Whatever Weather! North Sea Clothing's Diver Sweater
A brief review.
The first thing you notice is the hem. It’s old school. High, tight, and conspicuously ribbed, the Diver from North Sea Clothing is clearly reminiscent of old military and varsity sweaters. NSC founder Neil Starr’s vision for classic, militaria-inspired knitwear is beautifully realized in a turtleneck that feels more like an old mariner’s sweater than anything made for a coffeehouse screenwriter. It reminds me very much of the sweaters worn by multiple characters in William Fairchild’s The Silent Enemy (1958).
It must be said from the outset: the Diver is an exceptional piece of knitwear. It’s hard not to compare NSC’s drive for quality, vintage-inspired knits with Dehen 1920’s goal of “Heavy-Duty Old-School Truth,” and if you’re familiar with Dehen’s indestructible woolens I’m happy to call NSC’s products their equal. The sheer heaviness and bulk is impressive, and gives a definite reassurance that it will likely outlast me. Much like my Filson jackets, the Diver has a weight, design and performance that can make it feel almost more like a piece of equipment than clothing which is, I think, a desirable gray area.
“Whatever Weather” is North Sea Clothing’s motto, and it holds up. It’s very warm, and wearing it outside in 30 degrees I haven’t needed anything else if I was doing anything active. If I were doing any serious work like, say, moving firewood for any extended amount of time, I’m certain it would be too warm. This would be ideal as a sailing or fishing sweater (obviously) and I’m looking forward to doing both with it in the spring.
The Diver is made in England with British wool, according to NSC’s website, and retails for $213, but is currently on sale for about $120. It’s produced with a substantial 3 gauge knit which, for comparison, is much heavier than their lighter-weight Submariner, made with a 5 gauge knit. It has inset sleeves and, obviously, a roll neck with a long hem and cuffs. The cuffs are 6” long and much too thick to be worn with a rolled cuff, but I personally like them and think it matches the hem (also 6”). However, if your arms are on the shorter side and you’re counting on a rolled cuff, this could be an issue. The hem could very well be worn flipped up, as I’ve seen on old varsity sweaters, but I personally like the shape it makes of the torso.
NSC’s knitwear available by chest size, and they recommend you take your usual chest measurement, a suggestion which I can confirm. My chest measures 36”, and a size 36 fits very comfortably without any restriction. The overall fit is slightly fitted, though I wouldn’t call it snug in any way. I haven’t found it to be uncomfortable or too tight as some have complained. The arms are maybe a tad slimmer than I would have liked, but they’re not uncomfortable and I’m assuming they’ll stretch out a bit with time.
Though the Diver is very warm, I’ve found that it fits comfortably under all of my Barbours, old Army jackets, and most of my sailing jackets. Though it’s a very thick knit, it obviously isn’t windproof and any low-aerobic activity won’t keep you warm enough, so having a generously cut piece of outerwear is a good idea to make it versatile. Just popping out in the cold I’ve found nearly any outerwear with a good collar nicely frames the Diver’s chunky roll, and I’ve been favoring my old Solway. A high rise also complements the long hem, with my Drake’s needlecords and denim giving a nice silhouette with it. My vintage 501’s also work fairly well. I’d be wary of anything with too low of a rise that won’t let the hem sit as high as it can and permit the torso to bunch and fold — you can see that the hem is just covering about an inch of my pants, so it sits quite high.
I have been looking for a high turtleneck, and unfortunately the neck Diver is a touch shorter and wider than I was looking for in that regard, though NSC’s website does make this point. The Submariner, NSC’s flagship knitwear item, has a higher neck with a more fitted silhouette. You can wear the Diver with the neck unrolled, of course, but personally I found the neck not as tight or high as I wanted. With the neck unrolled it is 6” (like the hem and cuffs) and rolled the neck is about 2-3”.
This is only nitpicking, though, as I have a fairly small neck (14.5”) and the height is standard-looking for a turtleneck, not particularly short. Interestingly, the ribbing of the neck begins a bit lower on the chest than my other turtlenecks, so there is a noticeable area of ribbing around the collar. I really like this shape, but it may turn some others off to the kind of look NSC is going for.
The sweater is also fairly rough on the skin, even for such a refined knit. I’d recommend any long-sleeve shirt to make it more comfortable, though I’d stick with nothing heavier than an OCBD given the warmth. A flannel would be too much to put on, and would likely be difficult with the texture. It comes with a free cotton drawstring dust bag to keep it in which I find helpful, given its size it’d be hard to keep it in a drawer.
The best part of my experience purchasing from NSC, however, was not the stellar product. A day after my purchase, I checked my email and realized I had bought the wrong size. I contacted their info email straight away, and they very quickly (and kindly) responded with a confirmation that they were fixing the issue, and were able to deliver the right size. I’ll certainly come back for more, someday — whatever weather.
