I know the coolest people. Last week my friend Melissa was rooting out closets at her house, and asked me if I wanted this vintage L.L. Bean Norwegian sweater, gratis. To my amazement, it looked like it had never been worn or washed, and it fit me perfectly.
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| L.L. Bean catalog page from 1983. Image from Heavy Tweed Jacket. |
Although red is not one of my usual colors, there was no way I was letting this specimen get away. Among other things, it may very well be a collector's item. Although Bean reintroduced the Norwegian a few years back (I have one in charcoal, which is shown elsewhere on this blog), red is not among the current color offerings. My educated guess is that it hasn't been available since the 1980s.
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| Image from the 1985 Hollins College Spinster. And yes, I love the DOS-based computer too. |
Although the traditional white-on-navy trumps all, for a time at the crest of the post-Handbook wave you could get the Norwegian crewneck in a relative rainbow of colors, such as navy-on-white, shown above, and red-on-gray. Melissa tells me she still has one in the latter scheme, which she plans on keeping. And, it's worth noting that while both her Norwegians came from thrift stores, she knows exactly what they are. Melissa went to prep school in New York City in the eighties, and still wears her turtlenecks scrunchy.
It only makes her generous gift all the more awesome.
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| Thanks, Melissa! |
OMG! What an awesome score, I would have been grinning from ear to ear :) I'm smiling for you!
ReplyDeleteIn regards to your previous post regarding LE Squall jackets--I had a Squall parka that I absolutely loved, had worn it literally to death. Last year I decided it was time to replace it. The coat I received was a mere shadow of the coat I was replacing, and whoever cut it out/manufactured it screwed the sleeves up royally. I sent it back and ended up ordering a completely different coat. Buyer beware! LE used to be such a reliable place :(
I love it, John! It looks fabulous and what a nice friend you have. Why can't they just make them all again, including the down vests from that catalog page. I am wearing one of mine (navy/white)from over thirty years ago. It is just the kind of garment where you wouldn't change a thing. Perfect with the white OCBD!
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