Everyone loves a mock neck. Or they would, if they knew what a mock neck was. For the uninitiated, the mock neck sits in the cosy liminal space between a crew neck and a rollneck, imparting more warmth than the former with none of the fuzzily stifling chokehold of the latter. It is a pleasing compromise practically perfect for autumnal weather and comes in myriad levels of smartness, from cashmere to tie-dye.

Still, mock necks are weirdly overlooked by your average man (the minutiae of neck differences on sweaters does not make for stimulating conversation). However, the mock neck is among the comfiest creations in the menswear world and should be front and centre of every man’s sweater drawer come the colder months. Mock necks are flattering – something about the defined ridge of the higher neck looks elegant next to the comparatively floppy turtleneck – and channel a 1990s sensibility that nevertheless slots nicely into a contemporary wardrobe. See five of our favourites, and some tips on how to pull them off, below.

For something reassuringly top shelf, try Loro Piana’s very blue and very soft ribbed baby cashmere mock neck. It’ll make for a reliable casual staple when worn with a pair of beige chinos and clean white sneakers and is timeless enough to keep you warm for a good decade or more.

De Bonne Facture’s white long-sleeve mock-neck T-shirt will look brilliantly minimal layered under a jacket or snappy under a deconstructed blazer. Think of it as the Warholian black rollneck – a little pretentious, ultimately charming – but updated for the future.

If rainbow-coloured Japanese streetwear is more your thing, Sasquatchfabrix has a tie-dye T-shirt mock neck that you can pair of wide-set trousers or sweatpants to channel a 1990s Ura-Harajuku skater kid.

Warm, comfortable and extremely versatile, a navy mock neck might just be our favourite thing to wear in autumn. This one by Thom Sweeney was knitted in Italy from a wool that’s thick enough to keep you warm but nice and light, too. We’d recommend pairing it with some cosy-looking corduroys to keep things classic.

Enter Monitaly with a new subgenre of mock neck: the smock neck. A dead ringer for the kind of thing you might have originally seen on a fisherman in the 18th century, this smock-style sweater has been repurposed in velour, no less, for the present. Smarter than a hoodie, but just as comfortable, keep the workwear theme going with a pair of chunky canvas cargo pants.