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Best Shetland Sweaters This Year?

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100K views 287 replies 62 participants last post by  Duvel  
#1 · (Edited)
Each fall I try to purchase one great new sweater--meaning brand new, not thrifted (although I've certainly picked up a couple of nice sweaters via the thrift thread this fall). Technically, I've already met that goal with my earlier purchase of a very nice PRL cricket sweater, an item that long had been on my "lust list." Nevertheless, I have a hankering for one more great sweater this season, and I've decided it should be a Shetland.

I've checked out the usual suspects: J. Press, OConnells, Brooks Brothers, LL Bean, and even J. Crew and Lands End. From what I've seen, it looks like OConnells offers the nicest options (and also some of the most expensive).

Is there anybody I'm overlooking?

Any thoughts on preferred colors? I have my eye on the rouge from OConnells in the cable knit.
 
#2 ·
I recently purchased a Shetland sweater from BB's "Red Fleece" line and think it's a little disappointing. It seems thin and not so warm, so I'm contemplating returning it.

I know this response doesn't fit your "best" criteria, but I wanted to mention it in case you were interested in BB. Just one man's opinion, though.
 
#3 ·
I'm not sure that I would consider LL Bean, Crew or LE to carry great sweaters. Serviceable, perhaps, but I haven't seen sweaters from them that have the sort of texture and depth of color you get when you go the more expensive routes. One of the reasons I like vintage LE saddle shoulder knit-in-England sweaters so much. They had beautiful colors and filled a hole in that they were light enough to wear comfortably in moderate weather.

Only you can know what you need. I'd base the decision on weight--if you've already got sweaters sufficient for truly cold weather, then look for something lighter, and vice versa. I'd also consider waiting until spring clearance sales. That's how I scored my Shaggy Dog for $100. Now is an expensive time to be stocking up on sweaters.

Finally, this looks interesting: . And machine washable.
 
#5 ·
I have an LL Bean and a BB Red Fleece, I do like both. I think the biggest downfall with the LLB is the lack of saddle shoulders, but it's still a good sweater IMHO. The RF is on the lighter side, but if I need something heavier I've got the ragg wool, and heavier than that- the Norwegian. O'Connells certainly makes a nicer sweater, but I've never been able to justify the additional expense.
 
#6 ·
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#7 ·
orange fury said:
I have an LL Bean and a BB Red Fleece, I do like both. I think the biggest downfall with the LLB is the lack of saddle shoulders, but it's still a good sweater IMHO. The RF is on the lighter side, but if I need something heavier I've got the ragg wool, and heavier than that- the Norwegian. O'Connells certainly makes a nicer sweater, but I've never been able to justify the additional expense.
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The Harley's are nice. I ordered one as a Christamss present to myself last year. They are on the lighter side and work real well under a coat or sportcoat. They do not compare in thickenss to Press or O'Connell's. So if your expectations are aligned, it's a nice piece to add.
 
#8 · (Edited)
Thanks, all. Great input--I appreciate it all.

32rollandrock, I hear ya on J. Crew, et al. Nonetheless, I'm always compelled to check, and once in a blue moon, they surprise me. But no, I don't see anything promising in those places this year. At the same time, I could add a Norwegian and a ragg from LLB sometime, but I'm seeking the nicer sweater right now.

And I see the value in waiting on spring sales but I also believe in buying for the season as well, that is, I want to wear it this season not next. So I guess I'll have to pay for that indulgence. Which is not to say that I won't check the spring sales, too, when they come around.

Of all I've seen so far, I think the OConnells line is the best. I'm willing to pry a couple of C-notes from the wallet for a great lifetime kind of sweater now and then.
 
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#10 ·
CMDC said:
Along those lines, here are the Harley offerings at Bahle's. Size availability varies but I've always wanted to try one of these...
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I am also a big fan of the Harley of Scotland from Bahle's. At $115 the price is right and the quality is great. In the spring they will go to well below $100.

You can also order directly directly from Harley in Scotland. Their website has many more options included a seamless brushed Shetland.
 
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#14 ·
Walter Denton said:
I am also a big fan of the Harley of Scotland from Bahle's. At $115 the price is right and the quality is great. In the spring they will go to well below $100.

You can also order directly directly from Harley in Scotland. Their website has many more options included a seamless brushed Shetland.
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I wonder whether the Orvis offering from Harley is the seamless brushed Shetland. Hard to tell from a photo, but the Orvis sweater appears to have more 'texture' (for want of a better word) than the Harleys from Bahle's.
 
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#18 ·
My vote goes to the shaggy shetlands at Andover Shop. Virtually identical to the Press Shaggy Dog (down to the interior tags and paper "Made in Scotland" hang tags) with the only significant difference being that Press has extra long sleeves that must be rolled back. Compared to the $230 at Press these Andover's are more reasonably priced at $165.

However, in January they go on sale for 30% off and with much of winter still to come, they are a great deal for $115. My experience would be to call the Andover location and order over the phone as they have many more colors available than the website suggests.
 
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#19 ·
Looks like Dr. D beat me to the punch, but I'll leave this as further endorsement.

If you want a good Shetland, made in Scotland, I can heartily recommend those from The Andover Shop. They are a little closer in weight and feel to the Shaggy Dogs. They normally have a significant sale after Xmas which tips the balance for me when compared with O'Connells, which are also excellent. I'd recommend calling their Andover, MA shop if your interested. They have a larger inventory and are a little more accessible.
 
#20 · (Edited)
The Andover Shop shetlands are very nice, but if your shoulders aren't widely set you might consider going elsewhere. The shoulders are not saddle and the set in seams hit me somewhere around mid-bicep. The overall effect was very 1980s, so I did not make a purchase.

As a comparison I've never had this problem with Shaggy Dogs from Press.

All that being said, the best shetlands this year probably aren't from this year anyways - look for vintage McGeorge, Alan Paine, Pringle, Brooks and Press, Drumhor, Braemar, Lord Jeff, Pendleton, etc. etc. etc.
 
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#21 ·
I just remembered that I took some photos last winter comparing the Press Shaggy Dogs to the Andover Shop version, so here they are.

The navy blue is a Shaggy Dog from 2012
The lovat blue is a Shaggy Dog from 2010
The charcoal is an Andover Shop shetland from early 2014
The pink is an Andover Shop shetland from early 2014 (thanks to ASquire for inspiration)



Things of note:
The interior tags are identical (LOKL) as are the "Made in Scotland" hang tags
The sleeves on the navy Shaggy Dog are clearly much longer than the Andover. When the Shaggy Dog is rolled back to the cuff's hem line they are the same length
The chest sizing is about the same as seen when they are stacked on top of one another. At the time of the picture the navy Shaggy Dog had already been work through 1.5 winters while the charcoal Andover was brand new so accounting for stretch I am going to say the difference is negligible.
 
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#23 ·
#24 ·
leisureclass said:
All that being said, the best shetlands this year probably aren't from this year anyways - look for vintage McGeorge, Alan Paine, Pringle, Brooks and Press, Drumhor, Braemar, Lord Jeff, Pendleton, etc. etc. etc.
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This is the reason why nearly all my sweaters are thrifted. My new Red Fleece doesn't compare to the vintage sweaters I've obtained from thrift shops.
 
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#25 ·
thisfits.me has a pre-programmed search for vintage sweaters; it works pretty well. Actually, just copy and paste this into the eBay search bar: (McGeorge,"Alan Paine",Pringle,"Brooks Brothers",Press,Drumhor,Braemar,"Lord Jeff",Pendleton). You'll have to use the sidebar refinements to get into the sweater category, but you should be able to find something decent.
 
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