Quote:
Originally Posted by
Michigan Planner 
ClarinetPlayer - How would you rate the sizing on that North Sea sweater? I know you often post fits with LL Bean sweaters so how would you compare the North Sea to maybe a Norwegian from LL Bean?
Well, comparing these two sweaters would be like comparing apples to oranges. Here goes...
The North Sea is very snug. Typically, all I need to wear is Patagonia base layer underneath. This morning, when the temperature was around 30 degrees, this was sufficiently warm. (I ditched the duffel when I went outside.) Wearing an OCBD shirt just would not work. Besides, the shirt wouldn't even show. The neck opening and mini shawl collar is very small. The sleeves are very tight.
The Norwegian, on the other hand, is very roomy. It is
made for layering. A flannel shirt fits well with this sweater. I've even worn the Norwegian over an OCBD and a thin wool sweater. The big complaint about the Norwegian is how it "billows" at the waist. I have a Medium, but the Small "billows" just the same. That is part of the "heating system"--trapping that air space between the body and wool. And, because it is a working man's sweater, it has to be roomy. I just pull it down and that takes care of the billowing.
North Sea comes in specific sizes; Norwegian in S M L etc...
My Medium Norwegian has a p2p of 22 inches. (And this is the "Medium"!) In retrospect, I wish I had gotten a Small--which would be more of a Medium.
My North Sea is a size 40 with a p2p of 20.5 inches. There is a lot of material in the chest. In retrospect, I wish I had gotten a size 38. The waist band on this sweater is big and fairly snug.
Today's Norwegian is 100% wool. The Norwegian of old was a mixture of wool and rayon. I had one of those sweaters, and it was not comfortable. (It was stolen when I left on a chair in a university library." The new model has exactly the same dimensions of the old. (The old one billowed at the waist, too.) I like new version much better. It is made in Norway by the same company that made the sweaters for Bean back in the 70s and 80s.
Both of these sweaters, with a scarf, are perfect for winter weather walking and hiking.
By the bye, I wear a size 39 coat.
Edited by clarinetplayer - 12/12/12 at 6:33pm
