More winter dressing: my trouble with sweaters - YouLookFab Forum

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More winter dressing: my trouble with sweaters

rachylou

Veteran

No pics right now, but I went digging in my mum's basement and found more wintry things. Sweaters, thermals. I'm wearing a green turtleneck sweater today with lace trim at the cuffs and embroidered flowers at the shoulders (and some new fleece socks from the drugstore) and a thermal shirt. Oh and grey flares with sweater leggings underneath.

So, I am feeling pleasantly warm. However, I'm not feeling very me or, actually, polished enough for work. True my style is RATE, but this isn't really an outfit. It's a sweater and pants.

I think I have a problem with sweaters that actually keep you warm. I don't really know how to make outfits with them. Maybe it's the bulk. All warm sweaters to me are the equivalent of a Reindeer Jumper with Blinking Lights.

Thoughts? Advice? How do you guys go about thinking about sweaters?

Dressing

26 replies

Latest reply was from rachylou

Diana

Veteran

Hmm, well, big sweaters are a no brainer over skinny pants and boots. Put that on and you're done. But it is admittedly more of a cozy or ski-bunny sort of aesthetic. I'm not really sure you can get a big bulky sweater to look polished or super professional. That's not really its job. If you want a more professional look, I'd get a mid-weight fitted sweater (I have the BR Merino Vee from Angie's picks) and layer it under a blazer.

Also, you need to think of a sweater as a textured item, particularly if it is a bulkier gauge knit. It's not going to read as smooth or as solid as a woven.

Neel

Veteran

How about leather skinnies or skirt to add that RATE criteria to oversized girly (embroidery, flowers and lace!) sweaters? Flares with sweater can easily feel boring ... I know

Vildy

Veteran

Yeah I see the problem. If you think about guys wearing a sweater and pants to work, you don't envision just those two items, unless he thinks he can show off his chest hair or something. The sweater would be finer knit and over a shirt. Or perhaps chunkier knit cardigan in lieu of jacket but still over shirt.
I would imagine Inez de la Fressange could wear just one of her navy vee neck sweaters and pants and look pulled together enough but I'm picturing a few very sleek and citified accessories, booties, etc. I think it's hard to make this kind of outfit look defined and intentional. Unless your workplace is quite relaxed and then your outfit as described seems right in line!

rachylou

Veteran

I like the idea of leather skinnies - but sadly, I think that would give everyone in the office a heart attack.

I suppose I could try and swing an Inez look - I can imagine it too how fantastic she would look. But I worry that I can't pull it off. I'm not a classic dresser like Inez; very easy for me to look dumpy and boring.

Neel

Veteran

Oh man .... I missed the *work* part :D. Will a leather panel pencil skirt do? Or leather trim skinnies?

Peri

Veteran

I'm not sure how a sweater and pants isn't an outfit...its all I wear in the winter! But, I'm hot natured, so I can go with the less bulky ones...is the more casual feel of the bulky ones what you aren't liking?

I'm finding my style is simple clothes, attention to color (I will never be a color minimalist), and more individuality put in with scarves and interesting jewelry. Maybe your style is more interest in the clothes themselves? Would accessories help you feel more outfit-ish?

Good Lord, I'm giving style suggestions. Let's all fall over laughing now!!

carter

Veteran

I totally get this. There's something missing in just a top and a bottom...something that says, "This is an intentional outfit." I think Peri's right, something added that makes it complete. For me, it's usually jewelry or a belt or a scarf, but sometimes I still fail, and it just reads as, "well at least she's dressed."

Peri, you crack me up!

Kbfenner

For warmth, yet work polished, multiple thin layers is the way to go. Super thin long-sleeved tissue tees, a merino v neck, a blazer. Bulky sweaters are always more casual.

catgirl

Veteran

Girlfriend, how cold are you?

Truthfully, I hate layers. I wear my cashmere sweaters with a cami tank underneath and pants, and that is enough to keep me warm for work and home days. if I'm going out to play in the snow it's another story, but then I'm not worried about anything but staying warm and dry. Walking to and fro I have my down coats and down skirts.

Do you need that many layers once you get to work?

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

I wear a tank/thermals with a cashmere/merino pullover with trousers and jeans all the time and feel fashionable - and like I'm wearing an outfit. I often add a belt. It's all in the cut and texture of the pieces. Therein lies the important detail. It's not about the layering but about whether the pieces are good enough to stand on their own.

Obviously I add a bag and outerwear when I head outside.

E

Veteran

I suspect finer gauge sweaters are the answer! As long as they're wool they should still keep you warm but without the bulk. Have you tried layering a sweater over a silk collared shirt? I did that the other day and felt a bit like a prep school head boy, lol. Which in my world means at least semi-polished.

glamourpuss

I don't post often but no one else has mentioned long-sleeved silk undershirts so I thought I would. I wear them under cashmere and merino sweaters and they make a huge difference in warmth. Also, I have found that sweaters which contain a high percentage of cotton, bulky or fine, are not nearly warm enough over 60 degrees F.

I got my silks at WinterSilks (no affiliation), but I think Land's End carries them, too. I know WinterSilks has different warmth levels. Mine are the lightest warmth level. I also wear their silk bottoms under trousers and pants. Much warmer and no bulk.

Greyscale

Veteran

I think I know what you mean. Have you considered searching online for photos of outfits with sweaters?

It's also possible you're being too hard on yourself! "Dumpy and boring" are not the words that come to mind for your look!

FlorenceFearne

Also, I know this is obvious, but have you taken a realllllly critical look at fit? Considering that sweaters seem easy, (you just pop them over your head) I am constantly amazed at just how much trouble I have finding a sweater that fits and drapes right. In fact, I currently own a bunch of cardigans and over-sized knits, but only 1 fitted sweater, and even that one only fits "well enough."

unfrumped

Veteran

I understand because many of my winter outfits are sweater + trousers I agree with FF that fit is important, and I find not every top works with every bottom, due to proportions. Color combos also make a difference-- tonal neutrals read more polished, or column of color, or monochrome looks, than perhaps a bright sweater over neutral pants. Then also I'm trying to pay attention to modern footwear.

I think it's not different from any top + bottom issue. A shirt or blouse with pants also can look unfinished.

jayne

Veteran

Before this year I have avoided sweaters like the plague. Finding ones that both don't itch and actually provide warmth is hard. You know those manmade materials make a pretty sweater, are soft, but don't seem to add any real warmth for me. Anywho, I finally discovered cashmere, and I mean the lightweight body con version. And I layer over a longer shirt and just love the look. Might be too classic for you, but I feel it is edgy for me cuz of the colors I am choosing to mix.

rachylou

Veteran

Soo... reporting back. This weekend I realised I did a terrible job of switching out my closet from spring/summer to fall/winter. I was looking at my clothes, sure I had more thermals and turtle necks. And indeed, two bins of winter stuff remained in storage.

So... round two. I thought about what you all said, packed up all my cotton sweaters, kept the wool ones. I have a lot of sweaters - and first round, I didn't think about the yarn at all.

So upon examination and to answer some of the questions, and to try and articulate my problems better:

I do feel too casual in my warmer sweaters. And also too plain and utilitarian.
I get very cold, pretty much can't maintain my own body temperature.
This problem is really an indoor, at work problem. I'm set up for hiking around in nature or my hipster 'hood with the dog. But for example, at the bakery, there is no heating or A/C. During our week of freezing temps, the walk-in refrigerator door got left open and never left the green zone - no over-temp alarm. In the office buildings I work in, you can call down to maintenance for an hour of heat, but otherwise, you have A/C blowing on your head all year round. In summer it's a little better, but in winter, these places get steadily colder as the day goes on. This may be a California phenom.
All my thermals and warm sweaters are OLD. My dd pointed out the thermal I was wearing, she was with me when I got it TEN YEARS ago.
I guess I dressed very differently ten years ago. The collars on my thermals all show and fight with what whatever I wear over them now.
All my winter wool pants are gone and never replaced.
I think this last is to Angie's point, I think all my warm sweaters are ugly or the wrong style. They either lack interest or, if they have some interest, are so pretty I want to gag.

Of course, these are my general impressions. I guess I have a project - to go through it all piece by piece. I'll have to really think about exactly what I need and where I can find what I need.

I did get two sleeveless, heattech thermal shirts at the new Uniqlo recently...

rachylou

Veteran

Oh - so I guess new thermals and wool (cashmere? merino?) sweater are in order, though. Perhaps some pants. Some fleecy stockings possibly.

On the sweater front - what does a good-looking, formal-looking, non-classic sweater look like?

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Like Una's sweaters. Or Dana's. (IronKurtain) Or Denise's. (CocoLion)

They're out there, but they can be pricey. Another option is to let the sweater be classic...and let the bottoms be much less classic. Look to your footwear for fashion. Or a belt. Or make that classic sweater a layer with another layer over it.

Sveta

(website)

Veteran

I wear sweaters with trousers several times a week without a feeling of frumpiness. I agree with Angie that the cut and fit are very important here. I cannot tell you how many cashmere and merino sweaters I tried on in the stores and felt they are wrong. They were nice colors and quality but I felt "meh" in them. So I have just a few sweaters now but the ones I have I don't feel frumpy in and actually don't feel a need to accessorize them that much. Belt and earrings in addition to the trousers and I am done!
Trousers is another issue. They also have to fit well and by the current style otherwise I cannot avoid the feeling of frump!
Try to look for hi-low hem on the sweaters or banded bottom: they are the most current. Of course there are avant-garde pieces as well but you said formal-looking...:-)

rachylou

Veteran

I'm wondering if I should, in this case, go looking for whole outfits at once. Sweater and trousers. I do think if I were modern classic, I'd have an easier time of it (but not that much easier, necessarily).

Or if I were a little more casual, like last winter, it would be easier. It's funny, now that I'm working again in the suburbs, I contrarily want to be more formal. I just always have to be a little quirky, a little off (!)

catgirl

Veteran

Seriously, this Joie cashmere tunic may be my favorite sweater ever - I splurged on the black too. It is warm, flowy, soft and easy but has (I hope) some UWP edge.

http://youlookfab.com/welookfa.....blue-smoke

Suz's shorter version of this is so fab! I think asymmetry is a huge way of defrumping or edging up an otherwise plain top.

rachylou

Veteran

Hmm, Una... Do you wear the tunic sweater to work? What sort of bottoms do you wear with it (other than jeans)?

catgirl

Veteran

Yep. I wear it with dressier boots and black or grey ponte skinnies. I can be somewhat casual at work but jeans aren't ok. I am toying with trying a short skirt and tall boots also...

Gigi

Veteran

As far as being warm, I second Glamour Puss's recommendation for WinterSilks. I have some, and they are very warm without adding bulk. I have also had good luck with Cuddl Duds undershirts and pants (pants that you wear under real pants). What I like about the Cuddl Duds is that I have found the necklines to be very wide and deep cut, which means they don't interfere with the neckline on my regular shirt. I have only one WinterSilks undershirt, and the collar is kind of narrow on it, so I am pretty limited in what I can wear on top. But they certainly have other styles that would have wider necklines.

Una has a great idea, to look for unusual hems. And maybe some metallic thread woven in? Or could you wear a basic top (turtleneck, etc.) and put on a cardigan over it, said cardigan being something on the trendy side?

I was thinking too of what other posters said--change up the look with jewelry or with scarves and belts. And I like Suz's idea of finding some creative pants if you can't find any distinctive sweaters. I do think that for some reason, winter clothing seems to be more classic in general.

Would you feel up to posting any pictures of the sweaters you are having problems with? Maybe like you are suspecting, it's the sweater itself that you really don't like, and perhaps it needs to go?

rachylou

Veteran

Oh, I really appreciate your layout and distillation of the landscape, Gigi. I didn't know that about Cuddl Duds - but that definitely addresses one of my issues, interfering necklines.

Noting: Interesting pants, interesting hemlines, accessories. Something to produce a "thought-out, complete, finished look." I will say on the accessories front, while I've got plenty, I also tend to shy away from actually wearing them much. Partly due to their being safety hazards (and having to be removed when I go on the production floor), partly due to the way they generally get in the way and make noise, partly because I feel cluttered in them much of the time. (On the other hand, I've stopped using an insulin pump, so that frees up a spot for things that hang off of me, hehe.)

So, I have to think about the use of accessories. Interesting... 2014 challenge?

Anyways, yes, I will post pics. I've redone my closet again with all my winter stuff. My plan is to wear a different sweater every day. I have some pics to show y'all now but, as would have it, I don't have my freeking cable to download them off my phone!!

(Buggrit!)