January 13, 2025
It’s something we all need to do – wear what we already own much more frequently, and make certain that anything we buy will be worn a lot, for years and years…
In pursuit of making good decisions, I hear from you. A current dilemma seems to surround the idea of a cashmere sweatshirt – is it a sweatshirt, or a cashmere sweater? Do I wear with casually, or do I dress it up?
To which I respond? YES. Yes to all. Swing every which way with a beautiful sweatshirt, and wear it so often that it’s a comfortable “top of mind” starter for any outfit, for most occasions.
I have ideas starting with casual and ranging up to somewhat dressy. I’m going to share these without comment, so I can clearly hear your opinions:
Gray cashmere sweatshirt sweater – J.Crew; labradorite earrings – Zohreh V. Jewellery; scarf – Delinor; white oxford shirt – L.L.Bean; jeans – Alex Mill; weekender bag – Béis; sneakers – Naturalizer
Gray cashmere sweatshirt sweater – J.Crew; earrings – Kendra Scott; flannel shirt – L.L.Bean; backpack – Lefrik; boots – Miz Mooz; navy cords – L.L.Bean
Brooch – Latelita; earrings – Donatello Gian; gray cashmere sweatshirt sweater – J.Crew; ivory lace-trimmed blouse – Boden; navy wool pants – Alex Mill; bag – Zatchels; loafers – Munro
gray cashmere sweatshirt sweater – J.Crew; earrings – Latelita; silver scarf – Nordstrom; bag – La Regale; mules – Azalea Wang; silk pants – Alas
Earrings – Marie June Jewelry; gray cashmere sweatshirt sweater – J.Crew; scarf – Faherty; blue topaz bracelet – Charlotte’s Web Jewellery; denim skirt – Lands’ End; driving loafers – Samuel Hubbard
Herkimer quartz earrings – Child of Wild; necklace – Heaven Mayhem; scarf – Elizabetta; gray cashmere sweatshirt sweater – J.Crew; skirt – Banana Republic; ballet flats – Abeo
My fancy schmancy sweatshirt is a black hoodie – no zipper, nor kangaroo pocket. But it’s very roomy, quite thick, and has a hood (of course). Wearing a hoodie with a skirt is just the tiniest bit rebellious, in my heart…
love,
Janice
p.s. Ten years ago, we looked at a grey capsule wardrobe with grey accessories. I’ll bet THIS heroine owns a grey cashmere sweatshirt!
p.p.s. I’m about to finish The Death of Democracy by Benjamin Carter Hett. Everything you thought you knew about the Weimar Republic and the rise of Nazism isn’t exactly wrong, but the events were much more complicated, and interesting.
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I’d love it and wear it. I have a marled grey chunky knit cowl neck which I wear at least once a week. I washed the other day. My husband noticed a hole right in the middle of the front. I’m not sure how I can mend it. 😪
Have a look on Youtube/Pinterest I’m sure you will find something to help. I had moths attack a cashmere sweater and although I’m no mending expert it looks pretty inconspicuous.
Mending and extending the life of loved clothes seems to be getting a very big thing in the UK and I recently saw someone on Instagram who makes a living out of artistically mending wool garments, absolutely beautiful work but out of reach of my budget I’m afraid!
My favorite maroon wool sweater was also viciously attacked by moths this year. I have mended it in the past, but I think it is beyond help now. I am trying to work up the courage to toss it. What can you do with a too holey but loved sweater?
Embroidery! There are books, FB groups, and YouTube on visible mending. I really regret ever having thrown out sweaters.
I’m not a very crafty person so embroidery has never been an option for me, but a few years ago I discovered needle felting for holes in sweaters, where you take a tuft of wool roving (loose wool before it’s spun into yarn), and then literally stab it into place with a special needle that’s inexpensive and easy to use (under the sweater you put a small foam pad — the wool becomes part of the fabric. It takes just a few minutes for each hole repair. Mostly I make polka dots, but those who are more adept and creative make hearts, bugs, flowers, etc. It has saved *so* many sweaters for me. You can see it here, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6DuyGqaHkOM
As to mending wool—knitted or woven—weaving, embroidery and felting are all beautiful and very satisfying. Neither takes a big investment of time or money, so they are suitable even for the less crafty among us.
I’ll admit, I wouldn’t wear a sweatshirt-styled sweater for a dressier situation or with a skirt. I’d probably just get a more normally styled sweater, just a size or two bigger, which would make it feel more casual to me. I don’t feel the same way about a cashmere hoodie, and would gladly wear it with a skirt. And probably some chunky combat-style boots.
I actually have a cashmere hoodie too – mine is a cream cable knit and I love it, although I haven’t worn it since last winter when I was stuck wearing it for 5 days in a row due to a winter power outage during historically cold weather. I really need to get past that and put it back into rotation soon!
All of these are brilliant except not a fan of the last one. I like it with the denim skirt but not a full skirt. But then again I don’t like full skirts in general.
First of all, I love this idea. 100% transparency here, but I do not wear round neck sweatshirts. Ever. I have some cute 3/4 zips or zip ups that I’ll wear to yoga, or to do housework, but I just don’t wear them on a daily basis. However, I do have a gray cashmere v-neck sweater (also from J.Crew) that I wear constantly. For those of us who just aren’t sweatshirt wearers, I think a traditional, simple gray slim knit sweater could easily fill the void.
Now, onto the fabulous styling; love it all! I would wear every single one of these looks except for the dressy gray and white printed trousers. While I’m on the petite side, I do have thighs and print of any sort (especially in white) doesn’t work for me. However, I’d love to see a midi skirt in this fabric and style it exactly the same way.
This capsule would be so easy to jazz up with pops of pink too!
I had the exact same thought about the patterned pants. Give me a slim maxi skirt in the same and I’d rock that outfit too.
The patterned pants outfit was my favorite 😍
I’m quite sure that your legs are infinitely better than my sausages! I’m glad the vibe will work for you.
Love these looks I am trying to wear what I have in new ways and not buy more
Do you think I could use a gray cashmere cardigan as a substitute…maybe wear it button up and backwards?
Sure, why not? I see similar styling in the Sezane website all the time. I jut wouldn’t want a sewn-in label.
Ok, I’ll admit it – in my head, turning cashmere into a sweatshirt is a sad waste of a gorgeous fabric. With that said, I just clicked on practically every link here – you found some really excellent things! I’d cheerfully wear a traditional sweater with quite a lot of these outfits. I have a longer grey cashmere mockneck that’s been a favorite lately – cozy as a sweatshirt, but much more polished.
I think for someone with a casual lifestyle, who would actually feel comfortable wearing a sweatshirt, this sweater could be a workhorse. Dressier yet still familiar and comfortable. If the person would feel out of place or weird in a sweatshirt, then no, I would give it a pass. That said, I like all the more casual outfits. No, I like All the outfits, but can only see myself in the more casual ones.
I received a cashmere hoody in a beautiful camel color for Christmas. I’m not sure I would style it dressy, but I do wear it a lot!
OOH. A gold lame skirt? That’s so my style…
hugs,
Janice
I have a grey sweater a lot like that–merino wool from JCrew, with sweatshirt-style pockets, very warm. (Found it at a thrift store, couldn’t imagine why anyone would NOT want it.) I will wear it today (with jeans and a denim shirt) in honour both of your post and the heavy snow that’s keeping me from going out this morning to pick up a library hold.
personally, i think it is a better look and far more versatile to have a regular cashmere sweater/jumper…V neck or round, either will be great with jeans, skirts, whatever, and avoid the obvious sweatshirt look. but then i never embraced the ‘athleisure’ concept, and have never owned a sweatshirt of any kind, even in my university years. you styled it very nicely, yet i remain convinced that a normal cashmere sweater is the better bet.
I agree completely! I’m only likely to wear them to yoga or other exercise.
I’m not a sweatshirt fan, but I have a wonderful charcoal sweater that is slightly oversized and a touch more casual that would work wonderfully in almost all of these outfits. Perfect ideas for a wardrobe for my next travel debate tournament with Son coming up soon. I would skip the patterned pants, maybe add a bright accent color. I’d definitely wear the denim skirt outfit with my navy ankle-high cowboy booties.
I am not a fan of hoodie sweaters. I have two that I lwould ike, except I hate how the hood pulls the neck back. I constantly feel like I am choking, so I’m constantly pulling them down in front. I’ve never heard anyone else complaining about this, so I guess its a “me” problem.
Laurie, my grandmother, my mother, and I all hate/hated having anything tight around our necks. You are not alone! I would have the same problem with a garment that needed to be pulled down constantly.
Not just a you problem… I can’t do snug crew neck t-shirts or sweatshirts either because they make me feel like I’m choking! On those I often take out the stitches on the front of the neck band, cut some of the sweatshirt away and then sew it back on lower. But you can’t do that on a hoodie! Janet, I love the idea of this cashmere sweatshirt. I think all the looks are fantastic, especially the more casual ones, but that’s just because that’s how I dress. If I needed a fancy outfit I would wear the patterned pants for sure, but probably not the black skirt, but just because I don’t love that style of skirt. I think someone else could totally pull it off.
I have been thinking about buying a cashmere sweatshirt, this may have decided me!
On another note of possible interest to others: I bought a gray cashmere t-shirt from Quince a few years ago. It’s a great three-season piece and good quality (unlike some of the things I’ve bought there) but the gray was the wrong shade and washed me out, so I rarely wore it. I thought about getting rid of it and buying a blue one, but all they had was cobalt (also not a good shade for me, though I love it). Rather than give it away I decided to try dying it. At first I felt guilty at possibly ruining a sweater I “paid good money for,” and then I realized that if I’d bought it used the idea wouldn’t bother me at all– and it was used, by me. I think that sometimes in efforts not to waste things, we overestimate their value–there are millions and millions of sweaters in our country alone. “Ruining” one is not a sin. Anyway, I dyed it a dark blue and it came out a light, muted blue that is perfect for me. I spent about $3 for the dye and have a lovely cashmere sweater.
HOWEVER–anyone trying this should know that dying takes immense amounts of water. I had to rinse it over and over and over (talk about feeling guilty for waste) and some dye still comes out when I wash it by hand a few times a year. And when you dye a colored garment, you don’t know how the color will come out in the end. It’s a lot of work and water for a gamble. if you’re curious–some people dye things all the time–give it a try! But I think that will be my one and only foray into dying garment.
Hi,
Please share more tips to interested readers. What product did you use, what was the process, any special equipment?
Thanks,
Trish
Trish,
I have dyed a couple of things, while holding my breath and praying continuously, haha. There is a color chart on the Rit Dye website that helps a little, and full instructions for different fabrics and different techniques. Very helpful. Other than that I used color theory and guessing. I dyed a drab light red rayon dress with purple and it came out a lovely deep mulberry, much better for me. At the same time I did a faded purple rayon tunic and that became a wonderful bright purple. I did a 3rd rayon garment, a light tan sundress, using black. I wanted it to be true black. It came out charcoal, which works fine. I guess if I had let it soak longer it would have been darker. I also dyed a pair of blush jeans (terrible color for me, made me look naked!) with fuschia. They aren’t quite as deep and bright as I would have liked. I’ve been meaning to re-dye them to get to a better color, but as you said, it is a long process and a gamble. The time they soak makes a difference too. HTH
Wow. I love everything. New favorite post.
I don’t mind wearing sweatshirts, but I agree with Laurie T I am not a fan of hoodies – I have a couple and never wear them. If my son hadn’t given them to me, and if they didn’t have his AirForce squadron image on it I wouldn’t keep them. Not only do they pull the neckline up, but I’m never quite sure what to do with the hood when I have a coat on over the hoodie. No matter what I try it doesn’t work for me. All that being said, I would wear a “regular” sweatshirt in any of the ways above. I have a patterned scarf in gray, light blue and burgandy I usually wear with my gray sweatshirts to spark them up a bit.
One of my favorite posts, too. Many great ideas. I would want to find a medium gray cashmere sweatshirt with straight shoulders, and not heathered. Then I could run with most of these ideas. And, although I have a lot of navy and gray clothes, I don’t tend to wear them together. Seems too masculine? Not sure. I smiled when I read the post about hooded cashmere sweater/sweatshirt. I bought a navy one in 2023 at Macy’s black Friday sale and LOVE it. Finally, on the theme of ‘Wear What You’ve Got,’ I pulled out a hooded velour set yesterday (please don’t laugh) and enjoyed many compliments and cozy hugs. It will come out to play again next Sunday.
I like these outfits, but I find it’s the grey that I have a hard time getting over. The sweatshirt-style with the grey feels too athletic to me. I would prefer this be with another neutral – black, navy, camel or even olive.
Speaking of wearing something a lot – how is your Oliver Charles sweater? An update on that would be very welcome. I’d like to know all the different ways you are wearing it.
I love all these outfits – except my gray cashmere would be merino. I love the combinations. Gray and blue? yes please . . .
Agree with issues with hoodies – the necklines pull in such a way that I just can’t do it . . .
As for dying wool (or cashmere), there are dyes specifically for wool and silk – which adhere differently that dyes made for plant-based fibers. That may be why there was a difficulty in the dye washing out. But it’s worth it if you can continue to wear an item rather than discard it!
Another great post with interesting ideas. I personally would not spend money for this sweatshirt. I am sure the cashmere would make it cozy and warm but I am hard on clothes and sweatshirts, for me, are worn around home doing lots of jobs, like cleaning, gardening, grooming dogs etc. I do not see myself putting this with a skirt unless it was a v neck, then maybe, but more likely I would just opt for a regular sweater. However, one of my goals this year is to try and wear everything in my closet before buying more clothes, so this post has given me some great ideas for other items I own. Happy Monday everyone.
For the last 20+ years, the cashmere hoodie/sweatshirt has been the clothing item that represents best to me how women in Silicon Valley technical careers (like my sister) thread the demanding, rigid dress code needle of that work environment: obviously casual, a bit expensive, not too feminine.
In these flat lay images, this particular piece looks almost aggressively casual – grey color, heather texture, raglan sleeves, the standard crewneck with that triangle notch thing – very old-school gym sweatshirt, just in cashmere. But in the model photos on the retailer site, it does look much more like a sweater with some aspects of sweatshirt design; it appears to have a much finer gauge knit than I was expecting, for example, which gives it more of the drape you expect from a thin sweater.
For a cashmere sweatshirt-sweater than leans more sweatshirt, I think the more casual, daily wear options above look great, but I don’t know that you can really “get away with” wearing it for a dressier occasion where it will just blend in. In those cases, it will definitely have that street-style juxtaposition vibe…which could be perfect for you/the situation or could feel very off. This seems like the case where the disparate levels of refinement between the sweatshirt and the rest of the outfit maintains a “casual + dressy” look, not one where the pieces blend into something in between or the sweatshirt is elevated by the rest of the look. The sweatshirt is going to feel like an outlier and the combination is going to make a statement. I personally would style it with a mix of casual and dressy, not as the one casual piece in an otherwise dressy outfit, to drive home the intentionality of the juxtaposition.
For a cashmere sweatshirt-sweater than leans more sweater (esp. fine gauge), I think it could work well in a dressier outfit, though perhaps not a very dressy one, as well as fine in nice-casual situations, much of business casual, etc. In very casual situations, I think it’s just going to read as a cashmere sweater, which may or may not feel/look right.
Overall, with the sweatshirt-that-looks-more-sweater, I’m not sure why you would choose the sweatshirt-sweater version over just the sweater version, though, unless there is something about the little details or the fit that checks your particular style boxes. Of course, J Crew is one of those retailers that likes to position their models in ways that make it very difficult to gauge what the thing really looks like (and of course, it’s easy for things to look oversized and drapey on the typical model, so not a great representation of the fit at all, unless you have a similar body type/size).
I mean, I can imagine a heroine who is comfortable with sweatshirts but leery of dressier pieces maybe seeing this as a step up from her usual, where the sweatshirt aspects are reassuring in some way. But I don’t see this kind of piece having the same effect for a heroine who is comfortable with cashmere sweaters looking for a slightly more casual version, you know? I don’t want to overstate it, but when I look at the J Crew images…well, I don’t know…it looks kind of young and cheap to me for cashmere??? I hope that’s just a how-it-looks-on-screen thing and not a reflection of the actual garment (obviously you’d evaluate this in person). But since I haven’t shopped for cashmere in 10 years or so (longer in retail than secondhand) and I always tended to prefer a more substantial knit than this, maybe this is just what cashmere looks like in 2025. Maybe it’s not quite as “nice” as the cashmere in my head. (For the record, as I’ve aged, my dry sensitive skin can no longer tolerate the itchiness of any kind of wool, including cashmere, so I don’t really pay attention to it to have a recent point of comparison.)
In sum, I’d say this is exactly the kind of piece you really need to put through its fit and styling paces before you commit to keeping it because it’s unusually difficult to make heads or tails of how it will really function in a heroine’s particular wardrobe. Of course, we should do this most things we purchase! But I feel like this is the kind of piece that you could buy thinking will work for XYZ but discover too late that it really, really doesn’t. I’d want to contextualize the heck out of this thing before deciding I’m going to keep it.
Ugh, “young and cheap” sounds really snobby, which I didn’t intend. I think it’s something about how thin and insubstantial it looks to me in the model images makes it seem lower quality than the $168 price tag suggests and thus geared toward younger shoppers who grew up in the very casual era of fashion/style and are used to fast fashion quality. Of course, seeing the sweater in person, I might change my mind 100%. (In which case I would tell the people at J Crew that their website is doing their clothing a major disservice by making it look less appealing than it is!)
Sally in St. Paul. I didn’t really pay attention to where the sweater was from. Details details. Then I read your post and realized it was J Crew. I have a number of J Crew cashmere sweaters. Just saying, I always have to go up one size (because I like my things loose fitting) and they are not the quality of some. The best cashmere sweater I have is a zillion years old and bought at Macy’s. The J Crew sweaters are probably third, with LLBean coming in the middle. I will also say though, that I am easy on clothes, so the fact that the J Crew sweaters are not as thick and sturdy as some doesn’t really bother me as at that time the price point was also doable.
Thank you, Janice, for the very timely book recommendation, and also for the non-Amazon link. I’m in Canada and found the e-book version on Kobo for just $6.99 so it will be my treat of the week…
For what it’s worth to people — especially about tracking what’s worn, and what is not — I have recently adopted the app INDYX (evidently available for both Android and IOS) link: https://www.myindyx.com tip: I think that if you use the code “Indyx” you can get $10 off for any purchase
MOST of the app functions are available in the free version. I can track how often I wear an item, how many outfits it’s a part of, etc. I can manually enter # of wears so that it accurately reflects any pre-app history I might have. I can search for something by color, by brand, by keyword … and can assign outfits to a calendar date so I can see what I wore when. I can choose a subset of items into a “collection” that I name — so, packing list? Dressy? Summer/Winter? All are possible.
Overall, I have become a fan. I love how I could put my core pieces into a collection, then grab a photo of an item I’m considering, and see how many outfits I can make. I like being able to track how often I have worn something (and as I start to put in any prices of what I purchase, new OR used, I can track cost per wear)
ALSO – important to me – I can put a garment on a (clean) floor, take a photo, and the app will eliminate everything in the background, giving me a pure photo of just the garment. That’s so, so helpful.
I have that app! Its pretty good, though I haven’t had time yet to take pictures of all my clothes and get them loaded. Its a LOT of work to get it all set up, but yes, fun to be able to create outfits and see how different pieces look together. Also very helpful for planning travel wardrobes.
I use Open Wardrobe for the same functions. It makes my insanely practical hearty good every time I see the cost per wear of something go down.
Nope, not for me. The sweater is too casual looking for a dressy outfit and not practical for casual wear. Who wants to worry about spoiling a nice sweater with craft supplies, cleaning supplies, and/or children’s messy hands. Maybe because it’s a style that really doesn’t suit me to begin with, I avoid sweatshirts unless I’m doing chores or taking a walk. A pretty v-neck sweater would work much better with the dressier outfits.
I think it works with the casual outfits, but my favorite is the combination with the long denim skirt. They are both a combination of dressy and casual in a way that seems to work together.
Otoh, the printed pants outfit doesn’t work for me, largely because silk wide leg pants seem like more of a summer thing, and cashmere isn’t. Also, the dressy shawl over the sweatshirt seems incongruous to me.
I think the sweatshirt is lovely, but those matching featherweight cashmere-blend bike shorts are a very peculiar garment!
Aren’t they weird? They’d be both unfunctional and itchy as heck!
hugs,
Janice
Indeed! I’d forgotten to say that I still love the grey monochromatic wardrobe. And when it was first posted, grey wasn’t one of my neutrals. But now it is, and I have the silver hair to match :)
Haha they remind me of the ‘soakers’ that a lovely grand dame once knit for my baby brother 64 years ago!! To be worn outside the cloth diaper to….soak up any wetness. I know..gross! ( they were never used but were treasured because the maker was dear to our family)
This will definitely look fantastic on the right person.
I give some items of clothing a wide berth. e.g. turtleneck, sweater, hoodie,
By the way, I’ve been dyeing some of my clothes for a long time… in the washing machine.
And surprise: because I had pale spots on it. 😅
I have a charcoal grey cashmere hooded zip cardigan that I bring on every flight. It’s lightweight but warm, a dressy fabric but casual style, and the hood provides extra warmth and a bit of privacy on flights. It replaces the black cashmere hoodie zip cardigan that I wore until it fell apart. For me, a cardigan is more versatile than a pullover sweatshirt.
I think the sweatshirt in cashmere is very cool. An insouciant look with the silk pants and a bit ‘heiress in waiting’ with the casual looks. I love my two cashmere hoodies ( zip front with pockets) I wear them with dress pants/long skirts to the ballet, with fleece lined leggings at home or with jeans when out and about. I wouldn’t wear them to a wedding or funeral and probably not to a really fancy restaurant where I’d wear a cashmere wrap/cardigan/wrap style sweater. Too many people are over thinking the style vs the material that the sweater is made of. It’s a pretty cashmere sweater with sweat shirt details…it’s meant to be fun! Cashmere does not have to be prim. The heart of style is being comfortable enough in your skin to mix things up. Wear the silk shirt with jeans, the T shirt with the long skirts , the combat boots with the velvet dress, the silk scarf with the jean jacket, the tiara with your birthday suit…Don’t let beautiful things languish in the wardrobe! You can’t take it with you so enjoy it now.
Well stated! I really don’t have that many clothes and wearing them in various ways is essential to not buying more. I just need to get over the no white pants past Labor Day train of thought to get more use out of them. May be a post idea😉
White jeans are wonderful in the winter – so long as it’s not slushy and splashy. Snow filled with cinders and/or salt will ruin pants…
But I love the idea of a post on white pants in the autumn/winter. hmm…
love,
Janice
I love all of these styles and would wear all of them. The only caveat is that I wouldn’t wear cashmere because it, like all wool, gives me the itchies something fierce, and I just can’t do itchy sweaters. So I would get something in either fleece or cotton or maybe a silk blend.
I like the post, but the comments are just gold here! I’ve been following without commenting since having a health issue last fall, but we moved just at the beginning of the year so the comments here are so timely for unpacking things and making sure I keep what I wear and viceversa!
As usual, Janice, your ability to create beautiful outfits is ginormous. Even though not for me – thanks to this blog, I found out that I don’t like gray or camel next to my face -, the combos are good inspiration for creating similar building blocks.
Late happy ’25 and blessings to everyone!
Ps. Fun fact, in Spain we keep saying ‘feliz año nuevo’ when we first see people again, even if it’s in February!
I always enjoy reading everyone’s comments the next day after a post like this has been released. This one has been great fun. I have to go away and really consider how I would wear it or not.
Some felt that it was aimed at a young market. Then there was the group who thought that if you were going to wear a sweatshirt style jumper, why bother with expensive cashmere? Sally in St Paul’s analysis reflected some of my thoughts too.
I only wear sweatshirts/hoodies for exercise classes. However, last year, I bought a lovely mid-lilac M&S sweatshirt from a charity shop because I liked the colour. When I tried it on, I realised that it had slightly puffed shoulders which immediately elevated its look. I have had fun working out how and when to wear it. I’ve worn it with a floral blouse or polo-neck with cotton/cord trousers. I’ve worn it when I volunteer and to smart-casual events. I can wear it with scarves or jewellery. It has been admired for its colour and style (puffy sleeves). It doesn’t have the little V which I have not understood the reason behind that. So it looks more like a puff-shoulder purple jumper but then you only realise it’s a sweatshirt close-up.
This jumper reminds me of a grey wool and mohair jumper that I had in the 1980’s. It was a fine knit, round knock, slightly loose fit with three buttons for opening but worn closed. I wore that such a lot for all sorts of occasions. I wore it to work with a collared shirt or polo neck plus jewellery or a scarf. I wore it to smart-casual events and parties. I could wear it with trousers or a skirt, though I didn’t wear trousers much in those days. My favourite outfit was to wear it with a stripey shirt or a slightly high neck blouse with a velvet midi skirt and a paisley scarf. I wore this jumper at work, at church, social occasions with friends. It was a workhorse which wore out in the end. I did find a replacement which my daughter “borrowed” once and didn’t return.
So yes I would agree that this is a “young” look. I was in my 20’s when I had my mohair wool jumper. Would I wear such a jumper now in my 60’s. Yes I would but as a smart-casual option.
Looking at the options, I would not wear it with denim or very casual clothes. It is likely that the activities being pursued would ruin a cashmere jumper in seconds.
Cashmere elevates the casual look, so I might wear it for meeting friends for drinks in the pub. A bit dressy with some simple jewellery but it’s not trying too hard.
I like the third look as a “dress-down” work look. Many work places have a smart-casual vibe but the emphasis is on smart with your choice of fabrics but casual with the vibe of your outfit.
I sort of like the fourth look for a party but only if the trousers were velvet. Likewise, the last one with a skirt or perhaps over the top of a floral dress as a warm layer. The ballet flats are a bit prim. I would wear a long skirt with ankle boots.
This sweatshirt style jumper would be ideal for a person who spend their life in jeans and sweatshirts but has to still “dress up” for an occasion. They can feel comfortable and classy.
However, I don’t wear proper wool as it is too itchy. I would have to wear something underneath which is another decision to make.
Thanks everyone for your hints and tips on mending the hole in my jumper. My ‘crafty’ sister has come up trumps with a bit of grey DK wool and a darker sock darning wool. Used together, they might recreate the marled look. She’s also sent me a link to videos of how to darn holes to look as if they have been reknitted. I think that I caught it on something but just in case it’s an errant moth, I’m washing all my jumpers and investing in some lavender sachets.
Busy last couple of days, just now catching up with the comments. Although the wardrobe is not in my colors, I would wear a sweatshirt like that. What says casual is the neckline with the V inset, while the cuffs and hemline look more sweater-like. So a scarf that covers the neckline will elevate this garment. I do like the outfit with the toile(?) silk printed pants. Also, not a fan of hoodies, especially pullovers, or coats with hoods. They all seem like a waste as I don’t like to wear hats in general and hoods block my vision.
As for dyeing, I’ve mentioned before I was fortunate to do a temp assignment in the early 1990s at the Rite Dye headquarters, then located here in Indy. The were clearing out their labs and I had the good fortune to get dozens of swatches with the recipes to make those colors. And I had lots of fun overdyeing white t-shirts to add a colorful background. I once dyed gloves to match a bridesmaid dress and was able to do that on the stovetop. I’ve also dyed cotton rugs to brighten the colors. Except for small items, dyeing is best accomplished in a top-loading washer but now I have a front-loader so not dyeing as much.
As for garments with moth holes or loved to death, I’m not one to do repair. Instead I repurpose them for hanging out at home, housework and gardening. Lavender can repel moths, either hang a mesh bag with dried herbs near the wool garment or moisten a piece of fabric, such as an old pillowcase, with a lavender spray. Don’t spray the garment itself.
Did you like the book? If so I am going to put it on my TBR list. I like historal fiction. What drew to this book?