December 2, 2019
There are few garments I like more than a good sweater…
The only real guideline is keep it a solid neutral with something interesting going on!

Cabled sweater – L.L.Bean
A simple ribbed sweater, with some festive earrings and a fun brooch, can be all you need for a nice outfit!
Note that Talbots is THE source for holiday/winter themed accessories. They have been a go-to place for these kinds of things for pretty much my entire life! Fun for you, fun for gifts!
Earrings – Talbots; almond ribbed sweater – Nic+Zoe; brown velvet pants – True Royal; pinecone brooch – Talbots; loafers – Børn; bag – Reiss
If you want a sweater with a “woven-in” texture, search for cables or pointelle. This sweater actually includes BOTH terms in the description!
Heather grey sweater – J.Crew; silver knot earrings – Talbots; grey pearl bracelet – Talbots; silver bag – UGG; boots – Naturalizer; charcoal heather corduroy pants – Lands’ End
If you’re attending one of those events where the door is constantly open, a cuddly sweater is a good call…
Earrings – Stella and Bow; cabled turtleneck tunic sweater – Halogen; black velvet pants – Lands ‘End; brooch – Isabel Marant; flats – Blondo; bag – INC International Concepts
The juxtaposition of this jeweled sweater with dark-wash jeans delights me… And amber accessories are unexpected!
Navy embellished sweater – Saks Fifth Avenue; earrings – Violet & Brooks; bag – Marc Jacobs; socks – COS; navy loafers – Halogen; jeans – Lands’ End
You can be nicely dressed for all kinds of casual/party events without even a hint of holiday!
Gold knot earrings – Kenneth Jay Lane; cabled sweater – L.L.Bean; brooch – Talbots; bag – Maison Heritage; metallic suede loafers – Talbots; jeans – Lands’ End
Maybe you just plain and simply WANT a tartan brooch! There’s nothing wrong with that…
Earrings – Talbots; navy cabled tunic sweater – L.L.Bean; navy velvet pants – Lands’ End; tartan bow brooch – Talbots; gold wristlet – Talbots; navy flats – Jambu
For no good reason, I had to include some stars…
white, black, and red cotton turtlenecks – Lands’ End; “snow” cotton turtleneck – Lands’ End ; black cashmere cardigan – Lands’ End; flannel shirt – Lands’ End; striped Henley – Lands’ End; star sweater – Banana Republic; floral cardigan – Lands’ End; black corduroy jeans – L.L.Bean; black stretch wool pants – BOSS; tweed skirt – J.Crew; black dress – Lands’ End
Winter is nearing the end – at least in the “you’ve got to plan ahead” world of wardrobes! It never ceases to amaze me how fast the months fly by…
love,
Janice
p.s. 4 years ago, we visited camel with a whole BUNCH of accent colors!
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New and clever ideas with big pull-overs…I LOVE !!!
Oh goodness; LOVE the navy and gold whole ensemble (with the jewelled sweater). Sweater is a bit expensive for me but I can improvise! And the loafers are so classy. Your outfits are wonderful as usual.
It is pricey, but I had to share it. There are ways to replicate this idea… I’m thinking of a sweater that’s starting to get those wee holes in it, mended with jeweled buttons over the holes…
hugs,
Janice
Excellent idea! Visible mending like Tom of Holland!
I’m really starting to love this idea; we MUST cut back on our consumption, and this kind of thing gives you garments that are unique. I recently saw a friend who had rehabbed a cardigan that was fraying around the edges – she bound the bottom edge and the cuffs with fabric, and then change out the buttons to something that echoed the motif of the fabric. It was lovely!
hugs,
Janice
Love these ideas – food for thought. Cable jumper with velvet trousers. Might just try that look today as I go Christmas shopping!
As a lady of a certain age with far too much covering, it is so refreshing to see several pairs of comfortable looking trousers that aren’t leggings/jeggings or treggings. You always put together such lovely outfits and accessories that keep me coming back for more. Thank you Janice.
I find those leggings to be terribly unflattering on so many people; I hesitate to show you things that I don’t think will look beautiful on you!
hugs,
Janice
I have 2 of those 100% cotton cable sweaters from LL Bean and 1 from Lands End and they are on regular rotation for the last 7 or 8 years. I swear they look as good as new after countless washings (always inside out on delicate and dried on a drying rack). It is getting more and more difficult to find a quality sweater these days. Everything is made with acrylic, which feels soft to the touch but pills terribly after one washing. I may not be able to get the trend du jour, but I’ll stick with a lovely classic that will last many seasons. Thanks for including these brands in your posts, Janice!
I agree with you on the difficulty of finding quality sweaters theses days. Even Lands End and LL Bean are using acrylic in a lot of their offerings. Factor in the inconsistency in sizing (remember the days when you could just select your regular size and know it would fit?) and it is becoming increasingly frustrating to shop at both of these old favorites. Thankfully, specific item content and sizing information is still available to those who seek it.
I have become a stickler for quality. A part of that means rejecting ANYTHING made with acrylic. Such items don’t launder well, which makes the cost per wear way too high.
There is so much to choose from in women’s clothing, why settle for less when you really don’t have too.
Janice, thank you for your great tip. You said that if you like a certain coloured item at a store, search Online to see if they make more than one item in that certain color. I bought a Russet Brown LS tee from Talbots. It worked with so many things I had already. I looked on their website for Russet Brown and found a great long cardigan. I have it now in my closet. I keep seeing more items in my closet that go with it. I guess it’s the missing piece that I needed.
PS There’s nothing like trying a garment on in the store to get the size right, though.
Sizes are confounding – if there’s any doubt, in-store is smart. Or order a few sizes and send back the ones that don’t work! All you need is a roll of packing tape, and your home is your dressing room…
hugs,
Janice