From bucket hats to Birkenstocks, what goes around comes back around. In "TRACE THE TREND," we take a look at our favorite pieces of the moment as worn by our favorite icons.
"The turtleneck was the boldest of all affronts to the status quo," wrote John Berendt in Esquire in 1989. It is "the picture of masculine poise," he went on to say, framing the sweater as a bold middle finger to the traditional shirt and tie. Meanwhile, just a few months earlier, Anna Wintour, the newly appointed editor-in-chief at American Vogue, used a jewel-encrusted mock neck by Christian Lacroix on the cover of her first issue. A daring move that partnered $10,000 couture with a pair of $50 jeans. What does this mean? It means that, a) the late 80s loved a mock neck, b) the mock neck was equally a symbol of feminine poise, and c) that this lowly, techie staple has played a surprisingly outsized role in fashion history.
As the images below demonstrate, there has been a mock neck for every era. From Audrey Hepburn's interpretive dance scene in Funny Face (1957) to Britney's video for "Oops!... I Did It Again" (2000), grunge-era 90s editorials, and of course, the champion of the mock neck champion, Steve Jobs, instances of its brilliance abound.
Shop all women's tops here.
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Anna Wintour's first Vogue as editor-in-chief, November 1988, featuring Michaela Bercu in a Christian Lacroix mock neck (and the first-ever pair of jeans to appear on the magazine's cover)
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Dorian Leigh in a silver mock-neck dress for Revlon
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Kate in mock neck and giant fur hat
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A pioneer in the mock neck field, Steve Jobs
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Steve McQueen, also a fan of mock necks
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Marilyn pairs a black mock-neck sweater with white capris
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A very modern mock neck in a July, 2013 editorial
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Audrey Hepburn does French existentialist mock neck
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Everything: Jennifer Lopez in white mock neck and pants
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Mock necks grunge-style
![]()
Scully opts for a mock neck-denim shirt-vest combo
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"The turtleneck was the boldest of all affronts to the status quo," wrote John Berendt in Esquire in 1989. It is "the picture of masculine poise," he went on to say, framing the sweater as a bold middle finger to the traditional shirt and tie. Meanwhile, just a few months earlier, Anna Wintour, the newly appointed editor-in-chief at American Vogue, used a jewel-encrusted mock neck by Christian Lacroix on the cover of her first issue. A daring move that partnered $10,000 couture with a pair of $50 jeans. What does this mean? It means that, a) the late 80s loved a mock neck, b) the mock neck was equally a symbol of feminine poise, and c) that this lowly, techie staple has played a surprisingly outsized role in fashion history.
As the images below demonstrate, there has been a mock neck for every era. From Audrey Hepburn's interpretive dance scene in Funny Face (1957) to Britney's video for "Oops!... I Did It Again" (2000), grunge-era 90s editorials, and of course, the champion of the mock neck champion, Steve Jobs, instances of its brilliance abound.
Shop all women's tops here.
Anna Wintour's first Vogue as editor-in-chief, November 1988, featuring Michaela Bercu in a Christian Lacroix mock neck (and the first-ever pair of jeans to appear on the magazine's cover)
Dorian Leigh in a silver mock-neck dress for Revlon
Kate in mock neck and giant fur hat
A pioneer in the mock neck field, Steve Jobs
Steve McQueen, also a fan of mock necks
Marilyn pairs a black mock-neck sweater with white capris
A very modern mock neck in a July, 2013 editorial
Audrey Hepburn does French existentialist mock neck
Everything: Jennifer Lopez in white mock neck and pants
Mock necks grunge-style
Scully opts for a mock neck-denim shirt-vest combo
