Oh Michelle, for a second I thought you was about to buy a pair of Crocs, but pretty knitwear is not an offence in my court. I think the tops would look lovely with your pearl necklace and some of the colours are lovely. Blackberry reminds me of your sweat pea top and vivid blue is gorgeous.

The cardigan would hit your body where your derriere meets your thigh.

I'm not the best with fit for body types so I will leave that to the experts.

Give Reva a hug from me

Julie

There's nothing wrong with Lands End (if you're choosy), or knitwear in my book. But I don't think that either of these pieces are a good fit for you. The pullover is boxy, and the V is too small and shallow to be flattering. Some of the colors are pretty, but I'd keep looking elsewhere for a more fitted pullover with a wider, deeper V neck. The cardi hits at an akward spot on the thigh as R&J said. If it were a little longer, it would be perfect.

Michelle- I had to laugh, I also thought Crocs or worse.

I think the issue with Land's End had been that their items can be boxy, but I have become a big fan of theirs as of late. They now have a lot of items in 3 different fits and for me the fit 1 is very nice. It is a closer to the body fit which is what I like. I don't have any experience with the fit 2 or fit 3 but I think it might be worth a try for you to see if they will work. The quality of their knits are nice especially for the price and they do offer a nice selection of colors in many of their items.

I just bought 6 layering pieces from LE, so I will sit in the corner with you, Michelle :)

3 long-sleeved tees and 3 layering turtlenecks, in the "modern fit" or "fit 1," which is longer and more fitted. They are fab, really, I swear. The quality is much better than JCrew and the price is a fraction of theirs. The colors are more basic, but perfect for my purposes.

Their cashmere is also to die for. Their baby cable cashmere sweaters are such high quality for the price, you wouldn't believe it. I am eyeing the boyfriend cashmere cardi for $180 but will wait for a sale ...

I had the same thoughts as Julie. I thought you were considering leaving the house with only a cami or wearing Uggs as fashion boots :p

V-neck sweaters are tricky to me. A couple of years ago I thought I REALLY needed/wanted a few because they seemed so basic. I haven't worn them a whole lot since buying them. They give no shape and tend to look flat/boring or masculine. I had some success layering them over a buttondown and then belting it, but since I can no longer fit into most buttondowns and belting is a no-go for me, I haven't found any other creative ways to use them. Perhaps a scarf might help. I'm not sure. My only hesitation with this sweater is that it has some sort of strange band at the bottom, like an extra fine ribbing. It makes it a tad bit blousy in a way that is really weird for a sweater.

I agree with the others--something about the length of the cardi is off. It needs to be longer or shorter.

I was looking at the LE collection at my local sears when I went in to buy my son a backpack and I was very impressed with the quality & styling. It seems that they have really revamped their line.

I understand what Khris is saying about the v-neck - it does seem a little shallow and a deeper v-neck is usually more flattering but depending on what you wear on your neck - necklace or scarf, it may work. I actually like the cardigan and to me it looks like a textbook BF cardi although I generally don't like the ones with hip pockets since they can add bulk in this area.

Laura, what size of turtleneck did you order? I was considering buying a few of those, and I'm not sure whether to order small or medium (I'm thinking small since their size chart seems to run large).

Michelle, these are the links to the turtlenecks Laura is talking about:

http://www.landsend.com/pp/Mod.....igin=index

GREAT lead in Michelle:)

OK.....I forgive you:)...LE has good quality!!

I confess that I have some LE knitwear. 2 cashmere sweaters and a cotton round neck. Buy a size down - they can run big. But the cashmere is great for price (I bought mine at end of season on markdown).
I did pick up bright colored cashmere scarfs from them a couple years ago - perfect work gifts!

I have a few Lands' End button-downs which I really like and have held up extremely well. I am considering buying a couple more. Like Chris, I bought a cashmere scarf (plus some for gifts) last year on clearance and its wonderful. I'm watching the sales for those cashmere sweaters.

Can I ask a dumb question ... how do you wear the layering turtlenecks? I wore turtlenecks in the 90s with crew-neck sweaters or on their own, but I don't know how to style them to look current now.

Hmmm, this is interesting. I've always been told that v-necks look best on me and I love their comfort level. I absolutely understand that lower v-necks are more flattering, and I'll have to check this out in person if possible on these sweaters. I have a blackberry "low v-neck" cashmere sweater from LE which I adore, and I like where the v hits on me, but I'm wondering if it's not pleasing aesthetically. Maya, what is it about v-necks that doesn't jive for you? And is this just on your own body or a general preference?

Laura and Chris, also loving the LE cashmere. So gorgeous, so comparitively affordable!

I'm also confused on another point raised here... turtlenecks. I've worn them in the past and love them in frigid Toronto winters, but on this site I'm reading that busty people like me should avoid them. Thoughts? I would totally get some if I can wear them well, but want to avoid them if it's a nightmare waiting to happen.
And finally... of the LE colours listed in the link above, which ones would look good on me? And out of curiosity, what shade is "iris" supposed to be? :)

Michelle, I think Angie echoes Maya's sentiments when it comes to higher V-neck tops. I used to love them until I realized they emphasize my already strong shoulder line. maybe that is why they come across as a tad more masculine.

Iris, to me, seems like a darker fushcia. Magenta is another color that comes to mind. A brighter and few shades lighter Blackberry so to speak. I compare to Blackberry because you have a Blackberry trench and it might be easier for you to go from there?
I hope I haven't confused you too much :-)

Ana, I bought XS -- not petite, the regular sizing. LE runs big.

Michelle, I wear thin layering turtlenecks under dresses, button-downs, blazers ... you name it. Last winter when it was really cold, I actually considered wearing a turtleneck under a cowlneck but decided to draw the line there :)