Thursday, May 28, 2009

A Sneak Peak at LL Bean's Norwegian


Last week I stopped by LL Bean's headquarters in Freeport and met with Don Rogers, a project manager and expert on all things Norwegian, to chat about bringing back the Norwegian sweater for the next issue of the H(Y)R Collective. The Sweater will be made in the exact same factories as the original sweater. Kudos to LL Bean.

A few years ago, LL Bean experimented with a Norwegian style sweater made in China out of a blend of cotton, wool and nylon. Look at the difference between the sample of the Norwegian sweater on sale this fall and the made-in-China Norwegian style sweater from the archives.

Here's a first look at the 1/4th zip version available only in LL Bean retail locations. Its a classic alternative to a 1/4th zip fleece. Be sure to check out the issue 13 of the H(Y)R Collective for more on the sweater and the resurrection and updating of a forty year old design.


6 comments:

Charles G said...

What does it feel like now? While I love my original from the 80's, it's a lot of sweater, stiff and rough... (Great if you're a Norwegian Fisherman, less valid if you're a soft urbanite.) Did they update the yarn at all or is it a true-to-the-original recreation?

Jook said...

awesome, great work man.

Anonymous said...

This is great - with regards to clothing, will you blog about your internship at Ralph Lauren as well?

Dale
thesmokingpipe.blogspot.com

Anonymous said...

How's Brooklyn?

Quail said...

One thing about Norwegian sweaters is the snagging that happens. Imagine the action of getting into one and each and every time your watch gets snagged on some yarn. I'm not sure why the reverse of the knit is so loose but after a stint in Oslo with one, I had to give up on the thing entirely. Looked beautiful so I should have chucked the watch!

Anonymous said...

When will these be released? I think this could become a stable in my f/w attire.