The past five or six years in Eastern Nebraska have been unseasonably warm. Oh sure, we get a "Polar Vortex" now and then, but it rarely lasts longer than a day or two-certainly nothing requiring the wearing of heavy sweaters. This year has been strange-we go from 60 degrees F. one day to 14 degrees the following morning. Most years, I'm lucky if I wear this mohair sweater at all-this year it has been out since October. I'm not complaining. I know what you're thinking-why is she wearing clogs if it is so cold? *shrug* I'm from Chicago. My dad wouldn't bother with socks until there was a couple inches of snow on the ground. I'm not typically bothered by the cold on my feet, but that's probably poor circulation and not being able to tell the difference. Anyway, yeah the clogs are year-round shoes for me.
Beneath the mohair sweater I'm wearing a heavy cashmere polo neck purchased at Marshall Fields in the Country Shop sometime in the 80's. I have the cashmere in several colours (though some are crew neck, some are cardigans, etc.). They are excellent quality, two-ply, Made in Hong Kong. At the time, it was a pay-day splurge for me (I bought them over the course of about three winters) when I was young and without financial responsibilities. It ranks near the top of the list of, "Best investments I've made" as they are still serving me well in great condition after all these years. Most years I don't unpack the pastel shades (I was still young enough to not understand I could never wear lilac without looking ill) but this rust coloured one is a wardrobe staple. Young readers-buy the best quality you can afford (even better if you find it in a thrift shop) but don't waste your money on things that will fall apart after a season. Even bargains add up if you keep buying and discarding them. Okay, lecture over😀
Outfit Particulatrs:
Cashmere polo neck-Marshall Field's 80's
80's mohair sweater-Goodwill
70's knit skirt by Designer Original-Thrift World
Clogs-Goodwill
Tights-K Mart
1980's Angela Frascone handbag-Goodwill
Fragrance-Chamade
This sweater is also from the 80's. It is from heritage brand, Woolrich. The embroidered pine boughs and acorns are a nice detail, as are the small wooden beads meant to be berries. My dad bought it somewhere in Wisconsin (he was making a delivery and spotted it in a shop window nearby). He wasn't a very nice person, but he had excellent taste in woolens (I have a few Dale of Norway sweaters he bought me on whims). The sweater is deceptively lightweight, but quite warm. The back is embellished with pinecones at the yoke, but I didn't get a photo.
The details are nicer than my photos suggest.
Outfit Particulars:
Woolrich sweater-gift
While cotton poloneck-K Mart
1970's Koret of California polyester skirt-Thrift World
Boots-Hand-Me-Ups
Canadian Tourist handbag-New Life Thrift
Pewter necklace-Hand-Me-Ups
Fragrance-Mitsouko
Now, this sweater is an oddball. Late 60's/early 70's, zip at the neck in back and the heaviest, scratchiest wool ever. Again, as with the last sweater, the hand embroidery makes it special. I remember cranberry and pink being popular when I was very young, and perhaps that's what finally convinced me to buy it after it sat on the rail at Hand-Me-Ups for months. I struggled to find something to wear it with (it overwhelmed my crushed velvet palazzo pants, which shouldn't be possible) so in desperation, I went for the poodle skirt. Obviously, two very different eras but I'm not a vintage purist. I wore my velvet boots to save it from being too twee.
Apologies for the light-it was so bright that day no amount of editing would help the photos.
Outfit Particulars:
Poodle skirt-Costume shop
Vintage Joyce sweater-Hand-Me-Ups
Handbag-Goodwill
Brooch on handbag-Goodwill
Hair bows-Tiff and Tam
Bangles-can't remember
Boots-K Mart
Earrings-estate sale
Fragrance-L' Heure Bleue
This final sweater was a gift, knit for me by an elderly neighbour in the 80's. She was a lovely woman who gave me her wedding hat to wear for mine (she also gave me her dress from the 50's but unfortunately there was no way to make it fit me. I do still have it as she insisted I keep it as she had no children). I sometimes laugh at the thought of a very orthodox Jewish old woman knitting me a Christmas sweater, but she saw the pattern and decided the penguins were, "Me." She was correct.
I have more people stop me to compliment this sweater than anything else I own. There's something so cheerful about it, and for a Christmas sweater it is on the restrained side.
Outfit Particulars:
Hand-Knit sweater-Gift
Skirt-Filene's, 90's
Hat-Fiber Arts Show
Brooch-can't remember
Earrings-K Mart
Christmas bracelet (depicts scenes from the Nativity)-New Life Thrift
Necklace-Hand-Me-Ups
Vintage handbag-Goodwill
Fragrance-Vol de Nuit
How long will sweater-weather last? Who knows?! Perhaps I can do a Sweater-of the Day feature when the brooches are done. I'll leave you with a glimpse of the bargain table-top tree I picked up at Aldi ("come for the cheese, leave with holiday decorations") and the tree-shaped bowl filled with baseballs. I'll let you guess which member of the family is responsible for that. Hint, it is the same person responsible for this...
"Hang on Santa, help is on the way. Don't let go!"
I'd better go get a ladder.
10 comments:
It gets to about 75F midday here and about 45F here at night. Positively balmy, eh? We're wearing sweaters with sandals- a very Indian look. I'm wearing a cashmere hoody over my kurti & churidars I bought off the sale rack in the men's section at Target in Miami in 2012 for $15- lightweight, warm, & cozy as good cashmere should be! Just goes to show quality can be found just about anywhere if you look.
What a lovely sweater collection you have. Is that cranberry/pink one velvet with knitted sleeves attached? - the penguins are still my favorite too!
heavy sweater envy!!
and you do look fabulous in all of them! amen to your quality advice!!
we have the weather - but to find such cool pullovers is almost impossible around here...... my norwegian beauties are found at a store in berlin that imported norwegian vintage clothes by container load - but only once. we bought lots of stuff that day, not only sweaters.
@clogs: they´r actually warm! because of the thick wooden soles the insulate very good again the cold ground - much better then most winter boots with chic thin soles......
xxxx
@Bibi
The sweater is all knit-the pink flowers are embroidered with thick yarn on the heavy cranberry coloured wool. The knitting is flat enough it could look like velvet.
Target has gone seriously downhill-not sure how they survive.
@Beate
Good point about the clogs.
What a collection of jumpers! You're so right about buying quality, I had it drummed into me from an early age - better to buy second hand cashmere than a cheap, sweat shop made trendy thing new for the same price.
I love my clogs, sadly it'll be a while before I'll be wearing them. The snow's up to my knees, now! xxx
Oh dear: sweater overload! I can feel a hot flush coming on! It's getting quite cold here but as long as it stays just above zero degrees celsius, I'm fine with layers. Or maybe a heavier cardigan, which I can peel off if necessary. That said, I love your first sweater and the cute reindeer brooch you pinned to it. The Woolrich one with the embroidered pine cones is lovely too. Your scratchy pink and burgundy sweater, oddly enough, is my favourite and I couldn't take my eyes off the poodle skirt! Although I'm not a Christmas person, I do love your bracelet with the nativity scenes. I'm quite sure I would have picked it up too. xxx
My heavy-duty sweaters were both souvenir gifts, a bulky blue from Norway and a cream and green poncho from Guatemala. Like your beloved penguins sweater, I cherish them for the thought of their givers as much as I value them for their utility.
The scratchy burgundy sweater would be too much for me in any heated environment, especially a car. (And I doubt the poodle skirt would fit in my little KIA.) However, I, too, have discovered clogs for winter. Excellent idea, ladies!
The pink and cranberry has to be my favourite, too. It is just so unexpected! I'm glad for the explanation in the comments as I also thought it was velvet. And the poodle skirt! I confess that until now I hadn't quite believed a poodle skirt was really a thing. Fantastic.
@Vix
But you look so great in boots it is almost like mother nature did you a favour dumping all that snow ;)
@Ann
A tee-shirt layer beneath is a necessity for removing the sweater indoors.
@Beth
I can't manage a crinoline in the Ford Focus either ;)
@Radostin
They're real! I don't think any of the women in my family would have worn one, but they were a popular 50's fad.
What a wonderful collection of sweaters. I loved the Penguin one the best because the lady who knitted it for you sounds so lovely. I noticed you even had a Christmas brooch pinned to your bag! Just how many Christmas brooches do you have?
@Veronica
Too many!!!
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