Turns Out, It's all in The Turtleneck
The wardrobe staple keeping the New York Yankees hot heading into the World Series
The New York Yankees are embracing two fall classics this October: the turtleneck and the World Series. The likes of center fielder Aaron Judge and shortstop Anthony Volpe are evoking their naughties predecessors in the hopes of repeating their success story, and so far, it’s working—The Bronx Bombers are back in their first championship clash since 2009 thanks to the power of breathable cotton.
In a baseball season marred by fashion faux pas (see: this entire Wikipedia page), the throwback turtleneck has been a sight for sore eyes. This summer was marked by sweat stains, but this October is all about superstitious style. They’re learning a lesson from the team that won three straight titles from 1998-2000, that lesson being that the turtleneck is the truth.
According to reporter Justin Shackil, this year’s Yanks aren’t just faking the feeling of the turtlenecks that kept closer Mariano Rivera comfortable in the clutch and Hall of Famer Derek Jeter energized in extra innings; they’ve pulled the very same ones out of storage.
While some baseball fans (most of them more knowledgeable than me) are saying that the Yankees' recent success is because they were handed a walk-in-the-park postseason path thus far, I offer an alternative explanation: they’re riding on the backs of magical-Jeter era turtlenecks, simple as that.
The team with the second-highest payroll in baseball is just like the rest of us—they turn to the storage closet when in need of a wardrobe overhaul and a seasonal identity refresh. Every October, I pull my clear, rectangular Container Store bins out from underneath my bed and my black cotton turtleneck becomes the most important item of clothing I own through the end of winter. This beautiful tradition is now one that I share with the American League single-season home run record holder.
It remains to be seen if the Yankees will win this year’s World Series, but no matter the outcome on the field, they’ve struck a merchandising gold mine with the simplest of garments. It’s sent fans into a frenzy, as best summarized by Twitter user @yankeesmobb, who is asking “CAN SOMEONE ANYONE EVEN FREAKING FASHIONOVA MAKE THE FREAKING YANKEES TURTLENECK.”
Don’t worry, New York fans—if the team’s marketing division doesn’t get on it, there’s a nonzero chance that the Yankees logo-obsessed boys down at Aimé Leon Dore are already sitting in Café Lyria scheming up some cotton-ribbed jacquard turtleneck with drop needle logo stitching to satisfy this very need.