The shawl collar is doing a lot of quiet work in menswear and most men haven’t fully caught on yet. It sits somewhere between a cardigan and a smoking jacket, which sounds like it shouldn’t work but absolutely does. Worn over a simple tee it looks considered without trying. Thrown over a shirt for an evening in or a casual dinner, it covers the ground a blazer would in a room where a blazer feels like too much. That’s the real case for owning one.

What we’ve been looking for specifically is weight and collar roll. A shawl cardigan lives or dies on how that collar behaves, whether it sits with some authority or just flops. Merino and wool blends are where we keep landing. Chunky knits have their place but the more refined options travel further across occasions and seasons. The ones collected here have earned their spot in a well organized wardrobe. Not a novelty. A genuine workhorse.