By Matthew Longcore
The Great Gatsby is my favorite novel. While no film adaptation can ever live up to the writing quality of F. Scott Fitzgerald, the 1974 version starring Robert Redford and the 2013 version starring Leonardo DiCaprio each have great clothes.

Ralph Lauren was the fashion consultant for the 1974 film and Brooks Brothers provided the costumes for the 2013 film. There are so many great 1920s fashions in both movies but for me the standouts are the shawl collar cardigans worn by the character Nick Carraway in each film.

The Cardigan is named after Major General James Thomas Brudenell, the 7th Earl of Cardigan, a British officer who served in the Crimean War. From 1853 to 1856, Great Britain and Russia battled over the territory of the declining Ottoman Empire. During this time, British soldiers began to wear a type of knitted woolen coat or sweater coat, which had the basic design of the contemporary Cardigan. This war was eulogized by English poet Alfred, Lord Tennyson in The Charge of the Light Brigade.
By the early 20th century, the shawl collar cardigan has become a staple of the gentleman’s wardrobe in both England and America. Vintage advertising from Brooks Brothers, J. Press, and others feature various versions of it.
Of all the sweater options available to men, the shawl collar cardigan is surely one of the most attractive. It ranks among the classics – along with the cricket jumper or tennis sweater, the Fair Isle, the Shetland, and the cashmere cable knit.
The shawl collar cardigan pairs nicely with a bow tie. For an extra vintage touch, a shirt with a rounded collar looks especially natty. Brylcreem and a pipe are optional.
Old school vintage specialty shops that carry fine shawl collar cardigans include Crowley Vintage, Fine and Dandy, and Wooden Sleepers.
If you are looking for a new shawl collar cardigan, here are a few recommendations:
J. Press Camelhair Shawl Collar Cardigan
The Andover Shop Geelong Lambswool Shawl Collar Cardigan
Brooks Brothers Ribbed Cotton Shawl Collar Cardigan
L.L.Bean Signature Fisherman Shawl Collar Cardigan
I’ve never worn one, but given a choice, I’d go with the L.L. Bean, worn with the top and bottom buttons undone, like the model in the ad.
The L.L. Bean cardigan is a nice choice and that is a good way to wear it. I am fortunate to have the Brooks Brothers cardigan from the 2013 version of The Great Gatsby. My wife says that it is her favorite sweater from my collection. With its dark green color, it looks sharp with a Royal Stewart tartan shirt at Christmastime.
About time I get one of these.
Have a good New Years/Feast of the Circumcision of our blessed and venerable Lord Jesus Chirst.
I can’t read this without being reminded of the hilarity of the author of this article being “triggered” by a shawl cardigan: https://www.vulture.com/2019/10/succession-logan-roy-shawl-cardigan.html
“I hate this cardigan in a way that almost doesn’t make sense, which, again, is part of the mystery and, indeed, horror of it. I understand why I hate this cardigan, broadly — worn by the show’s scariest and meanest character as an evil rich person item, why wouldn’t you just wear a goddamn blazer or a goddamn sweater, why wouldn’t you wear literally anything else on this Earth — but why do I hate it so much?”
I think Lyster hates Logan’s shawl collar cardigan so much because it symbolizes Logan’s blurring of the line between leisure and labor. At first glance, it looks like a garment worn at home, at rest. But Logan is never at rest, and his homes no less than his offices are the sites of labor–i.e., dominance over everyone in his orbit, very much including his children.
“We see Logan in a sweater — so relaxed! It’s like he’s Mister Rogers! But it’s got a shawl collar, which is a detail borrowed from a smoking jacket, and it’s double-breasted (?!) like it’s a suit jacket. To top it off, a TIE! He treats it like a real jacket (as wearers of sweaters like these often do).” Logan Roy, essentially, is asking everyone to go blind and pretend that the woolly jumper he is wearing is somehow the same as a blazer. As Tashjian put it, “It’s really such a ‘fuck you.’ I’m not working, but oh, sorry, I’m actually always working, and so much smoother at all of this than all of you.”
A few years ago, I bought the LL Bean version pictured, or one that is very similar. It is very warm, and works well as a less formal substitute for a tweed sport coat, to the extent that a sport coat can be considered “formal.” As noted above, it pair well with a tie, bow or four-in-hand, and I always associate it with Rex Harrison’s Henry Higgins: https://www.facebook.com/tcmtv/photos/remembering-rex-harrison-on-his-birthday-here-in-my-fair-lady-64/10156139280905396/ .
I’ve got one from Orvis from 2005; it’s big & chunky wool, mixed with cashmere and suede elbow patches. Dark Green Melange.
Looks great with cords or with flannels and a tie.
The best are the Polo RL Shaker knit shawl collar cardigans from the early 70s Gatsby. They were indestructible. They were produced in the 70s and early 80s.
Not a big fan of the shawl collar sweater, personally.
Also not a fan of the Vulture article cited above. Isn’t it time we retired the “rant”?
I had always viewed shawl cardigans as something older gentlemen wore. Then, as summer slid into fall, I realized that as someone well into my 60s, I had entered what the great American author Jim Harrison called the ‘geezer stage’ of life. So, I found a cardigan with strong customer reviews on Amazon through the Aran Shop and went with a black version. So far, I have been exceedingly pleased with it. I paired it with gray corduroy slacks and a maroon patterned shirt at Thanksgiving and received several compliments from my extended family. This version has just the right amount of heft to make for a great winter layer here in the former Republic of Texas, where winters can range from never-ending fall to near mid-west cold.