It has been a few months since I purchased this sweater and I thought it was time for an update. The Brooks Brothers sweater was actually my second choice. My first choice, because it was cheaper and it was brushed lambswool, was an LL Bean Signature sweater. Unfortunately, it didn’t work out (see post here). This shetland sweater was ordered shortly after. When I first got it I had a lot of concerns. I was worried that the blue was too light, I thought that it might look weird with a blue ocbd, and the list went on, and on.
I have now worn the sweater around 5-8 times. It was a good purchase. The color is lighter than I generally prefer, but I was trying to step outside of my blue comfort zone, which is navy. I am glad that I did. It doesn’t look weird with a blue ocbd and it is nice to have a blue alternative to navy. I am still debating how well it works with a blue university stripe ocbd (it looks nice with pink). I also, really like the way it looks with my dark brown corduroys. Not only do I like the color, but the fit is great, too.
I am not sure that I would like this sweater as much as I do if it did not fit so well. First off, the crewneck is perfect. A crewneck should lightly hug your collar, or at the very least touch your collar. In my opinion, nothing looks worse than a baggy or stretched out crewneck. It looks sloppy. This sweater hugs my collar just right. I haven’t worn it very much, but so far it has lost no elasticity, and I take my sweater on and off through out day. Also, the length is spot-on. It falls just past my waist and hugs my body nicely. Just as the crewneck should hug your collar, the bottom should hug your waist. When a sweater has no elasticity at the bottom it falls straight down and is not flattering.
Snug crewneck
Hugs the waist
Overall, I am very pleased with my purchase. I would not hesitate to buy another Brooks Brothers sweater. The material, color, and fit are all impressive. I am not letting myself get to attached it as it still has a lot to prove. However, if it stays in wear-to- work condition for two years, I will be very pleased. It does have me thinking about making a trip to the Brooks Brothers outlet nearby to look for another sweater. I think that is a good sign.
-I think the blue Brooks brothers sweater wins hands down.(i have done fine w/Bean v neck sweater vests)-great shade of blue on this B2 sweater.. well done (and the watchband too!)
Thanks. I need to give a Bean sweater a try. That is my favorite watchband by the way.
How tall are you? What is your weight? Looks very nice!
Thanks Jo! I am five foot seven and way about 137 pounds. That sweater is a small.
What bb did you go to purchase Shetland ?
Fred, I ordered it online when it was available. They offered two other colors as well Pebblestone and Olive. I wish that I would have picked up all three!
Just stumbled across the blog and it’s great. I’m wondering where you picked up that scarf?
Thank you so much for the kind words. The scarf was a gift so I am not sure where it is purchased. However, it is a PRL scarf. I hope that helps.
What a sharp blog! I’ve bookmarked it and am following you on Twitter. The Shetland sweater post made me nostalgic for the days, sadly past, when the Brooks shetland sweater was a perennial item that came in a wide variety of colours. I’m on the hunt for one that matched it in quality. Apparently the Andover Shop carries them. I’ll be trying them out this summer. It shouldn’t be this hard to stock classics we used to take for granted.
I have this same sweater and over the years have had several iterations of it from various manufacturers and merchants. Shetland crew necks became hard to find for a while and even BB had a smaller selection of them than in the past. This one looks good on you and I thank you for writing about it here.
@Michael Rowe: Don’t know if you will ever see this comment, but O’Connells in Buffalo has probably the largest and best selection of Shetlands of any store in the US. They are on the web. They’re not inexpensive.