Summertime in the LBC (Little Black Crewneck)

The awesome power of the humble black crewneck sweatshirt

We all have those articles of clothing that make their way into our lives and unexpectedly become our favorite pieces - the ones we instinctively reach for again and again. Currently for me, it’s a solid black crew neck sweatshirt. Mine is from J.Crew and is sold out but they actually have a better one here that I’m probably going to upgrade to lol. (I like how they styled it on their website.)

Fun fact: the V-stitch on the neck of a sweatshirt comes from the 1920s when sweatshirts were only for football players who needed to pull them on over their helmet. The ribbed knit V-insert allowed the neck to stretch without losing it’s shape and also helped absorb sweat. Most modern garments just mimic the stitch for looks. Ok, back to my black crewneck…

Perhaps this post should be titled “how to wear fun, patterned pants”. I try to live by the Anna Wintour law of “Never wear ALL-black”, and this sweatshirt makes it super easy for me to wear all my beloved patterned trousers. If the sweatshirt has a graphic or a pattern on it, it’s too much with the loud pants. Obviously you can opt for more conventional pants (even basic blue denim looks great), but try something with some contrast.

It’s also fun to pop a colorful collar underneath. It’s extremely comfortable and easy but still looks chic. Loose-fitting but not sloppy. Legendary louche lad Harold Styles likes to pair it with some neon short shorts.

Here are some other good options I found from Buck Mason, John Elliott, Uniqlo and a technically “charcoal” but really beautiful version from Merz B. Schwanen.

Gliding through LAX

That’s all for now - stay tuned for a scintillating scene report from Downtown Modernism vintage design fair…

A little update - I’ve decided to use affiliate shopping links going forward and I will be donating 100% of the proceeds to Best Buddies - an organization that provides support for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Peace and love,