'Illya Kuryakin's Turtleneck - The
cool Russian agent Illya Kuryakin played by David McCallum on the
espionage adventure THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E./NBC/1964-68 often wore
a black turtleneck sweater instead of a shirt and tie like most of the
spies on the program. His turtleneck created a fad among viewers and
soon caught on nationwide.
A poster of Illya in his turtleneck
holding his U.N.C.L.E. issued firearm became a best selling poster
in the 1960s long before the Farah Fawcett poster craze began a
decade later.
TRIVIA NOTE: Late night talk show
host Johnny Carson started a rush for "Nehru" jackets in the middle
of the sixties when he wore one on NBC's THE TONIGHT SHOW.
