right under jacket and certainly not "Baggy". I always wore the Shaggy Dogs as dressier sweaters -- and they fit rather close as did/do the Press shirts. Casual, loose-fitting Shetlands were then found for much less at the Co-Op.


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## eris (Mar 31, 2008)

I bought a large one 2 weeks a ago and can confirm that they're pretty bulky this year...adds a couple of lbs to your appearance!


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## Sartre (Mar 25, 2008)

Ron_A said:


> I bought one Shaggy Dog last season, and I find the fit to be fairly slim-fitting and restrictive throughout the body (I can't speak to this year's version). I just don't care for the fit, and I find it tight in the neck also (and I don't care for the collar); I'm probably in the minority.


Well then I'm in the minority too. This was certainly my experience in years past (though it seems they may have loosened 'em up this year). A contradictory sort of design: the sweater was thick and wooly as hell, but at the same time slim fitting. Long in the torso. And I definitely remember how tight the collar was.

tjs


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## Pale Male (Mar 24, 2008)

*Contradictory Design?*

Well, I respond with the tired "relaxed-formality" argument. These sweaters were made to be worn under the tweed sack and over the slim-fit Press shirt. If you could wear "that Press look", everything worked well. However, it's just not the best choice for many, though the fundamentalists violently disagree.


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## Green3 (Apr 8, 2008)

Sartre said:


> Well then I'm in the minority too. This was certainly my experience in years past (though it seems they may have loosened 'em up this year). A contradictory sort of design: the sweater was thick and wooly as hell, but at the same time slim fitting. Long in the torso. And I definitely remember how tight the collar was.
> 
> tjs


I have been known to Costanza a tight collar while trying on a sweater - stretch the damn neckhole.


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## Miket61 (Mar 1, 2008)

Green3 said:


> I have been known to Costanza a tight collar while trying on a sweater - stretch the damn neckhole.


I wear a size 7 5/8 hat. When I try on sweaters I always think of the first episode of _Are You Being Served?_ where Mr. Humphries puts his knee into the shoulder of the jacket until some of the stitches go.

I saw the shaggy dog sweaters at Press in DC about a month ago. I live in Atlanta and have little need for them, and August in DC is not conducive to being tempted, but they are beautiful.


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## Sartre (Mar 25, 2008)

Must be your "rather bulbous head."


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## kilgore65 (May 13, 2009)

*be careful of moths...*

I live in Mississippi and ordinarily have no business buying expensive woolen goods - it simply doesn't get cold enough. But after yearning for some time for a 'real' Shetland - just like the Brooks Brothers 'Made in Scotland' one I had in high school, I bought two Shaggy Dogs on sale at J. Press last year (winter 2009, $110 vs. $150 retail) and kept them in the box till it got brutally cold in January 2010. Imagine my horror to discover that the moths got one of them pretty good. I went to a nearby knit shop and the nicest lady (Thanks, Judy!) helped me match the yarn and I was able to fix the damage pretty well - nice enough to wear to church! These are beautiful sweaters but a warning - they are very warm! If you are in a well heated building (over 72) you are going to be hot in them. And the moths seem to love them - I'm guessing the brushed wool presents too much of a luscious temptation. So, if you are going to store the Shaggy Dogs for any length of time, I'd recommend putting them in some sort of plastic bag, with cedar blocks or shavings for good measure. If you leave them out, or just unprotected in a drawer, they will get eaten.


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## DCLawyer68 (Jun 1, 2009)

Good to ask the salesman. 

I bought a medium that fit me just right this year. When I went to purchase a cardigan in medium, the DC store manager counseled me that for some reason the cardigans were running smaller this year, and I tried both a M and an L (and went with the L).


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## Coleman (Mar 18, 2009)

They may be running a bit smaller this year. The usual wisdom is to size down. I wasn't able to in the color I wanted, so I took a gamble on my usual size and it fits perfectly.

EDIT: I just now noticed, DCLawyer, that you were only referring to cardigans. Mine is the usual pullover and still seems to fit true-to-size.


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## closerlook (Sep 3, 2008)

Coleman,
Yes.
They do run pretty sung this year... in the torso. While the body might fit some in the body quite well, the arms are quite baggy.


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## Mr. Knightly (Sep 1, 2005)

Pale Male said:


> And try on at Press. Obviously production varies from year to year. I bought a Large Fall '06 -- just right under jacket and certainly not "Baggy". I always wore the Shaggy Dogs as dressier sweaters -- and they fit rather close as did/do the Press shirts. Casual, loose-fitting Shetlands were then found for much less at the Co-Op.


Shetlands at the Coop?!? I won't ask when this was, but I certainly envy you.


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## rsmeyer (May 14, 2006)

EastVillageTrad said:


> And more expensive... too expensive.


Got mine on sale:icon_smile_big:.


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## gsi (Nov 3, 2005)

Could anyone comment on the sleeve length? I generally get a medium in most sweaters because of the sleeve length but if the sleeves are long enough I sometimes get a small.


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## Coleman (Mar 18, 2009)

The sleeves are adjustable to a certain extent. They are meant to be folded over at the end so are quite long, and you can change the amount that is folded over. I bet you could get away with a small. Most medium sweaters barely make it for me sleevelengthwise, and I just live with it not wanting to size up. I still have a good bit rolled over on my Shaggy Dog.


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## swb120 (Aug 9, 2005)

I need sizing help, please: I wear a 44-45R in Brooks Bros. suits; an XL in Brooks Bros sweaters; am 16-34 in dress shirts and a Large in casual collared shirts. Given that the Shaggy Dogs are cut generously, would I wear a Large or XL? Thanks!


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## Sir Cingle (Aug 22, 2009)

^swb: In their most recent iteration, I would guess that a large would fit you better than an extra-large.


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## Coleman (Mar 18, 2009)

Most years it seems the wisdom is to size down (so someone who normally wears an L would buy an M), but from my experience of this year's stock (and a couple other posters' above) is that they fit pretty true-to-size. I wear an M in most things, and the M I ordered fits great.


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## CM Wolff (Jun 7, 2006)

Email J Press through their online customer service feature - I was similarly interested in the sizing of the shaggy dog and they responded within a day with very specific measurements. (Unfortunately I typically wear XXL and they do not stock the shaggy dog in this size...I do not believe their XL will fit me right.)


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## kilgore65 (May 13, 2009)

kilgore65 said:


> I live in Mississippi and ordinarily have no business buying expensive woolen goods - it simply doesn't get cold enough. But after yearning for some time for a 'real' Shetland - just like the Brooks Brothers 'Made in Scotland' one I had in high school, I bought two Shaggy Dogs on sale at J. Press last year (winter 2009, $110 vs. $150 retail) and kept them in the box till it got brutally cold in January 2010. Imagine my horror to discover that the moths got one of them pretty good. I went to a nearby knit shop and the nicest lady (Thanks, Judy!) helped me match the yarn and I was able to fix the damage pretty well - nice enough to wear to church! These are beautiful sweaters but a warning - they are very warm! If you are in a well heated building (over 72) you are going to be hot in them. And the moths seem to love them - I'm guessing the brushed wool presents too much of a luscious temptation. So, if you are going to store the Shaggy Dogs for any length of time, I'd recommend putting them in some sort of plastic bag, with cedar blocks or shavings for good measure. If you leave them out, or just unprotected in a drawer, they will get eaten.


Ziplock's "Big Bags" size L (15" x 15") are the perfect size to accommodate a folded Shaggy Dog sweater. I found these bags at my local Kroger, in the aisle with the laundry degtergent and hangars.


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## AdamsSutherland (Jan 22, 2008)

CM Wolff said:


> Email J Press through their online customer service feature - I was similarly interested in the sizing of the shaggy dog and they responded within a day with very specific measurements. (Unfortunately I typically wear XXL and they do not stock the shaggy dog in this size...I do not believe their XL will fit me right.)


I'm about 47" around my chest with broad shoulders and I wear a 36 sleeve and the XL is very roomy and adequately long in all regards. I don't know what size you are but it might be worth a try if you're really interested.


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## CM Wolff (Jun 7, 2006)

AdamsSutherland said:


> I'm about 47" around my chest with broad shoulders and I wear a 36 sleeve and the XL is very roomy and adequately long in all regards. I don't know what size you are but it might be worth a try if you're really interested.


Thanks for the advice...I am a barrel-chested 50"/52" with 36" sleeve. If I remember the Press email, it had the XL at a 48" chest. Hmmmmm...


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## JakeLA (Oct 30, 2006)

Hi, long-time listener, first-time caller.

Was going to pick up one or two of these on sale... I emailed J. Press about measurements and here's what they replied:
The size M for shaggy dog sweater is:
42" for chest, 28" length and 31" sleeves.

size L is 45" chest, 29" length and 32" sleeves.​Isn't 28" long more of a tunic than a sweater?


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## Trip English (Dec 22, 2008)

JakeLA said:


> Hi, long-time listener, first-time caller.
> 
> Was going to pick up one or two of these on sale... I emailed J. Press about measurements and here's what they replied:
> The size M for shaggy dog sweater is:
> ...


Yes. These are generally very loose fitting sweaters. Sizing down one size is sometimes not enough, but you can tell from this thread that, aside from the various subjective interpretations of what "fits," that the fit can also vary from year to year.

While I love the way they look, I've only found one Small in 2008 that was small enough to "fit" which to me means just covering my belt in length, close to the body, and only room for one arm per sleeve. Otherwise I stick with RL for the right fit.


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## The Rambler (Feb 18, 2010)

question for the experts: bought my first shetland sweaters since college (60s) this winter, from O'Connell's, and love 'em, but they look like moth magnets, as mentioned above. Is it ok to send them to the drycleaners this spring--label says hand wash only?


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## Acacian (Jul 10, 2007)

JakeLA said:


> Hi, long-time listener, first-time caller.
> 
> Was going to pick up one or two of these on sale... I emailed J. Press about measurements and here's what they replied:The size M for shaggy dog sweater is:
> 42" for chest, 28" length and 31" sleeves.
> ...


Yes! I just measured my favorite LL Bean Norwegian (size Large) and it is 25" from the top of the collar. Add 4 inches to that and I'd look like a dude in a sweater dress. Not good at all!


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## Ruslev (Mar 10, 2009)

I bought a Jpress shaggy dog last summer and I bought a medium. I typically wear slim shirts and wear a 40 jacket (31-32 waist). I do not feel that the sweater is too large. If you are wearing a typical oxford underneath having that extra space feels fine. I would not size down. The Press sweater cut seems to have a higher arm which is probably why the length is longer. I think it makes you look slimmer.


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