V-necks?

0 Comments | Sunday Herald, The, Feb 7, 1999

ATTENTION all Brandreths, Bransons, golfers, gardeners and men who write down train serial numbers in little books. Your winter uniform, the V-neck sweater, has been appropriated by those in the sartorial know.

Suddenly that dipping neck looks fresh and now. Chosen with a careful eye on potential pullover pitfalls, the V-neck can be both functional, practical and greatly enhance the wearer's hunk appeal.

With any V-neck, first consider carefully the exact positioning of the letter in question. The sharp, contemporary choice is a very high V, which means the sweater can be worn solo without looking as if a Furby is struggling to emerge. Luxuriant chest hair is not now, or ever will be, a good look. These high V-necks also look good worn over a simple, close- fitting white T-shirt. This gives the wearer a streetwise, slightly sporty look - even if he gleans his fashion sense from Coronation Street, has never been near the gym in years and limits his exercise to stretching into the fridge for another lager. The most fashionable shape for sweaters of any neckline is narrow- cut and slim-fitting, which is, of course, fine if you have a narrow cut and slim-fitting body. But even if yours is on the baggy, raggy side, it is a good idea to avoid baggy sweaters. Such shapeless wonders tend only to emphasise the problem, making the lumpy one look twice as large without actually masking any roly-poly bits. Better to stick with a slimmer shape but made up in a slightly chunkier, firmer knit. Texture continues to be the big story in men's knitwear, with a choice ranging from fluffy angora or mohair to crunchy viscose yarns. Fine ribbing helps a sweater keep its shape, even if the wearer is not very good at keeping his. But thick welts and neckbands make sweaters bulky, untidy and unwearable below a jacket. One to avoid at all costs is the front pocket. The temptation to pop something into it will be far too great and will result in a strange, lop-sided growth. The same goes for diamond patterns - for the deeply ironic golfer only. Contrast trims are tediously schoolboyish and, therefore, unsuitable for blokes over the age of 14. When it comes to colour, grey has lived through the autumn and winter to survive as a credible fashion choice. Also good are the lighter shades gleaned from the building trade - think slate, stone, putty and cement. And black is always sharp: a fashion choice which doesn't make its wearer a fashion victim.