Why Murtlenecks Are the Sexiest Thing a Guy Can Wear

By Jennifer Ferrise
Updated Jan 05, 2018 @ 12:15 pm
Credit: Getty Images

Steve Jobs made them look smart. Ron Burgundy made them look funny. And lately, pretty much every fashion-concious man in Hollywood is making them look, well, sexy. 

Yes, we’re talking about the murtleneck—a.k.a. the male turtleneck—a winter wardrobe staple that either completely scares or excites a dude, depending on his taste. 

Why have murtlenecks become a thing of late? Well, for one, it’s freezing right now, and most of the East Coast is still digging out from the “Bomb Cyclone.” Those plain white tees just don’t quite hold up in subzero wind chill. 

Plus, a nice murtleneck gets guys out of the whole “wearing a tie” nightmare that they endlessly complain about (note: Spanx are much more uncomfortable than a silk necktie, bros). Put a cashmere turtle under a tailored suit and you’ve got a business casual look that is comfy and of-the-moment.

One of the murtleneck’s biggest proponents, Nick Jonas, says that he reaches for one when he’s in the mood to take a fashion risk. “I love that a turtleneck can go south. I love the risk of it,” Jonas told InStyle last month. “With fashion, there’s always a line of taking a really classic piece and making it your own somehow. And from the time I became a man, I just felt like turtlenecks and I had an understanding where I wear the turtleneck, it doesn’t wear me. If I meet one that’s doing it’s own thing and trying to take over my face or cut my neck in half, it’s not happening.”   

Jonas also gave advice for any man looking to wade into turtle territory and still come out looking smokin’ hot. “You've got to find your turtleneck and the right size neck,” he said. “The length of the neck has a big thing to do with it. Some guys might like a mock neck, like Daniel Craig. He pulls off the mock turtle and a real one. But Dwayne Johnson, for instance, my castmate in Jumanji, wore one the other night too. He’s a big guy. But he found a turtleneck and it worked." 

Below, our ode to all of the stars striving to give the murtleneck it’s well-deserved moment. Don’t worry guys, we can still see your muscles.

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Dwayne Johnson

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We know that The Rock has been well, rocking, his signature black turtleneck since the ‘90s, and guess what? It’s still our favorite thing that he wears. He may have lost the thick silver chain and the fanny pack, but his sweater swagger is still going strong.

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Zayn Malik

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The former 1D singer puts a trendy spin on his Tom Ford turtle by layering it under an intricately embroidered Balmain jacket. Bonus points for the smoldering stare.

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LeBron James

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Leave it to King James to show every man how it’s done. The Akron, Ohio, native often goes for a sophisticated navy knit instead of the traditional black, paired with some pattern play in the form of a perfectly tailored suit. Slam dunk all around.

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Ansel Elgort

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The absolute best part about Elgort’s sharp grey turtleneck? He wore it in June. Yes, that’s right—he loved it so much he wore it in the summer in Los Angeles, of all places. Respect.

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Donald Glover

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Glover a.k.a. Childish Gambino is known for his ecelectic wardrobe choices (remember his brown velvet Gucci tux from last year’s Golden Globes?). So we weren’t surprised when he put a cool ‘70s spin on the turtleneck as well.

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Drake

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When most people think of Drake’s epic "Hotline Bling" video, it’s the rapper’s hilarious dance moves that come to mind. But we’ll never forget his chunky grey Acne Studios turtleneck either.

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Michael Fassbender

Credit: Twentieth Century Fox

As a turtleneck-wearing Magneto, Fassbender was definitely the best-dressed member of the X-Men gang (sorry, Wolverine). But perhaps it was because he was so used to the sweater. Fassbender also donned a turtleneck onscreen as Apple founder Steve Jobs in the 2015 biopic Steve Jobs. 

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Will Smith

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Smith is like a fine wine that only gets better with age—and turtlenecks. At the Focus premiere, he ditched the tie for a sleek blue sweater, teamed with a suede moto jacket and tweed trousers. 

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Nick Jonas

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The youngest Jo Bro has been a major murtleneck fan since the 2015 American Music Awards, where he stole the show in this Topman look. “Making bold choices like that is good,” he told us.

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Common

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If you haven’t noticed, Common wears a lot of turtlenecks. And they always look good. Case in point: this sleek version expertly matched with a plaid bomber jacket for an advance screening of The Chi last month. 

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Tom Brady

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Maybe Gisele picked it out. Or maybe Brady just has impeccable taste in sweaters. Either way, the snug shirt in his Simmons commercial actually made us want to watch an ad about mattresses.

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Bradley Cooper

Credit: Twentieth Century Fox

Cooper brought his sweater A-game in The A-Team, the 2010 action-comedy co-starring Liam Neeson. It was the best part of the movie—by far. 

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Justin Timberlake

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Who needs a "Suit and Tie" when you’ve got a turtle? In his Mirrors music video, Timberlake went for the mock and it was indeed sexy. 

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By Jennifer Ferrise