If They're Good Enough For Shackleton... North Sea Clothing

The Intrepid Sweater.

The Submariner - a Royal Navy issue classic.

It is no accident that so many items of military surplus are adapted by civilians - by definition uniform is smart and, until fairly recently, excellently made. Such is the case with the Royal Navy Submariner sweater. 

Popular in the years after the war these sweaters were soon adopted by motorcyclists for wear under their Barbour or Belstaff jackets, the better to keep them warm when their BSA broke down in the middle of a thunderstorm.

Surplus supply of the original WW1 & WW2 items dried up years ago, with reproductions of varying quality taking their place.

Setting the bar in terms of quality is North Sea Clothing, offering a selection of heritage knit-ware options based around Navy issue and home front pullovers of the 1930s/40s.

As readers might have gleaned we love all things Scandinavian here at New Utility and the The Intrepid is a Norwegian pattern Submariner, available in ecru, as here, or navy blue.

Made from 100% English wool by a family firm in Nottingham, the untreated wool retains its natural lanolin, so will keep its insulating qualities even when wet. Construction is robust, with reinforcing heavy cotton gussets at the shoulders. As with the guernsey this jumper will see you well in to the autumn of your years.

       

Reinforcing gussets on each shoulder.

Order your true size, don't size up.

This is not a stitch for stitch recreation. As the originals were quite long the jumper has been shortened & the fit is quite snug. NSC recommend that you size up if you like a roomier fit. I don't and love the fitted silhouette of this jumper.

The fact that NSC are supplying the Shackleton Epic Team in their recreation of the original 1916 expedition should tell you all you need to know on how good these sweaters are.

In my view no gentleman's winter wardrobe is complete without one. Perfect for bouncing about the North Atlantic. Or manfully drinking rum laced cocoa whilst watching The Cruel Sea. You can purchase The Intrepid here.