Pack One St. Croix and You're Dressed for Anywhere

Every season one piece comes off the truck and goes straight to the front of the store. This fall it's the St. Croix Zip Mock with Tipping, style 4419. I moved it ahead of everything else in our St. Croix collection, and I get asked why. So here it is,

Man wearing the St. Croix Zip Mock with Tipping in Coastal Blue with white tipping at the collar and zipper — The 4419 in Coastal Blue

Why does this sweater go first?

It's new, the colors are fresh, and I love the detail. There's a thin line of contrast tipping on the collar and running down both sides of the zipper. It's a small thing, but it's what makes you look twice. A plain quarter-zip is a basic. This one has a little personality.

What is that tipping really doing?

It gives the sweater a bit of a varsity feel. White on red, white on black, white on navy. It reminds you of a school jacket without looking like you borrowed one.

And yes, the football fans have noticed. Ohio is a big group in Naples, and the Red/White has their name on it. The Emerald is for the Green Bay crowd. And I have no connection to North Carolina whatsoever, but I love Carolina blue, which is why the Coastal Blue is my pick. We're not selling team gear. We're selling a great sweater that happens to come in your colors on a Saturday.

So it's a sweater for sports fans?

No. That's the bonus. This sweater is for every man who travels. It looks right all the time: on the plane, at the airport, at dinner the night you land, at the club the next morning.

What makes it a travel sweater?

St. Croix knits are known for the way they keep their shape, and this one is a good example. It's knit in St. Croix's Milano rib, a double knit that's denser and more stable than an ordinary sweater knit. It doesn't grow at the hem, it doesn't bag at the elbows, and it comes out of a suitcase looking like it went in.

The yarn is 85% Giza cotton, the long-staple Egyptian cotton, with 15% microfiber for recovery. It's light enough for Naples in December and warm enough for a cold airplane. You can put it in the washing machine on a mild cycle and dry it flat. And it's made in the USA, by St. Croix in Winona, Minnesota, in small runs.

Close-up of the St. Croix Zip Mock with Tipping in red with white tipping along the zipper and collar — The tipping up close, in Red/White

How would you wear it?

Over a polo, with a pair of Alberto trousers and loafers. That's the whole outfit, and it works from the flight to the restaurant.

Swap the trousers for Alberto jeans and it fits even more occasions. Golf in the morning, lunch on Fifth Avenue, a casual dinner. You don't have to change.

If a man packs light, what's the rule?

Pack one St. Croix and you're dressed for anywhere.

I mean that. You don't need three sweaters and a sport coat for every possible evening. You need one good knit that holds its shape, goes with everything in the bag, and looks like you made an effort when you didn't have to.

Which colors do you have?

Seven colors on the floor right now, in M through XXL:

Some sizes are already down to one or two pieces, so if you have a favorite, don't wait for December.

Three ways to get yours

Come in. 4232 Gulf Shore Boulevard North, at the Village on Venetian Bay. Try a couple of colors side by side. George, Lana, Nick and I will tell you which one is yours.
Call or text. 239-434-9484. We'll hold your size or ship it to you up north before you head down.
Shop online. Every color is on mondouomo.com, the same stock we have on the floor.

See you this season.

Arda Boyar
Mondo Uomo, Naples

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