A polo neck, roll-neck,[1] (UK), turtleneck (US, Canada), or skivvy (Australia, New Zealand) is a garment—usually a sweater—with a close-fitting, round, and high part similar to a collar that folds over and covers the neck. It can also refer to type of neckline, the style of collar itself, or be used as an adjective ("polo necked"). Their adoption by Noël Coward in the 1920s turned polo necks into a brief middle-class fashion trend, and feminists made them into a unisex item. Absorbed into mainstream American fashion by the mid 20th century, the polo neck came to be viewed as an anti-tie, a smart form of dress for those who rejected formal wear. The name of the turtleneck sweater has it’s origins in the otherwise dull annals of the Swedish patent office. You see, in 1871 the eccentrically brilliant tailor and turtle-lover Gerhard Thern took out a patent for this unique style of overwear. And, as we all know, when somebody holds a patent to something they are endowed with the sole privilege of governing all aspects of it’s production.