How to wear your cardigan
Hi everyone!
I just saw this video on Lucky magazine about wearing cardigans. If you’ve never seen Lucky magazine, it is this fantastic magazine that showcases just clothes and accessories. Every month, it is filled with great inspirations on what to wear, how to wear them, the latest fashion obsessions, where to shop, and much more. I check my mailbox every day the week I know this magazine is coming. If you don’t subscribe, their website, luckymag.com is also great for all of that information and more. I just found this great video that shows how to match different cardigans to your outfits like jeans, skirts, to the office and out on the town. It’s also really great since it shows how to wear your cardigans in different ways, for example with a belt, rolled up sleeves, etc. Check out the video here:
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Newly Found Cashmere Cardigans
Check out the latest cashmere cardigans that I’ve found in stores.
This first one is from Banana Republic. It’s an open cardigan, no buttons, with big sleeves. It’s flattering, yet is completely comfortable and won’t make you feel constrained. I love the colors it comes in – a Heather Gray and a beautiful taupe.
Banana Republic Cardigan
I love these next 2 from J. Crew. Now that I know where they buy their wool, I definitely check out this store more often since I know their cashmere is really high quality. Check out the first one with cute ruffles on the sleeves. It’s on sale for $49.99 and comes in so many different colors such as black, yellow, Sweet Orange, Bright Tulip and more. By the way, don’t you love the names of the colors? The Bright Tulip is this pink color that is beautiful. I can see myself wearing this now and into the fall season since it’s short sleeve, but still cashmere so it’s incredibly warm.
J. Crew Cashmere Cardigan
I also found this other cardigan at J. Crew. I’m showing it to you because I love the color – salmon – and love the name. It’s called the Cashmere Jackie cardigan and on the model, it looks like Jackie O! If you’re going for that look, definitely check this out. I love how the color is brighter, but the cut is more conservative.
J. Crew Jackie Cardigan
Finally, check out this Laurie B. “It’s a Wrap” cashmere cardigan from Nordstrom’s. For all of you tall ladies, this cardigan is so elegant. You can wrap it different ways or just leave it hanging down like this model. It really helps to hide some blemishes while keeping you looking gorgeous and elegant. It’s also really warm and serves and a great item to wear to the movies, out to the park, or anywhere else you want to cover up more.
Nordstrom Laurie B. Cashmere Cardigan
I’ll have more to post as the fall season comes in so stay tuned! Also, send me anything you’ve found!
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Loro Piana Cashmere and J. Crew Cashmere
I just read an article in the Wall Street Journal that was really interesting. It was about Loro Piana. This is the premier brand of cashmere clothing. It’s prices are almost triple that of TSE, which is also a premier label for cashmere. One sweater at Loro Piana can cost you over $1500. Very few people can afford to buy their sweaters or anything that they make.
Loro Piana cashmere cardigan from Neiman Marcus
The interesting thing is that the article talked about how Loro Piana sells its fabric to high-end manufacturers such as Brioni and Brooks Brothers. They use the fabric and can then put the Loro Piana label on them. But, what nobody really knows is that they also sell their fabric to middle-end manufacturers as well. Places like Bloomingdale’s also use them to make their in-store sweaters.
The biggest thing I learned is that J. Crew also buys their wool from there (remember – cashmere is a type of wool). So, all of J. Crew’s sweaters are now made from the same wool as the sweaters made by Loro Piana! Can you believe it? J. Crew sweaters are about 20% of the price of Loro Piana sweaters. J. Crew used to buy from a different manufacturer, but now is buying from Loro Piana because they want to increase the quality of their items and hopefully the price. The good thing is that their prices can never even be in the same ballpark as Loro Piana since they cater to a much different market. Therefore, if you are looking for a cashmere cardigan, you should definitely consider the cashmere from J. Crew.
J. Crew cashmere cardigan
The one downside was that the writer, Christina Binkley, compared 2 cashmere cardigans, one from Loro Piana and the other from J. Crew. She found that the J. Crew one was a lot thinner and a lot more flimsy. It seemed like the J. Crew sweater wouldn’t last half as long as the Loro Piana one. So, even though the cashmere is purchased from the same place, when it is made into a sweater, J. Crew does not put as much effort or detail or even material into it as Loro Piana. Also, I went to Neiman Marcus to look at a Loro Piana cashmere cardigan and it is definitely a lot thicker and more luxurious than ones from J. Crew. However, it was also more than $5000 which equals more than 20 J. Crew sweaters.
Regardless of that, I still think it is a great deal. I don’t know about you, but I definitely cannot afford a Loro Piana sweater. However, I can buy a J. Crew sweater really easily. So, this winter, when I am looking for my new cashmere cardigans, I will be looking at J. Crew for some great quality items.
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Why buy a cashmere cardigan?
Ellen Tracy cashmere cardigan from Nordstrom
A cashmere cardigan is one of the most versatile items that you can buy. Starting from the end of Summer until the end of Spring, you will be able to wear the cashmere cardigan all year round. Beyond that, you can match it with so many different outfits that you will find yourself pulling it out again and again to wear. It goes on top of jeans, skirts, and even a ton of dresses, both formal and more casual. It also goes on top of t-shirts, long sleeve button down formal shirts, and little tank tops that you wear around during the summer.
The best thing about the cashmere cardigan is how warm and soft it is. For such a thin, lightweight item, you get a lot of warmth. To remain that warm with any other item would usually require a coat or sweater that is much heavier. The feel of cashmere against the body makes the material one of the most luxurious materials in the world.
One little known fact is that cashmere is a fiber obtained from the Cashmere goat and it is actually a type of wool. In the U.S., there are strict requirements for the product to be labeled as cashmere, however, some countries are more relaxed in their standards. When buying a cashmere cardigan, make sure you check the label so you know it is 100% cashmere. Many manufacturers make a blended cashmere where cashmere is mixed in with another material such as wool, silk or even cotton. These blends can also be very comfortable, but they won’t be as warm as a pure cashmere cardigan. Many stores will not tell you upfront that it is not 100% cashmere so don’t get tricked into buying something that you think is 100%.
Cashmere is more expensive than silk, wool, cotton, or other materials used to make clothes because the goats that it comes from are rarer and there are only a few areas that actually raise the goats. Because of this, you should always check to make sure it is 100%. If it isn’t, then you definitely should not be paying as much money. Some stores like to use the word cashmere even if it is only 10% cashmere since they know they can get more money for any item labeled as cashmere. So be careful when purchasing. Also, be prepared to pay a bit more for your cashmere cardigan.
The cashmere cardigan that you can buy can be thick cashmere, or the very thin cashmere. The thin cashmere usually fits better on the body. Both kinds can be equally warm even though one is thinner. Thinner cashmere is usually more expensive and used by more luxury designers such as Vince, Theory, and Tse. Regardless of if your cardigan is thick or thin, the most important thing is if the cashmere is very fine. The finer the cashmere, the more expensive the cardigan and the longer it will keep. Coarser cashmere tends to pill more easily and won’t last as long. When determining whether or not the cashmere is higher quality, use your fingers to judge. If the cashmere doesn’t feel smooth, soft and fine, then it probably isn’t as high quality and is closer to regular wool. If it feels soft and luxurious, then it is probably much better cashmere.
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Fashion site to shop with friends
From time to time, I’ll be writing about different fun shopping websites I like to shop at. Some will be trendy, some will be fun, and all of them will have unique finds that you won’t find elsewhere on the net. I love to shop, as you might be able to tell, so I am always on the lookout for online stores where I can browse all day and all night (didn’t I ever tell you how I thought stores should be open 24 hours a day instead of closing at 9 PM? who doesn’t want to wake up in the middle of the night and go shopping?). So, here is one of the first sites that I like to check out from time to time.
I wanted to introduce you to this fantastic site to find some of the latest designer fashions. The site is JLaMore.com, “Where Friends Shop Together.” The purpose is to make you feel like you are shopping with Jennifer LaMore (the site owner) or any other friend, and not on a website. The great thing is that they have these friend profiles where you get to choose the person that you think is most like you. After you choose that girl, you can see the clothes she’s chosen. More often than not, she will have chosen something that is very similar to what you yourself would choose. Therefore, you don’t have to browse the whole site, but just the friends whose clothing styles are similar to yours. They’ve got so many different things to look through on the site including dresses, skirts, jewelry and sunglasses.
Cute purple cardigan
I just checked the dress section and right now they are having a huge sale! I also looked for any cardigans and this Linq Purple Drape cardigan stood right out. It’s not 100% cashmere, but is a blend of silk, cotton and cashmere. It falls at the waist in front and a bit lower in back. It is perfect to wear with your favorite pair of jeans and a black or white t-shirt and is a really cute purple cardigan to add to your wardrobe.
If you’re looking for a new place to shop, check out jlamore.com for some fun and trendy clothes. You just might find the next new thing to add to your closet or some new friends as well!
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