Are polonecks in?

STYLE SMALL PRINT:It started off so slowly that it didn't seem as if there was anything to worry about. Gary Barlow wore a poloneck (quietly, and with little fanfare) on The X Factora fortnight ago.

Then, last Thursday, following the death of Apple founder Steve Jobs the previous day, the luxury men’s brand St Croix was reporting a 100 per cent upturn in sales of turtlenecks, presumably in homage to Jobs’s preferred fashion item. All of a sudden, the poloneck, that favourite of Irish mammies during the late 1980s and early 1990s, is back. Should we welcome or reject this sudden revival? Despite initial appearances, the return of the poloneck is no bad thing.

Current trends for 1970s shapes and 1940s hemlines call for a form-fitting, solid colour on top. Midi skirts, for example, often necessitate a tight T-shirt or poloneck, and high-waisted flared jeans are improved by a Jobs special. However, for every Audrey Hepburn there is a Rachel Greene circa 1990s Friends.Things to avoid with a poloneck are hipster jeans, unless you are Gisele, and dungarees (ditto). Pair them with high waists and

form-fitting silhouettes. Ensure you have a good bra – a T-shirt bra is best – and under no circumstances should you team your turtleneck with a necklace of any sort.