With so few glimpses of spring, I've become tired of the same old sweaters, jeans, layering t-shirts and skirts/leggings combinations. After a couple of years of limited options (pregnancy, breastfeeding, post partum figure changes and their aftermath), I'm ready for a spring where I could just enjoy dressing. The few decent days we've had have actually confounded me as my spring clothes are either buried somewhere or still don't fit, so I finally broke down and ordered a few sweaters from Zara. It's always nice when the big boxes arrive, but also sobering when you purchase based on digitally altered images of clothing pinned to size 2 teenage models. I'm currently deciding which of the following items to keep:
I spotted this on
Joyce's blog and couldn't resist at the price ($59.99), especially with it being 100% cotton. Alas, it looks like I've borrowed one of my mum's 1980s jumpers. It's probably going back but I just wish I could find a way to make it hang just so rather than being too boxy.
Again, I'm on the shelf. On the plus side, there's some nice detailing and it doesn't look that different in person. But the sleeves are considerably shorter (above the wrist) and it feels like it would work better in a more temperate climate as you could not wear a jacket or coat over the top. I also have a cashmere cardigan that has a similar feel and it tends to fall off my shoulders, something I suspect would happen here. At a penny under $80, I may send this one back.
OK, I really want this one to work. I love this look and how it fits into my imagined personal style. But it is yellow and I'm not sure if it makes my face look too pink (in a bad way) although I feel I can just carry it off. It's nicely detailed with two notches in the back and it's 100% cotton. I think it almost works but it is super heavy (which may be good if winter lasts forever) but it may also be too warm for our very overheated apartment. If I don't wear it soon, it may be too late. If it was in the pink and was a little thinner, it would be a no brainer, but there is something about this one that makes me want to work with it. It's also one of the two pricier pieces at $79.99. Granted, none of them are that pricey but I don't want to waste money on items just because they are cheap.
The keeper. This one I wore today--it's also 100% cotton, quite thick and has beautiful cables. I've been looking for something like this for a while (there is a green in store and I may get that too). It's very good quality for a $60 sweater and is both warm and spring-like. But it's also the easy option and not as daring or on trend as the other two sweaters, so am I just being conservative or am I just aware that some trends are just too ephemeral to invest in? Or is it just that my body is no longer in a fit state to showcase the baggier options without looking like I'm trying to hide the lumps that they effectively highlight more than something more form fitting?
3 comments:
I really like the yellow one too... You're tall enough to pull it off, I think. The color is definitely tricky though.
Zara is at that price point where you can't really justify keeping things that don't quite work because they're so inexpensive.
the dropped shoulder is tricky, it doesn't really work with broader shoulders like mine.
i wish zara were a smidge cheaper, i would buy stuff there more often.
hope you're having a lovely spring, moya!
I agree about the price points, Joyce and Erica. I returned the cardigan and the big pink sweater. I'm still dithering on the yellow and only have until Monday so I think I may keep it.
Hope you are both having a lovely spring. I'm in Missouri and its warm and sunny here, which is refreshing and makes me realise how much I needed to feel that warmth again.
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