I wore black turtlenecks all through high school and college. Then I realized what a cliche that was, discovered colors and vintage patterns, and spent most of a decade suffering through pencil skirts and ballet flats.

But now, I’m back in black* and I love it. I bought this iteration of the classic turtleneck from Everlane last month and I have to stop myself from wearing it more than twice a week.

Why are black turtlenecks so great? I’d never been able to put into words why I feel so polished, so cool in one, but Rachel Syme summed it up last year, in “A Love Letter to Black Turtlenecks“:

 

Because let’s talk about what happens to you when you finally put one on: Your head becomes a sculpture. Once you emerge through that tube of fabric, you start to resemble a marble bust—your skull and all its features are on display, like the diamonds plopped on top of black velvet in the Van Cleef windows. […] It makes you realize how beautiful your face is, because it’s so out there, floating atop your shoulders for the world to appraise.

 

*You can’t say that phrase without linking to the song . It’s a rule.