Battle of the gray (and not) sweaters--ETA new reflection

Still warm here but “winter is coming” and I tend to live in sweaters, even with our fairly mild winters.

I’ve mentioned I’m feeling a lot of my sweaters are not “fluid” enough, but worried about going overboard—both in terms of over-stocking one “trend” and also whether it’s somehow a wrong direction to do so much waist-surrendering, while I still have a waist! I’ve been trying this and that.

#1—Garnet Hill cashmere (kinda lightweight) in a nice grayish-beige—goes with black and gray but also more taupey colors--on a good sale during the summer.

#2—same in teal (looks more like teal IRL)—

These are not boxy, but longer and more roomy than some of my current sweaters. The length is good for pants.

#3—BR cotton-blend –sized up to M in this—boxier style, roomy but not huge, I think.

#4—Anthro funnel-type neck. Funny thing—it looks HUGE IRL and also a bit odd with regular trouser-pants (not shown), but when as in photo I tried with my sorta-skinny pants, it looks more proportionate, and also more so in the photo than when I’m lookin’ at it.

For #4, first I thought, going to send back, then with skinnier pants, I think, hmm, pretty good, But, this outfit looks extremely blah with lab coat. I had focused on gray as being a good neutral. However, I’m learning: gray + white coat can be very blah—much of the architecture of the top is lost, so all you get is a strip of gray and a sea of white. Plus, long-oversized top in combo adds to blah-blob, since is loose over loose. You do not get the same effect as obtained with a blazer, for example;, and you don’t get the unstructured-over skinny effect as much with the pants, either. Also funny: the neckline isn’t as fab with a topper than when standing alone

So I’m really re-thinking that whole proportion thing for FFBO for work, because paradoxically I can wear something more fitted as the base layer.

I’m back to sending #4 back, in favor of more color and more structure or front detail or something. Boo, because I like the neckline on its own. But a turtle or cowl works better.

#1-3 fit under jackets and are closer to fluid but not oversized, so I think I am going to keep those. Then, I think I should aim for more color—bombed out on the Appleseed love-bandle sweater style, but that berry color is a good goal. Need not to feel rushed into subpar items.

Repeating, all of these look much roomier to my eye IRL than when I look at the photos—what’s up with that?

Thoughts and comments? Are you learning more about what is the perfect balance of fluid, boxy, length for you?

ETA: I had the Anthro (#4) packed up, but then extracted it and returned the other Anthro rejects without it.

It just goes over things so easy. And the neckline is hard to find. And it's a cotton blend so could wear more times of year, and layer under for cooler . I do love my new EF sweater, but it's an oven (yay for later in winter) and so not for transition weather, and is shorter, so doesn't go over some of the pants this one works with. Hmmmm

Part of my question to myself was, am I catching up to the oversized fit trend, and that's why it's appealing--it "looks" like what I'm seeing in a lot of on-line photos-- or am I "hiding" under these big sweaters, and if so, do I care?

ETA photo is just with my boxy boucle topper, which is one of the toppers that I could put over this--that is an issue for extending its wearability, since it can be hard to topper this type of top.

Re: Adelfa's post on emotional--I think I just really like being able to toss it on over several types of pants, jeans, and pencil skirts so now am thinking about keeping it for my year of big-sweatering. I still would like to have a real "color"--this came in a kind of bright rust-orange that I could wear, but isn't in my target zone and so then doesn't play with some other items.

Will try to take some styling photos before the final decision.

I wonder if I'm the only indecisive box-robber.

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12 years ago

Sona

Veteran

could you tuck any of these? That might give us some better info to go with.

unfrumped

Hi, Sona. I can tuck in the GH sweaters with my best "tucking" pants and probably pencil skirts, depending on fit. I've shown them with the skinny pants since I had them on for the big sweater, but would mostly wear with trouser-type pants. The Anthro is too big. The BR is probably not, as is thicker than the cashmere sweaters.

Suz

(website)

Unless you tuck or faux-tuck or semi-tuck you can't really tell whether the effect is going to be what you want. It's a question of cut, not size. These look like sweaters that are supposed to be a bit tailored. (Except possibly #4). The colours are all great on you, but of course if they don't work with a lab coat, that's no good.

Suz, thanks for weighing in.
I'm confused though. Are sweaters that are in a tailored style meant to be worn tucked in always?

Dana

Just a thought...I think all the sweaters flatter you, but 1-3 appear virtually identical to me. Are you sure you want 3 sweaters so similar?

Amy

I agree with Dana. The 1st 3 look almost identical and it's hard to tell if they work for you without seeing how you'd intend to wear them.

I've nevertheless tucked in a sweater in my life, so that's a novel concept to me

I understand what you're saying about # 4 looking blah under a lab coat, but it really stands out to me because of its great collar...sorry no help.

Aziraphale

Unfrumped, I can't answer any of the questions in your original post (none of those sweaters look boxy or loose to me, and your waist is clearly visible in all of them -- even #4), but I do know that you do not have to tuck a sweater, tailored or not, if you don't want to. Tucked tops nearly always look wrong on me. I don't think I've ever tucked a sweater in my life. It's a lot of bulk to be stuffing down your pants.

OK, added some comments and a new photo, but not sure if this is the best way to do it.

You are certainly not the only indecisive box-robber! I do it, too.

In answer to your question -- no, I did not mean that tailored sweaters should be tucked.

But a fluid or oversized sweater can be faux tucked or semi-tucked. And I thought you were aiming for fluid looks.

These sweaters look more tailored than fluid. They do have some room (as in perhaps you have sized up...or they are just a slightly roomier cut). But they are not roomy in the way that the sweaters in a more current cut are roomy. They are less boxy than the newer look sweaters. With a boxy sweater, if you faux tuck or semi tuck, it will "drape" in a certain way. These ones are cut too snug to do that (even though they have a fair amount of give to them.) I don't know if that makes sense. It's all a question of cut, though.

The one you kept seems closer to having that cut.

Okay, I get that. I'm not up for faux or semi-tucking for work outfits.
It's tuck or no tuck. But I have done some "blousy tuck" with boxier, drapier knits, which is reminiscent of Angie's welted faux tuck, depending on how hard you look at it.

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