Guernsey jumper

[nightandthecity]

well, it's a funny thing, around when this thread first started (c.7 years ago) I used to pick them up regularly in charity shops and if I found one at a vintage fair it didn't cost much more - no one was interested, in fact few people seemed to know what they were and simply priced them as "old jumper". But in the last few years there seems to have been a sudden upsurge of recognition and interest...unfortunately prices have risen accordingly.....

 

[STEVIEBOY1]

well, it's a funny thing, around when this thread first started (c.7 years ago) I used to pick them up regularly in charity shops and if I found one at a vintage fair it didn't cost much more - no one was interested, in fact few people seemed to know what they were and simply priced them as "old jumper". But in the last few years there seems to have been a sudden upsurge of recognition and interest...unfortunately prices have risen accordingly.....

Yes it's funny how fashion modes come and go. Something is popular for a while then disappears, only to return again a few years later, you are correct that the prices for a real wool Guernsey are not cheap, but they are great garments and do last a very long time if looked after properly.

 

[jpholla10]

I thought I'd breathe some life into this historic thread. I just ordered my first Guernsey from Guernsey Woolens with the traditional neckline in navy blue. I've been a fan of the sweater for many years going back to one of my law school professors who hailed from Scotland and was a fisherman in the Bering Strait in his younger years. He wore his navy blue Guernsey everyday in the winter and throughout a semester in County Kerry, Ireland. He never felt cold or damp despite the chills, shivers and colds that many of my fellow American law students felt. Once I learned the history of the Guernsey I was sold and have wanted one ever since. The cost has been my only barrier but I finally pulled the trigger. I won't be able to wear it for months but I still can't wait to get my hands on it. It will be interesting to compare it to my collection of Arans. Great thread.

 

[STEVIEBOY1]

I thought I'd breathe some life into this historic thread. I just ordered my first Guernsey from Guernsey Woolens with the traditional neckline in navy blue. I've been a fan of the sweater for many years going back to one of my law school professors who hailed from Scotland and was a fisherman in the Bering Strait in his younger years. He wore his navy blue Guernsey everyday in the winter and throughout a semester in County Kerry, Ireland. He never felt cold or damp despite the chills, shivers and colds that many of my fellow American law students felt. Once I learned the history of the Guernsey I was sold and have wanted one ever since. The cost has been my only barrier but I finally pulled the trigger. I won't be able to wear it for months but I still can't wait to get my hands on it. It will be interesting to compare it to my collection of Arans. Great thread.

Yes these are a great sweater, I am sure that you will like it, they last for years and years. I have had my navy blue Guernsey for a long time and I still enjoy wearing it.

Do you have many Aran Sweaters,? they are a great garment too with an interesting history rather like the Guernsey.

 

[jpholla10]

I do have an Aran sweater. I actually have two, in fact. The first one I picked up at TJ Maxx (not sure if you have these in the UK--they're a store that sells the overstock from major department stores). The brand name is Mackinnon of Scotland so not a true Aran. When I studied in Ireland, though, I purchased an Aran from a local woolens mill. I also bought a hooded sweater in Ireland in the Aran-style with a synthetic fleece liner sewn in. It's unbelievably warm. I just received the Guernsey and it is fantastic. Very tightly knit, a fantastic deep navy color. I'm very happy to own it. Now I just have to wait 6 mos. until it's cold enough to wear it.

 

[STEVIEBOY1]

Glad you like the Guernsey, it will be worth the wait to start wearing it. It is still cold enough here to require these warm garments now.

 

[HannaReitsch83]

jpholla10, if possible, would you be willing to post a picture and the size of your Guernsey? I have also been seriously considering buying one for my husband (in the same color) but having a hard time deciding which size to get. He is normally a M (chest 42 in. in Guernsey) but also has a few sweaters that are 44 in. (L). Is the Guernsey traditionally intended to be worn slightly snug or it is better to go with a looser fit?

 

[Grayland]

jpholla10, if possible, would you be willing to post a picture and the size of your Guernsey? I have also been seriously considering buying one for my husband (in the same color) but having a hard time deciding which size to get. He is normally a M (chest 42 in. in Guernsey) but also has a few sweaters that are 44 in. (L). Is the Guernsey traditionally intended to be worn slightly snug or it is better to go with a looser fit?

I don't have one, but have researched it a bit. It appears that sweater is meant to be worn quite snug and doesn't have a lot of give, so sizing is important. From what I've read, one should add 4 inches to their measured chest size and order that number in a Guernsey. I've a 40-inch chest, so I would order a size 44.

 

[SteveAS]

Hanna: I'm a 38R and I wear a size 40 Guernsey, which measures 40" across the chest. I consider it to be an ideal fit. It doesn't pull anywhere, but it's not baggy like many other sweaters, either. If your husband is a 42R, I would recommend a size 44.

 

[jpholla10]

jpholla10, if possible, would you be willing to post a picture and the size of your Guernsey? I have also been seriously considering buying one for my husband (in the same color) but having a hard time deciding which size to get. He is normally a M (chest 42 in. in Guernsey) but also has a few sweaters that are 44 in. (L). Is the Guernsey traditionally intended to be worn slightly snug or it is better to go with a looser fit?

Yes, I will post a picture as soon as I can. I'll try to take some measurements of the garment while I'm at it. For reference, I purchased the Guernsey Woollens in a size 44 in. It is a snug fit (which I like). My chest measures out to be 41 in. and I typically wear a size 42 suit jacket (depending on who the maker is). So, being someone who measures as a 41 inch chest, typically wears a 42 inch jacket, I bought a size 44 inch Guernsey and am very pleased with the fit. I have room for a collared shirt underneath the Guernsey (which is my intention).

 

[HannaReitsch83]

Yes, I will post a picture as soon as I can. I'll try to take some measurements of the garment while I'm at it. For reference, I purchased the Guernsey Woollens in a size 44 in. It is a snug fit (which I like). My chest measures out to be 41 in. and I typically wear a size 42 suit jacket (depending on who the maker is). So, being someone who measures as a 41 inch chest, typically wears a 42 inch jacket, I bought a size 44 inch Guernsey and am very pleased with the fit. I have room for a collared shirt underneath the Guernsey (which is my intention).

Thanks for your help. It sounds like you have the same exact measurements as my husband so I will likely go with the L. You say you plan on wearing collard shirts underneath, which i've seen many of the models doing with the sweater. Do you plan on wearing this strictly for aesthetic reasons or because the wool is itchy?

 

[jpholla10]

I will wear collared shirts for aesthetic reasons. This sweater is extremely warm so I will likely pop it off when indoors. It will be nice to have a proper shirt with a collar on beneath it. Also, I've always liked the look of a Guernsey with the traditional "boat" neckline with a collared shirt poking out just a bit to add a little contrasting color. I personally don't find the wool to be itchy at all. Maybe on a freshly-shaven neck I would feel some irritation but it would be manageable. I've worn scratchy sweaters before that feel like they're made of a blend of home insulation and steel wool. This Guernsey comes nowhere close to that level of coarseness.

BTW: I love your username, I named my dog "Hanna" (a female German Shepherd) after Hanna Reitsch. She was the strongest German lady I could think of (besides my wife).

 

[jpholla10]

Quick disclaimer: naming my dog after Hanna Reitsch is in no way an endorsement of the racial ideology or political philosophy by the National Socialist German Workers Party.

 

[jpholla10]

Apologies for the previous post with the rotated picture. This should hopefully answer any fit questions you may have about a Sz 44" on a fella that normally measures as a 42".

 

[Ticklishchap]

Apologies for the previous post with the rotated picture. This should hopefully answer any fit questions you may have about a Sz 44" on a fella that normally measures as a 42".

That looks splendid. But I warn you - they are addictive! You will soon want them in other colours as well. ...

 

[HannaReitsch83]

Apologies for the previous post with the rotated picture. This should hopefully answer any fit questions you may have about a Sz 44" on a fella that normally measures as a 42".

Thank you for posting. This looks like a great fit. I can't wait to see my husband's face when I give it to him! Who knows, maybe i'll get him one in every color. He deserves the best.

 

[jpholla10]

Thank you for posting. This looks like a great fit. I can't wait to see my husband's face when I give it to him! Who knows, maybe i'll get him one in every color. He deserves the best.

Thanks, all! Hanna, your husband sounds like a pretty lucky guy!

 

[HannaReitsch83]

He is! But i'm luckier. He's the most handsome man i've ever seen. Even Ryan Gosling looks like Quasimodo next to him.

 

[STEVIEBOY1]

If anyone is interested. The British company, Outdoor Knitwear, has just added Guernsey / Gansey Sweaters on it's website, located in the (Niffi Nautical Section), Style 41067, turtle neck, (UK style) seaman's sweater.

 

[Ticklishchap]

In the early 1990s a friend gave me a copy of a book called ‘The Young Fogey’ handbook. He was referring ironically to my penchant for Guernseys, ribbed military sweaters, tweed jackets and corduroy trousers that I had as a young man – and retain to an even greater extent. The Guernsey, in particular, was singled out as part of the uniform of the ‘Young Fogey’. Unfortunately I gave away/lent the book some time ago, but would like to re-read sometime. Have any of you ever come across this book in the UK or US?

On occasional cold days this season I have enjoyed wearing my Navy Guernsey.