12 In Style

My perfect squishy sweater

birkin sweater sequinist

For years, I’ve wanted a thick, chunky, sweater that doesn’t make ME look thick and chunky!  A classic fisherman’s sweater (which I love) is usually the wrong length or a little too shapeless on me.  A big woolly black sweater just seems to gather airborne lint (and hair from my white dog) and looks filthy even when it is clean.  Everything else I’ve tried was too hot, too itchy, too saggy, too thick, too thin, too bohemian, or too something.  Then, on a quiet afternoon all to myself in Paris, I popped into the Gerard Darel store trying to find some sequin trousers they had featured in an ad (those trousers went from being not in store yet straight to SOLD OUT.  I never had a chance unless I had managed to wrestle a pair from the delivery guy.  But I digress, this is about a sweater, not the sequin trousers that got away).  As I was looking through the clothes, a very forward (just the right side of pushy) saleswoman brought over an ice blue sweater, and insisted that I try it on.  She shooshed me into the fitting room, brought over the sweater’s cousin, a matching infinity scarf, and stood just outside the flimsy curtain, impatiently asking me how it was.  Well, what it WAS was exactly what I had been looking for, but how exactly did she know that?  I mean, of all the sweater joints, in all the towns, in all the world, I had to walk into this one (to paraphrase Casablanca), to find what I was looking for.  It was solid, but light… like whipped cream in sweater form.  The (alpaca) yarn didn’t make me itch, and the high neckline was loose enough that I didn’t feel claustrophobic.  And, there was the matching scarf.  I just looked at her (Fatima) gratefully, and said I’d have them both.  I think she was as happy as I was, to have played a part in connecting me with the sweater I’d been searching for.

YG8B2561


YG8B2460Sweater:  Gerard Darel Trousers: Stella McCartney (old) Boots: Isabel Marant  Bag: Hermes Photography: Lottie Anderson

I’ll end this post with a selfie of me in the fitting room, with one of the variations that Fatima had shown me to style the matching infinity scarf (I’ll pass, thanks).   I texted it to a girlfriend who replied, “You look like a Nordic Anne Boleyn”.

nordic anne boleyn

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12 Comments

  • Reply
    Maggie
    February 19, 2015 at 10:57 AM

    That color is perfection on you.

    • Reply
      Lisa
      February 19, 2015 at 12:44 PM

      That’s what Fatima said! Thank you, Maggie. xx

  • Reply
    Jan
    February 19, 2015 at 1:39 PM

    So perfectly describes the chunky sweater problem, which I had even when I weighed 102 pounds when I was 17.

    Really, how DID she know? It’s lovely/comfy on you. How are you going to wear anything else?

    • Reply
      Lisa
      February 19, 2015 at 1:47 PM

      Thank you, Jan. I don’t know how Fatima knows, but she knows (!). xx

  • Reply
    Hannah
    February 19, 2015 at 3:09 PM

    The color and style is great on you! I agree that it’s hard to find a lofty sweater that’s flattering.

    • Reply
      Lisa
      February 19, 2015 at 3:36 PM

      Thank you, Hannah. I looked like a frump or the Michelin man in most of them.

  • Reply
    giana
    February 20, 2015 at 8:57 AM

    Love the chunky sweater! It’s a great staple
    to have in the wardrobe

    xx
    Giana.LDS
    giana.ledesociale.com

    • Reply
      Lisa
      February 20, 2015 at 9:22 PM

      Thank you Giana. I’m in need of staples, since my closet tends towards the lovely and impractical!

  • Reply
    Kelly (@Birdieshoots)
    February 20, 2015 at 5:21 PM

    What a gorgeous sweater, love the outtake of the matching infinity scarf!

    I hope you can link-up today: bit.ly/1DGOhKZ

    • Reply
      Lisa
      February 20, 2015 at 9:20 PM

      Thanks Kelly! xx

  • Reply
    déjà pseu
    February 21, 2015 at 3:09 PM

    Beautiful sweater! And the “Nordic Anne Boleyn” cracked me up!

    • Reply
      Lisa
      February 22, 2015 at 7:46 PM

      Thanks deja pseu! xx

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