Since Love Story premiered, it has felt impossible to scroll without getting bombarded with advice on how to copy and paste Carolyn Bessette Kennedy’s famous minimalist style into your own wardrobe. The tortoiseshell headbands, the Yohji dresses, the white blouses, the black skirts. We get it. There is, though, one overlooked garment in all of this cosplay: the rollneck.
In episode five, as Carolyn weighs her romantic options, makes existential decisions, and tousles her buttery blonde hair back and forth, all I could focus on was the perfection of her cream-colored rollneck sweater. The real Carolyn was often seen in a black turtleneck, which the show faithfully replicates in its first episode. (It was an improvement, in my opinion, from the original test images that did not do her justice.) In her leisure time, she likely would have worn one similar to what we see Sarah Pidgeon wearing as Carolyn in episode five. I’ve been searching in vain for one like this — with long, loose sleeves; a relaxed fit; and a wilted neckline — for the majority of my adult life. My shopping carts have been filled and emptied and refilled with second-hand rollnecks, but this Love Story scene has inched me closer to pulling the trigger at J.Crew. (We’ve reached out to FX for confirmation that the one seen on Pidgeon is by that brand.)
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The brand first released its iteration of the garment in 1988, and since then it has become one of its hallmark items, a staple for those who take their coziness seriously, summer on sailboats, or have a very specific sensory issue that makes turtlenecks feel overstimulating (guilty). The rollneck silhouette is believed to have originated in medieval Europe, worn under armor to prevent rashes, and eventually made its way into maritime adventures, proving to be the ideal versatile garment for sailors. The neck could be rolled up to protect the face in colder weather and pushed back down in more temperate climates, plus the traditional wool fabrication made the sweater both warm and moisture-wicking. In essence, this style is without flaw. Nowadays, those subjected to the horrors of winter on the East Coast pair the sweater with long-sleeve button-ups, vintage denim, sometimes a utilitarian puffer coat and seek refuge in those delicate little neck rolls.
Last year, J.Crew re-issued its 1988 rollneck along with a new 2025 version for women. And last month, J. Crew announced a capsule collection of distinct rollneck collaborations with beloved independent designers from brands like Eckhaus Latta and Tanner Fletcher. If that’s not proof of this sweater’s staying power, I don’t know what is. It’s a garment that can be worn by anyone. Are you a marine biologist? Are you taking the yacht out? Have you eaten at Cafe Cluny? Do you live in Bushwick? In truth, it doesn’t really matter, because all of these people either are or should be wearing rollnecks. Yes, even (and perhaps especially) those of you playing mockingbird with Carolyn’s closet.
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