Not the most obvious Mod knit around, but the Submariner Jumper is a timeless classic designed to keep out the cold.
It’s the kind of jumper (or sweater, if you prefer) that you see a lot in classic imagery from the 1960s. The Action seemed particularly keen on this design in old publicity shots, and as the title suggests, the Submariner was prominent on Dennis Waterman in the cult classic Up The Junction.
Not that it was a 1960s thing. This was a practical piece of knitwear, one that was introduced in wartime to keep mariners warm on the open sea. But like many pieces designed for the military, it crossed over.
Crossed over and was widely worn- both by Mods and Rockers, to be honest. But isn’t seen as much today. Perhaps it isn’t as easy to find today as it was some 50 years ago, but it certainly hasn’t disappeared. Several high-end brands do one, and more affordable options are out there as well.
Mod label and retailer Jump The Gun sells a hefty Submariner, which is the one you can see here. One hundred per cent British wool and designed to keep the chill out. Yes, even the one we’ve had recently.
That one is available in an ecru or navy blue finish, selling for £115. If neither of those works for you, do a search online. Plenty there if you look, and if you get one, it should be perfect for the upcoming weather and time of year.
Find out more at the Jump The Gun website
It’s worth mentioning that Gloverall also has a range of submariners, too, as you might expect. Differing slightly in terms of fit and construction, they also include some Breton submariners, like the one you see above. Priced a little higher (around £130), but not massively.
You can see all of those on the Gloverall website.
I was “lucky” enough to get mine while serving in Subs for several years (they also gave me a nice shiny medal for Kosovo). Seriously though , these sweaters are great and I often team them up with a suit.