SuinBruin
Well-Known Member
After picking up a couple of Good Wear A-2s and a Tony Nowak Indy jacket (and with an Aero cafe racer on the way), I ran into a bit of a problem this fall. Now that the weather is getting colder here in the northern hemisphere, what can I wear under a jacket that will keep me warm yet fit well and look good?
Most of the sweaters and pullovers I wear are synthetic fleece -- it's comfortable, casual, durable, warm, layers easily, and performs well when I actually go camping, fishing, etc. The problem with synthetic fleece is that it tends to be bulky, and with the zip-Ts that I prefer, pokes out over the top of a leather jacket. It's not a particularly comfortable combination. The sleeves bind. I feel like a marshmallow. Plus, there is just something odd to me about wearing a classic '40s A-2 with a modern North Face or Patagonia top. It's jarring.
So I decided that I would look into picking up some trim-fitting wool sweaters that would work with a leather jacket, and I found what is for me the perfect solution. They are SmartWool midweight crew tops. They are 100% wool, and the knit is incredibly fine. While they are meant to be worn as long underwear, the cut and smooth finish make them wearable as an ordinary sweater. (I got one in black and you can barely see the seams. Lighter colors might not look as good, though.)
Because they are essentially a base layer, they are made quite trim. I went up a size (I tend toward a medium and bought a large) and the fit is just about perfect. They are a little long but supposed to shrink a bit after being washed the first time. (Better to be too long than too short, anyway.) The one thing I can't comment on is the durability or tendency to pill, but so far, so good.
The SmartWool tops fit well, are reasonably priced, appear well made, and layer perfectly under an accurate repro A-2 without puffing or binding. They also keep you warm and look pretty good if you take the jacket off. I highly recommend them.
https://www.smartwool.com/default.cfm?gclid=COWZ5870tZ4CFRESawod0D-klg#/Mens/Apparel/Tops/_/2527/
Most of the sweaters and pullovers I wear are synthetic fleece -- it's comfortable, casual, durable, warm, layers easily, and performs well when I actually go camping, fishing, etc. The problem with synthetic fleece is that it tends to be bulky, and with the zip-Ts that I prefer, pokes out over the top of a leather jacket. It's not a particularly comfortable combination. The sleeves bind. I feel like a marshmallow. Plus, there is just something odd to me about wearing a classic '40s A-2 with a modern North Face or Patagonia top. It's jarring.
So I decided that I would look into picking up some trim-fitting wool sweaters that would work with a leather jacket, and I found what is for me the perfect solution. They are SmartWool midweight crew tops. They are 100% wool, and the knit is incredibly fine. While they are meant to be worn as long underwear, the cut and smooth finish make them wearable as an ordinary sweater. (I got one in black and you can barely see the seams. Lighter colors might not look as good, though.)
Because they are essentially a base layer, they are made quite trim. I went up a size (I tend toward a medium and bought a large) and the fit is just about perfect. They are a little long but supposed to shrink a bit after being washed the first time. (Better to be too long than too short, anyway.) The one thing I can't comment on is the durability or tendency to pill, but so far, so good.
The SmartWool tops fit well, are reasonably priced, appear well made, and layer perfectly under an accurate repro A-2 without puffing or binding. They also keep you warm and look pretty good if you take the jacket off. I highly recommend them.
https://www.smartwool.com/default.cfm?gclid=COWZ5870tZ4CFRESawod0D-klg#/Mens/Apparel/Tops/_/2527/
