James Perse shirred v-neck dress | black sold out, “madras” on sale at Revolve
Kowtow organic cotton cardigan | Black at Garmentory (Use my referral link for a $20 account credit!)
Freda Salvador Lock D’Orsay flats | on sale at Azalea
I have made an executive decision to wear only dresses/skirts for the foreseeable future – or at least for this week! It’s getting warm quickly here (it’ll be in the 80’s today), and given my ongoing frustration with jeans/pants, I think I’ll give them a break for a while. I threaten to stop wearing pants/jeans frequently, actually, as I have a harder and harder time finding pairs that fit and flatter my larger legs, so, I might as well try it in earnest for a while. Aside from the fact that I’ll have to shave my legs every day (which, TBH, is something I’m not looking forward to starting up again – you wouldn’t believe how long I go without shaving my legs when it’s cold. Or perhaps you would…), it won’t be very hard; I have more than enough dresses/skirts to get by.
I also spent the weekend switching out my winter and summer wardrobes, and assessing what’s left in my closet in terms of what I REALLY wear, and what I don’t. I’ve had this Kowtow cardigan for many months, and have yet to wear it. I can’t really say why, except that whenever I pull it out to wear it, I put it on and take it right back off again.
I love the cardigan a lot – especially that it’s organic cotton, ethically & sustainably made – but for me, anyway, that certainly doesn’t mean I’ll wear it. I have a few theories:
- it’s gray. Weird, I know, because I love gray, and like to layer in different colors, not the same. In my head, of course it has to be gray, so I can layer it over black dresses & with black pants, etc., but for some reason I think that’s making it harder to work with
- it’s cropped. Even though I LOVE cropped tops/sweaters and think they’re very flattering on me with my smaller waist, I still instinctively want to cover my ass/hips with longer layers, and don’t feel as comfortable in shorter ones like this cardigan. I’m working on overcoming that though, and I think the more often I choose this silhouette, the easier it will be.
- the upper arms are a little snug. Nearly everything is on me, since I have flabby upper arms, let’s be honest (there’s some muscle in there too!), and while it’s not really noticeable, it does make layering the cardigan over long or short sleeves difficult and bulky. So, I’m limited to wearing it with sleeveless dress or tank tops. Fine, but something I wasn’t able to do in cooler weather.
Ultimately, I’ve decided to keep the cardigan and try to wear it this spring. I’ll hold on to it through this year, and if it turns out that I still don’t wear it then I’ll get rid of it. Incidentally, I did that with quite a few cold-weather items and random other pieces, so look for a new shop with some of my items up for sale soon.
What do yo do with items you love but don’t tend to wear very often? Do you keep them around hoping to wear them? Or give them away quickly and move on?
Happy Monday!!!!
I think the cardigan looks GREAT on you–very flattering cut and fit, especially over the column of black. But if the sleeves feel too tight, that is the kind of thing that would make me get rid of something. If an item of clothing feels somehow fussy or tugs or something, I can’t keep wearing it, even if I love it.
thanks jen. yes, that’s usually a deal-killer for me, but…it’s so hard to get rid of. i probably shouldn’t have kept it anyway, but it was final sale (i know!!!) from beklina since it was 50% off. that said, it’s not sooo tight it’s uncomfortable, just so that i can’t layer anything with sleeves underneath. so, it should work for tank dresses, etc.
Looks really cute! The cropped cardi over the longer dress makes you look tall and lean! I too always want to wear longer layers because I want to hide all the bits and pieces of myself that I don’t like–but I find others compliment me more when I “uncover” a bit. Oh the struggle to embrace what I see in the mirror!!!
I think the two first shouldn’t be deal breakers, but I see what you mean with the arms. But I think you might be flexing in the last picture, because in the first to I don’t notice at all!
I think the drape and the cropped length look stunning on you, and I can see that it would work wonders with my figure too! (my boyfriend loves cropped jackets on my, maybe I should remember that hint)
the struggle is real debi 🙂
it’s interesting though, i don’t have a problem wearing the dress alone, or any other figure-hugging dress by itself, but when i add a layer to it, i prefer it to be longer. i think that’s because the cropped cardigan REALLY accentuates my smallish waist, which is a good thing, but also serves as a contrast to my larger hips/legs – THAT is what i struggle with when i wear that silhouette. if that makes sense LOL
Hello! I have been reading your blog for years and this is the first time I’ve ever commented. I just had to tell you that I think today’s outfit is the most flattering and lovely outfit I’ve ever seen you wear. I like lots of your outfits. We have similar style, so I often find things I like on your blog. But this outfit is really my favorite ever and you look wonderful in it!
Ps. If you hate shaving so much do laser hair removal. Best $$ I’ve ever spent.
thanks so much for leaving a comment susan! i’m honored 🙂
so funny you mention laser hair removal, a friend is trying that soon and i’m waiting for her review…but i am definitely considering it.
this look would be lovely on you!! and i take anything positive my husband says about my clothes VERY seriously, because they don’t come around very often LOL
as i mentioned to jen, the sleeves being tight are really only a problem if i want to layer over tees with sleeves, because then it get bulky and REALLY tight. with tanks, etc., it’s fine…
I’ve done laser hair removal on my bikini line and underarm (too expensive for me to consider legs). It worked great on my bikini – no regrowth there and it’s been a year. Underarms are lighter but there’s still growth – I need to go back for a touch up!! (I work at a university and got an employee deal from the aesthetics center – 15% off, I think) It doesn’t feel great but I never had a ton of pain, and no side effects (I’d been a periodic waxer for 20 years too, but never consistently enough to slow hair growth that way either)
I love that sweater on you but couldn’t pull off a waterfall crop (sure, my waist would look small, but only because my boobs would look big enough to topple medium sized cities 😉
I have to agree with Johanne–the drape of this sweater on you is very flattering and just lovely. I especially like the side shot (2nd picture).
If I really love an item of clothing but find myself not wearing it I tend to keep it OR, I might give it to my best friend and hope she’ll love it and wear it! I hate to part with clothes and that’s why my closet is as crowded and disorganized as it is, unfortunately.
Love this length on you, and you can pull off the midi with it, which is no small feat! I say keep rocking it over dresses, I find cropped things harder when I wear them with pants and have to figure out what type of top to layer over.
I love grey too but find that for me, it works better as the layer underneath (so tanks , tees, sweaters etc) rather than top layer (cardies). But I do like this cropped waterfall style cardie on you a lot! Although tight arms would generally be a deal-breaker for me. I have this Agnes B leather biker jacket that’s tight in the upper arms so it’s been sitting unworn in my closet for almost 5 years but I still can’t bring myself to get rid of it!
Love this outfit on you…
The cardigan looks really gorgeous on you! I am always looking for a cardigan in spring, I run too hot to wear my trench coat but I work outside many days and I can’t stand to shiver in a short-sleeved dress. I’ve purchased two secondhand cotton Uniqlo ones and they are awful. This one is exactly what I’ve been looking for, with a nice shape and drape to it.
thank you ariana!!
Kelly!!!
I have to agree with the other readers: You look fantastic in this! The arms don’t look too tight, but I get what you mean about layering something snug. And honestly, I think you’re still viewing yourself with “old Grechen” eyes. I don’t mean to go all therapist on you (yeah, ok, I do!) but they always say that it takes time for our mental image of ourselves to catch up with the actual image we present after we lose a lot of weight. And you also worked SUPER hard to get in great shape and it shows. I think the long cardigans served as cover and this one is more “risky” in your eyes. But it shows off that “Pure Barre Butt” and that’s what I’d be going for!!! It’s time to move forward, girl…you’ve earned it! <3
Grechen, what size is your Kowtow cardigan? I’m 34a on top, average size (not thin) arms–what size do you think would work? 🙂 Thanks!
Medium!! – sorry i thought you asked what size mine was!! (was walking the dog, answering on my phone.)
anyway, i might still recommend a medium – i’m a 34b and have thick upper arms and the medium is a little snug on my arms. not uncomfortable, just snug.