Style Journal: In Praise of Cardigan Sweaters

I love a cardigan sweater.  There is something about them that meets all my style requirements: Casual, dressy, and everything in-between, the cardigan sweater has your back.  Literally.  

Worn buttoned up with just the top button undone and a necklace peeking through: classic and dressy enough for most occasions.  Worn over a matching shell:  a twin set will never be wrong.  Tossed over a t-shirt with a casual denim skirt: cute and casual to meet the day’s requirements.  When you grow up in California, the idea of sweaters feels like a choice that will see you through one short season: Winter. But in my East Coast world, a cardigan is a four-season affair.  I have several, in colors and fabric weights to meet whatever demands I make of them.  

I thought of this when I was in Vermont for a few days off earlier this week.  At the last minute, I threw my light blue three-quarter sleeve cotton cardigan in my bag.  It was handy in the evenings on the back deck of the cabin we stayed; cozy over my nightgown in the morning, and welcome during our rainy day adventures in town.  This sweater is the utility infielder of my Spring and Summer closet.  The color goes with anything - plain and simple without being boring.  I feel just a smidge more put-together when it’s in my bag or draped over my shoulders.  My inner preppy is always best-pleased by its tidy, stylish presence. 

That's happy!

Style Journal: In Praise of the Bullpen

A few weeks ago, I read an article at The Every Girl about taking steps to make your world look more like a romantic comedy.  The article was directed toward women younger than me but I really love The Every Girl and articles like this is one of the reasons: a lot of it struck home.  I enjoy taking the time to make my daily life pretty.  Whether it’s decorating my house for the seasons or setting the supper table with nice dishes and pretty linens, I am all about making my days just a little nicer.  In that spirit, among many things I do to make things nicer for myself is my Sunday tradition of setting out the clothes I will wear to work in the coming week.  I call it the Sunday bullpen and I set one up every week.  

I have an app that I use to keep track of clothes and shoes and I use it to keep track of clothing and outfit combinations and to otherwise plan ahead.  On Sunday, I iron or steam the clothes I will wear for the week and just like that, every workday morning runs a little more smoothly.  Most mornings, I wake up in the dark and as my eyes adjust to the dim light, the items in the bullpen come into view.  Honestly, they make me glad to be awake.  Planning ahead helps me to both avoid indecision on busy mornings and also to really enjoy my clothes.  Morning Me is always grateful that Sunday Me took her time to plan for the week.  When I was younger, I would have been embarrassed about my desire to make life look nice, almost as if I didn't deserve it.  But 55 year old me is unapologetically glad that I take the time to look after myself.  Here’s to a life that is made nicer because it looks pretty.

Blue Tuesday

The ability to travel this Summer was a most welcome development and I was glad for the occasions when I could pack my bag and go someplace.  When my nephew S came to visit, that someplace was a few days in Washington D.C.  I packed my bag full of blue and white clothes. 

I felt tidy and organized and the color scheme ensured that I had lots of options to mix things up, which always pleases me.  I love clothes and blue and white clothes are among my very favorite.  For the rest of this year, I have declared Blue Tuesday and I will wear something blue.  Some of those blue clothes will be shared here.  This is an admittedly shallow enterprise but it’s one that makes me happy.   And these days, all sources of happiness are worth holding onto.

Seasonally Affected

My house has small closets and I compensate for that fact by using my upstairs attic closet to store sweaters and out-of-season clothes.  Twice a year, I swap out the closet in my bedroom.  My declaration of the hour of seasonal change isn’t entirely random, but in all honesty it is driven by my desire to start the next season.  Once I make the swap, I am fully committed to the change.  Mother Nature doesn’t quite turn one season off in order to switch to the next and her slower seasonal transition can rather trip me up, especially in the Spring, the season I most long to enjoy.

I manage to avoid facing the snow in sandals, but I am occasionally cold in the Spring.  This is what happens when you’ve packed away cold weather tights and wool sweaters and skirts in favor of linen and cotton clothing and summery sandals and shoes.  I guess my pride will have to keep me warm.