Noah’s Sweater is Proof They’re More Than a Streetwear Brand

 Image via Noah.

It has come to my attention that many people consider Noah strictly a streetwear brand. I mean, yes, the founder used to work for Supreme. Their social media (and team) includes many skaters. Their clothes often contain a lot of branding. They’ve sold (and sell) skating accessories.

There’s no denying that Noah gets its voice from subcultures such as surfing and skating. They’re a political, anti-establishment brand. However, putting them in the skate/streetwear brand box overlooks a large portion of their output and designs.

Take, for example, the Vertical Stripe Intarsia Lambswool Sweater (or as I’ll call it from now, the sweater) from FW2019. This is a classic merino wool sweater — a staple of dads, 2009-tier menswear, and dudes who get all their clothes from Uniqlo. You probably wouldn’t skate with it, or feel particularly rebellious. It wouldn’t look too out of place at Club Monaco. Even then, it is a Noah piece.

Now, to get a little off-topic: this sweater rules. It’s thick but breathable and very soft. The stripes add an understated uniqueness (a staple quality of more dressed-up Noah items). The sizing is big enough to feel cozy and let you layer underneath if you want.

But that’s the point: This is a well executed sweater you can wear to a date, party, formal event or even work (if you’re sad enough to work at a place that doesn’t let you wear whatever). Its roots lie with classic menswear, but they’re mixed with Noah’s penchant for the unconventional.

Look, I won’t lie to you. This sweater is very expensive. I only own it because it was on sale and even then I felt guilty about the purchase for two weeks. I’m not trying to persuade you to buy anything (although, you should), but rather to take a look at Noah’s contributions to contemporary menswear outside of streetwear.

 Image via Noah.