N.Peal – Fine Gauge Mock Turtle Neck Cashmere Sweater
In early 2015 the Spectre poster with Daniel Craig in a Grey Mock Turtle Neck Sweater was revealed. But before that in December 2014 I received the following email from N.Peal:
We were delighted when the new James Bond film was announced yesterday with Daniel Craig choosing to wear NPG-132 Imperial Blue at the press call. He loved the rich shade of blue which matched his eyes. This film is to be called Spectre and naturally Bond has chosen a couple of N.Peal cashmere styles to wear in the film. We shall keep you posted….
Fine Gauge Mock Turtle Neck Cashmere Sweater – Dark Charcoal
That Poster
So when the poster came out a lot of us felt like it was an N.Peal item. By April I had emailed the sales team for the “official Spectre teaser poster sweater”, and in May I was able to order the NPG-300 Spectre Sweater.
At this point no one had seen the film, we had no idea if this was the only item from N.Peal that would feature, or if there were more to follow.
This was also my first purchase with N.Peal, and I was very satisfied with the email and phone conversations I had at the time. The service that I’ve had with subsequent orders has always been fantastic.
Lapis Blue
Echoes of McQueen and Bonds gone by
The sweater is 70% cashmere and 30% silk, and it is fitted. I tend to wear this without anything underneath as it so soft, and comfortable. I was worried that this maybe itchy to my skin, but it really isn’t. It feels amazing, and I love to wear this out wearing it with a suit instead of a shirt and tie, or with jeans and a jacket, with either boots or shoes. It is an incredibly versatile item.
The look reminds me of Steve McQueen from Bullitt, George Lazenby or Roger Moore’s portrayals as Bond (in fact the Spectre poster has an air of Live and Let Die about it), wearing a Turtle Neck with a Blazer or a Jacket.
Packaging
I bought both the Cable Roll Neck sweater and the Lapis Blue version of the Mock Neck at the same time around 18 months later. At that time there had been no price increase, so was able to get the two at the same price. Although at that point N.Peal had gone through a rebranding. This can be seen by the change of labels and packaging between the two. (See below).
Learn more about the style of James Bond in the book From Tailors With Love: An Evolution of Menswear Through the Bond Films, available on Amazon.
Purchase Date: April 2015 (Dark Charcoal)/November 2016 (Lapis Blue) Purchase Price: £199
Many Layers
I bought all 3 Spectre items in small. They fit me well (40-inch chest, 34 waist, 6ft tall) although the arms are a shade too small for me. A Medium maybe a better fit for the arms, but wouldn’t have had that close fit that you get with a Small.
Earlier this year I got the Goldfinger-inspired polo and jumper, going with the Small for both. However, I returned the jumper for a Medium, as it was too tight with the polo underneath. The Mock Necks are great base layers. That said if you want to wear something under them, then you may wish to size up.
Layering up – Current Price: £295
Taking care
I keep all my N.Peal items in the boxes they came in. The boxes have a magnetic closure on the side. This keeps the items nice (as long as you’ve folded them correctly). I’ve added to the boxes cedar balls, which N.Peal claim keep moths and insects away, as well as removing any moisture from the jumpers.
When I’ve worn an item like this 2-3 times, I used to have them dry cleaned, which can end up being expensive. Now I use N.Peal’s cashmere spray between wears. This gives them a pleasant scent, and then their cashmere wash when cleaning my cashmere or other wool items. I have to do this by hand. I do these one at a time, and try not to build them up to all need washing at the same time.
The Bobby Sweater seen in Skyfall
By hand
Unlike the John Smedley Bobby (above) which can be washed in a machine, these items all need either specialist care (dry cleaning) or hand washing. It’s important to know when making this type of purchase how to care for it. (Catch my review of the Bobby here).
If you don’t mind occasionally hand washing a few items, or don’t mind the expense of having them dry cleaned then that’s fine. However, if that puts you off, then take a look at some of the John Smedley items. They may be a little more versatile for you.
Licence to brand
Wrapping up, I love these items and for Bond fans it’s great they are still available. However, they have now included the Spectre sweater into the 007 line since becoming an official licence holder and that has coincided with a price increase.
They have now gone up to £295, which is £40 more than the other available colours (Fumo Grey, Port Red and Navy Blue). For that extra £40 you get a 007 label in the back, a black 007 box, ribbon and tissue paper.
Seeing red
It’s a bit of a shame as these did well before putting them into this line. It also means in 5 years the price has gone up by almost third as a result!
I would still get them, even now, and taking a look at the other available colours, I quite like the Port Red version! I still think it’s worth the investment. They’ve lasted 5 years now, and as long as you take care of them they’ll last a lot longer.
Article by Daniel Gaster. Be sure to follow Daniel on Instagram.
The N.Peal Mock Turtle Neck Sweater is currently available through their site in both Charcoal Grey and Lapis Blue for 295 GBP.
