This is actually a story of two sweaters.
The first sweater is not this one. It is a Banana Republic extra fine merino in charcoal gray (which is my favorite color, by the way) that looks just like this one and that I’ve had for years. It was the sweater I wore all the time and took with me everywhere. If I was traveling it was likely the only sweater I packed — it was the perfect weight and color for layering and matched anything. Thin and light so easy to roll up and throw into a backpack. Plenty of warmth and versatility and worked perfectly in both dress up and dress down situations.
That sweater was a real work horse and I put it through its paces. It’s been out to dinner in Barcelona and deplaning onto a cold windy tarmac in Iceland. It’s been hiking and to Broadway shows. I would not be surprised if this song was actually about that sweater. It pre-dates me being with my wife so it’s well over 20 years old and looks like every minute of that time. I still have it but it’s really kind of beat up and stretched out and no longer looks great because of that. It looks used because it was used.
This sweater is basically a carbon copy of that sweater. We were in London’s Heathrow airport doing some shopping before our flight home. We stopped into the John Lewis shop and there, on a table, ON SALE was the exact copy of my favorite most worn sweater. Except, this sweater was Italian made and had a more flattering slimmer British cut. I may have even been wearing the BR sweater at the time — pretty likely. It was an instant purchase for me. It replaced the BR one seamlessly in that role.
I keep the BR one around because nostalgia does not allow me to part with it. That said, its travel days are long over and it’s at the bottom of the sweater drawer. The John Lewis has now severed me well for about 8 years now and still looks as good as the day I bought it.