The 12 Best, Editor-Approved Turtlenecks for Masterful Layering

They're fashion insiders' secret weapon.

imagery of women wearing turtleneck sweaters during fashion week by Tyler Joe
(Image credit: Tyler Joe)

A glimmer of warm weather can entice you to move all of your outerwear into storage and squish your cold-weather staples, like your well-worn sweaters and turtlenecks, into the back of your closet, but hold tight. If spring's history with unpredictable weather is any indication, temperatures will ebb and flow over the next several weeks—or months. That means layering (an editor-approved strategy that has reached new heights, thanks to the wearing versus styling debate) will be your best defense against a chill in the air.

Having a stack of the best turtlenecks to style with is one of the sleekest ways fashion insiders create spring outfits that evoke Carolyn Bessette Kennedy's nonchalance. A turtleneck in a black or white hue, tucked into your favorite denim skirt or tailored trousers, will never go out of favor.

Looking to Proenza Schouler, Jil Sander, and Fendi's fall 2024 runways, lightweight sheer turtlenecks continually popped up as a base layer for blazers, peeking out underneath button-downs, and styled as a foundational piece alongside lightweight sweaters.

But the best turtlenecks aren't all business and no play. Designers like Ganni, Dries Van Noten, Paco Rabanne, and Loewe have been putting a printed spin on the season's offerings with embellishments, florals, and psychedelic '60s patterns. They offer a fresh way to incorporate a turtleneck into your daytime attire and alongside eveningwear.

Ahead, find Marie Claire's picks for the best turtlenecks for women across twelve different categories because, like most things, there's no one-turtleneck-fits-all approach to personal style and preference.

Best Turtlenecks for Women

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Emma Childs
Fashion Features Editor

Emma Childs is the fashion features editor at Marie Claire, where she explores the intersection of style and human interest storytelling. She covers viral, zeitgeist-y moments—like TikTok's "Olsen Tuck" and Substack's "Shirt Sandwiches"—and has written hundreds of runway-researched trend reports. Above all, Emma enjoys connecting with real people about style, from picking a designer's brain to speaking with athlete stylists, politicians, and C-suite executives.

Emma previously wrote for The Zoe ReportEditorialistElite Daily, and Bustle and studied Fashion Studies and New Media at Fordham University Lincoln Center. When Emma isn't writing about niche fashion discourse on the internet, you'll find her stalking eBay for designer vintage, doing hot yoga, and "psspsspssp"-ing at bodega cats.