I Tried on All the Men’s Sweaters at J.Crew

For a brand so well known for rollnecks and cashmere, you’d think a cashmere rollneck would be a no-brainer, but it’s been about a decade since J.Crew last offered one in its men’s line. Having tried it on, I struggle to understand why it waited so long. Like the classic 1988 rollneck, it has a curled collar, hem, and cuffs, but they’re rendered more subtly in heavyweight cashmere. Where the cotton original is proudly oversize and slouchy, the softer cashmere version is more fitted and versatile. It’s relaxed enough to pull over a collared shirt, yet slim enough to fit under a suit jacket or chore coat, and it looks just as good with stonewashed jeans as it does with a blazer and trousers.

In recent years, J.Crew’s heritage cotton crewneck has had a more casual raglan sleeve, but I prefer the more elevated look of the new version’s standard shoulder seams. I originally tried the medium but liked the large a bit better. The heavyweight cotton knit drapes so luxuriously; why not get a bit more for your money?

Let’s be honest, how often is it actually cold enough to wear a heavyweight wool sweater in New York?This new soft-washed sweater still has the shaggy texture, variegated coloring, and elegant drape of a classic Shetland sweater, but it’s much lighter and more breathable. It’s soft enough to wear over a T-shirt and has a wide neck opening that layers easily over a collared shirt. While the sweater itself is made in China, it is knit from Yorkshire-spun yarns.

The waffle knit of this raglan-sleeve cashmere sweater gives it a slinkier drape and a smoother, cooler texture for incredible next-to-skin comfort. It wears more like a long-sleeve tee than a typical cashmere sweater and moves exceptionally well. The cut is pretty tailored, with just enough room to layer over a button-up shirt, but the texture is so nice that I can’t imagine you’d ever want to do that.

This subtly cropped sweater combines the smooth cotton neck of a rugby polo with the warmth and reassuring drape of a heavyweight wool knit body. It’s thick enough that you won’t need a topcoat on most fall days, and it would pair well with light-wash jeans or carpenter pants.

This chunky Aran-style fisherman’s sweater from J.Crew’s heritage workwear line, Wallace & Barnes, is knit from genuine Irish Donegal yarns. Its vibrant emerald hue and chunky texture look even prettier in person. Sadly, it’s already sold out online, but you may still find it in stores.

Cotton gets you that chunky sweater look without the sweat-inducing heat retention of thick lambswool. It also takes dye more readily, so designers can achieve deeply saturated colors that really pop. This butter-pink cable-knit sweater has a yellow undertone that’s hard to see in photos but is really noticeable in person.

J.Crew’s reissue of this iconic sweater coincided with burgeoning ’90s nostalgia and the release of Hulu’s Love Story to create a rollneck renaissance that led even rollnecks from other brands to sell out for months on end. The hype has only recently settled down as supply has finally caught up with demand. With scarcity out of the picture, is this thing really worth it? I like the oversize fit, drapey material, and low price. But a sweater like this demands to be the centerpiece of any outfit it’s a part of. I bought one last year and haven’t worn it as much as I thought I would because it’s hard to layer.

J.Crew’s cashmere crewneck sweater has been one of the best values in fashion since it was introduced in the 1980s. It’s just thick enough to layer over a button-down shirt without looking lumpy, yet light enough to not feel stifling at an overheated New York house party in the dead of winter. It has a more elegant drape and drier texture than cheaper sweaters because it’s knit from finer Grade A fibers, which are more consistent and pill-resistant. And it comes in over a dozen colors.

In addition to all the great solid colore options, J.Crew offers its cashmere crewnecks in marled and patterned styles for an additional $20.

J.Crew’s cashmere V-neck is made from the same great material as its crewnecks. I appreciated that the neckhole’s proportions are perfect for layering over a collared shirt. Sadly, even though V-necks are as big as they’ve ever been, this one only comes in ho-hum black, navy, and gray.

In addition to looking nice, this cable-knit cashmere is a bit thicker and warmer than its flat counterparts. It’s also more expensive. That said, it’s still a lot less than the similar Polo Ralph Lauren cashmere cable-knit. The Polo comes in more colors, but the J.Crew is the better value.

I loved the dry texture of this waffle-knit cashmere polo but ultimately preferred how it looked on the more casual, raglan-sleeve crewneck.

I’m not dogmatic about men’s clothing styles — I actually quite like J.Crew’s new line of cotton-collared wool rugby sweaters as a sort of two-great-tastes-that-taste-great-together mash-up — but adding a cable-knit pattern to the mix crosses into clothing design Mad Libs territory.