The 9 Very Best Black Turtlenecks

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Sizes:XS–3X (with extended sizes in petite and tall) |Fabric:Cotton, rayon, spandex |Fit and design:Fitted (but less so than the brand’s other slim-fit tops)

J.Crew’s Tissue Turtleneck was in the top spot for years. And while it’s still mentioned in this guide (just a little further down), it no longer has the best-in-class blue ribbon. SinceJ.Crewreissues it nearly annually — 2024’s “tissue crêpe” version became 2025’s “feather jersey” — there can be some stock issues. And as we’ve explained in our “How Does Best in Class Actually Work?,” “We always endeavor to make sure our best overall pick is accessible. That means keeping price in mind, along with merchants and availability.” For our purposes, the updates meant J.Crew wasn’t selling the Tissue Turtleneck as we knew it anymore — and the sizes of the new versions can go fast. With that in mind,Lands’ End’s lightweight jersey turtleneck is mynewrecommendation for best in the category — not only because it’s available nearly any time of year (if your size is ever sold out, it should come back in relatively quickly), but that certainly helps.

After months of testing, I’m convinced it works just as well layered as un-layered. (It was once called the Layering Turtleneck but has since been renamed.) It’s not too thick or too thin; I’d say it’s exactly between J.Crew’s Tissue Turtleneck and Uniqlo’s Heattech in weight. Made from a cotton, rayon-modal, and spandex blend, it’s also plenty stretchy, which helps keep it from feeling too clingy.

Don’t just take my word for it. This turtleneck first appeared on the Strategist in 2017, when illustrator Joana Avillez went hunting for aturtleneckthat was the “grown-up equivalent of the comfort that turtlenecks gave me as a child, like the feeling of rewatching thatSesame Streetsegment from the ’80s where they visit acrayon factory.” Like me, she believes this Lands’ End fabric “is not so thin that you feel like a walking X-ray.” Plus, it’s a great basic, “withdrawing into the background, like a darkened museum vitrine casting light on just your face.” That’s in part because of the neck, which can be rolled easily. It makes me feel rather swanlike when rolled down. If you need any more reason to try it for yourself, it’s frequently on sale for just $11 to $22.

Sizes:XS–XXL |Fabric:Cotton|Fit and design:Relaxed (compared with the styles before it) and has Kule-branded taping on the hem

If you’d like a turtleneck with an airy feel, consider Kule’s. Edith Young, an artist who writes the newsletterPowers of Observation, has four of them, each “cast in an organic cotton that’s cool to the touch.” She adds, “It’s lightweight but has integrity.” (It’s the same cotton used inKule’s Modern Tee, which our senior editor Hilary Reid described as a “pleasure to wear.”) Just note that it’s probably not what you’ll want to wear in a cold front — at least not by itself. “I wouldn’t wear this solo in anything less than 52 degrees,” says Kate Snyder, brand marketing manager at Loeffler Randall. “For silky-smooth cotton as soft as fancy hotel sheets, you definitely sacrifice some insulation.” And while it’s “not exclusively anunderlayer,” she can “toss a sweater over it without any weird bulk.” Importantly, it has a versatile neck, which Snyder refers to as a “choose-your-own-adventure neckline I can wear pulled all the way up to my ears or folded down to slouch at my clavicle.” Our senior editorWinnie Yangis a fan of the neck too, describing it as “neither uncomfortably high (even for a short-necked person like me) or some awkward in-between length.”

[Editor’s note: Most sizes are sold out in black — you can sign up to receive an email when yours is back in stock — but other solids, such asgray,are available in the meantime.]

Sizes:XXS–3X |Fabric:Cotton |Fit and design:Between fitted and relaxed (in the style of J.Crew’s feather-jersey fabric)

J.Crew introduced the Tissue Turtleneck in 2007, and it quickly gained a loyal following, from author Mary H.K. Choi to Catbird’s Rony Vardi. EvenJ.Crew employeeswould willingly buy them (with their employee discount, of course). In 2014, it was rebranded as theTissue Crêpe Turtleneck and in 2025, J.Crew releasedthe Feather Jersey Turtleneck.

I’ve tried all three, and I think this Feather Jersey Turtleneck is more like the original Tissue Turtleneck than the Tissue Crêpe Turtleneck was. I’d liken the Tissue Crêpe Turtleneck’s thinness to a spiderweb, whereas the Feather Jersey Turtleneck feels more substantial and less fragile. In its product copy, J.Crew doesn’t explicitly say this new version is like the original (unlike with the previous edition), but it’s similarly made from 100 percent cotton with a fit that’s easily layerable. It may be a little more sheer but not in a way that makes it unwearable, and you can make the neck stay up without its looking, for lack of a better word, flaccid. It also gets brownie points for a size range of XXS to 3X and a price tag of $45. It can be marked down as low as $9.99 (in select colors) when there’s a sale-on-sale. I would recommend keeping it out of the dryer (anything described as “feather” should be) to keep it in prime condition.

[Editor’s note: Most sizes are sold out in black — you can sign up to receive an email when yours is back in stock — but other solids, such asredare available in the meantime.]

Sizes:XXS–XXL |Fabric:Supima cotton and elastane |Fit and design:Fitted with aribbed knit and exposed seams

A few discerning turtleneck wearers like thisEverlaneribbed turtleneck.Gabrielle Arruda, aProject Runwayalum, says she buys one every year. Our former deals writerAlexandra Polkcalled it her “turtleneck of choice” and stocks up on it during Everlane sales. Senior writerEmma Wartzmandescribes this turtleneck as “tight enough that it doesn’t bunch up underneath things but not, like, Uniqlo Heattech tight.” And stylistKim Hancherlikes that the neck on this turtleneck actually stays up when folded over. It’s made from premium USA-grown Supima cotton (whichNancy Meyers’s familysleeps on, if you’re wondering how soft it is), instead of the other organic cottonEverlaneuses. It’s known for havingextra-long fibers, which help keep the shape.

Sizes:XS–XXL |Fabric:Egyptian cotton |Fit and design:Super-fitted with a micro-rib knit

“I have words,” is how illustratorAlexandra Citrin-Safadibegan our correspondence about this turtleneck, describing as “the black turtleneck you’ll demand to be buried in.” Kotn’s Fitted Turtleneck is cut to be truly tight-fitting. Citrin-Safadi, who likes a snug turtleneck — “picture the kind of turtleneck that toddlers hate being stuffed into” — actually says the above Everlane as herformerfavorite. It’s made from anEgyptian cottonthat won’t be smothering. (It’s knitted with a micro-rib that’s a bit finer than the ribbing on Everlane’s). Citrin-Safadi says it stands up well against “a whole winter’s worth of washing.” Our deals editorSam Daly, a self-professed “sift through Goodwill girl,” was so impressed by the quality, she was willing to buy it at full price. (It will sometimes go on sale for half-off.)

(If you’d like somethingmoreformfitting, there’s thisturtleneck leotard from Capezio, the ballerina-shoe supplier.Lady Greyco-founder Jill Martinelli compares it to “full upper-bodySpanx.”)

Sizes:XXS–XL |Fabric:Cotton and elastane |Fit and design:Super-fitted with a ribbed knit, exposed seams, and lettuce edges

Baserange’s basics are well worth the splurge. (Several Strategist staffers are loyalists.) Its Omato Turtleneck isespeciallynice, cut to be figure-hugging with ribbing, lettuce edging, and exposed seams that make a trompe l’oeil hourglass shape. It’s “soft, sensuous, and stretchy,” says Lucy Weisner, co-founder ofCafé Forgot. Because of the formfitting fit, brand consultantNancy Rosenbloomsuggests going up one size since it runs small. But she “lives in” it — and also recommends anotherturtleneckfrom Baserange for those who want something less tight-fitting. It’s made from what she describes as a “gorgeous” bamboolyocell(compared to the cotton-and-elastane blend used in the Omato).

Sizes:XXS–L |Fabric:Silk |Fit and design:Fitted with a ribbed knit

Our writer Kitty Guo mentioned finding a replacement for anL.L.Beanturtleneck (which had seen better days after several “winters of frequent wear”) in our “Strategist Brain” column nearly a year ago. Her search led her to Une Heures — a brand founded by apparel-industry veteranChrissy Leavell, who has worked with Marc Jacobs, Zac Posen, and Ralph Lauren — and specifically to the Long-Sleeved Mock Neck (which is high enough to be considered a turtleneck for our purposes). In the immediate months after her purchase, she says that she rarely wants to take it off and that it’s something she can wear “like 75 percent of the year.”

Made from Italian silk yarn, it’s “not itchy in the way wool is” and it’s just as temperature regulating ascotton. While dry-cleaning is recommended on the care-instructions tag, Guo hand-washes it inSoak laundry soapinstead. Generally, “the drying process is kind of a pain for the heavy sweaters, but because this fabric is so light, it actually dries quite quickly,” she tells me. This also softens the $335 price tag (which, by price-per-wear rules, is worth it to her).

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