sweater – the Spiff

Fashion, sweater, sweaters, west town mall, winter

Graphic Sweaters You’ll Actually Like

February 18, 2015 No Comments

Out shopping a couple weeks ago, I kept coming across graphic sweaters with the most random objects on them.

There was one knit sweater that just had a picture of a pear. A pear. I feel as if I would have to be knee-deep in the pear business or at least have eaten a pair in the last 15 years for it to warrant space on my clothing.

That’s why I decided to seek out some cute graphic sweaters that not only make sense, but could be worn without eliciting confused looks from those around you.

All of these, by the way, can be found at West Town Mall!

1. A great way to ease into the graphic trend is with this bubble print sweater from The Limited. It’s a fun fresh take on polka dots, and the darker sleeves will help disguise larger arms for a truly flattering look.

2. JCP got into the graphic game with this happy orange and white print. Buying sweaters like this is such a smart thing to do this time of year as they’ll keep you warm in the cold, and have you looking bright and attractive as spring approaches.

3. The Limited does such a great job of turning up the volume on classic pieces. This graphic bow sweater is a perfect way to go if you’re a bow-lover. You get to sport a girly look without the hassle of keeping the bow tied or fluffed up.

4. Anyone else think of ice cream when they read this “a la mode” phrase? Banana Republic has us craving sweets with this equal parts fun and sophisticated piece. It’s just enough text to give the sweater a great look, without being too overdone. This would look so chic under a blazer.

5. Never let it be said that I’ll shy away from letting my clothes do the complimenting for me. I love a good brag sweater (as long as the brag doesn’t make me sound like a floozy). This sweater pretty much spells it all out, pick up your own at Forever21 and rock it with confidence – there’s no other way to wear something like this.

6. I threw in one more Forever21 graphic option just for fun. Since I’m pregnant with a boy I thought this one would be funny to wear once I started showing. Of course I’m certain people would still ask what I was having in which case I would just point to the sweater. Boom. Other than that I’m not sure why you would want a sweater with just the word “boy” on it, but to each his own.

Fashion, forever21, styling, sweater, sweaters, winter

Playing With Volume

January 21, 2015 4 Comments

I’ll tell you what helps motivate you to get out of a comfortable warm bed in the morning – a big cozy sweater that’s actually cute.

But when you’re going with something that’s got a lot of volume, you’ve got to balance it out with something that’s not so voluminous. Like a black skirt and tights!

This combination is especially perfect if you’re rounder in the middle. The volume of the sweater will drape over your mid-section and help draw all the attention to the smaller spaces on your body.

I picked up this sweater at the fantasy factory that is the Dillard’s outlet in Asheville, NC. That place is a shoppers paradise. Well, let me rephrase that – it’s a deal-hunters paradise. If you don’t like picking through rack after rack in a sea of sale clothing then it’s not for you. Party pooper.

And since I can’t provide a link to that, there are two similarly shaped sweaters…here and here.

A black skirt like this is invaluable in the winter. I picked this one up at Forever21 years and years ago. I’ve yet to find a substitute, but I’m going to need to fast as I’ve really worn this one out. One like this is great with black tights which I will never stop wearing no matter how old I get. They make your legs look so skinny!!

Think about the balance of volume with the next outfit you put together and see how great it makes you look!

christmas, Fashion, sweater, west town mall, Why this works, winter

Tulle Skirts and Sparkle Pants – An Intriguing Tale

December 15, 2014 2 Comments

the loft, sweater, jeweled sweater, gray sweater, what to wear to holiday parties, hoop earrings

You want to hear the tale of my Christmas program outfit? It involves intrigue and a tulle skirt – as all great adventure tales do.

So at the beginning of the year, I listed in this post that one of my goals for 2014 was to rock a tulle skirt. I was so very serious about that, and when the opportunity arose for me to be in the Christmas program at my church, I thought what better time to wear one then for the program!

What a great idea! So I hunted one down and ordered it. Exactly six days before the program I checked on its whereabouts only to find that it was still hanging out in Hong Kong. Uh….That’s a long way away.

Cue the panic.

Thankfully, I had a back up plan. So let me pause and say how important it is to have a back up plan when you’ve ordered something online. Because that really saved me here. Most of the time for special events I’m locked down to one look and one look only. But it was truly the grace of God that I had another look in mind.

It was also by the grace of God that I was able to get both of these pieces on sale. Truly, I thank God for that.

So here are the deets…the pants are from White House Black Market and the sweater is from The Loft (it’s actually a petite size because that’s all they had left, so I went a size up and it worked which is good to know). I knew I wanted sparkle pants (I was also hoping to generate a nickname with them ;) so I went to this website – ShopStyle.

When you’re searching for something specific, this is the website to use. All you do is input a description of what you want, you can narrow down the price and add other specifics, but it generates a listing of that item and the stores in which it can be found. I do this, then look for the stores that are in West Town Mall, which is how I found the sparkle pants. It’s 1,000 times easier than running around the mall in a frazzled panic – which is exactly what I wanted to do when I first saw my skirts whereabouts.

I knew that since they were so glittery I could go with a toned down top, so I started out searching for a simple gray sweater. Then I found this one. And it was love at first sight.

When buying special occasion clothes, I’m all about how many wears I can squeeze out of them. Unfortunately, I don’t think these pants will get as much use as say a classic pair of black pants, but they’re instant fun, and who knows, I may get more use out of them then I realize.

The sweater, Lord, I’ll wear that whenever I can get the chance!

So that’s the end. I may have heightened about the level of intrigue at the beginning of this tale, but let me just say that when you see the words “Hong Kong” at 8:30am, that’s all the “intrigue” I can handle.

Fashion, jcpenney, sweater, sweaters, west town mall, what to wear

An Easy Way to Shop for a Holiday Outfit

December 12, 2014 No Comments

One thing is certain, you will not be able to look back on this Christmas season and say that I didn’t help you with what to wear to a party.

I’ve helped you here, here and now today…

I picked up this metallic sweater at JCPenney. And it was truly the easiest outfit shopping I’ve done all year long. Here’s how I did it.

The easiest piece to get that will help you look fresh and glam without spending a lot of money is a top. Especially one like this with a lot of shine. Because you’re not going to have to do too much accessorizing with something like this.

I didn’t want to spend a lot of money and wanted exactly that – something I could throw on that would be easily accessorized. So late one night I hopped online and started pre-shopping.

Which is something else you need to think about. Instead of aimlessly wandering around stores trying to “shop cold” (as I’m now officially calling it), if you’ll do a little pre-shopping online you’ll be able to instantly rule out any store you don’t want to try.

I went straight to JCP for a couple of reasons…

1. They’ve got a lot of great coupons going on right now so I knew I could get something cheap

2. I was planning to shop on a day where I was working from home and didn’t want to have to get all dolled up to go all over the mall. I just wanted to hit one store, and I knew JCP would deliver.

Sure enough, they did. Found this sweater online, went in the next day tried it on, presented my coupon, badda-bing, badda-boom I’m out the door with a great party outfit and I spent less than $20 and barely an hour on the whole thing.

That, is what I’m talking about.

christmas, Fashion, sweater, target

Cardigans With Bling

December 4, 2014 No Comments

Gone are the days when the word “cardigan” was associated with celibacy. That’s maybe a little harsh, but we can all admit to never hearing the sentence, “that’s one sexy cardigan you’re wearing.”

They’ve really made over their image and are available in all kinds of patterns, textures, and bling.

Christmas time is a great season to stock up on dazzling cardi’s because you can wear them now and later.

Here area few of my favorites that I’ve spotted around town, starting top left…

Those first two (the sapphire and the fuchsia colored sweaters) are both from Target. Target has a whole slew of great jeweled sweaters. Whatever you do, do not pay full price for one. Keep an eye on it (or save your receipt) because they will put them on sale. If you can’t see it, that fuchsia one has a light scattering of sparkles starting at the shoulder. It’s really pretty.

And the blue cardigan has really pretty jewel bunch at the collar.

Speaking of a great bunch of jewels, that black number in the middle is from Ann Taylor and boy would that look great with a white button down, a sparkly skirt and some black pumps.

The gray sweater has a really cool bead pattern of both silver and gold going on. It’s from White House Black Market and would look beautifully unexpected with some light gold accessories.

The black one, top right, would be the most practical out of the bunch, but is still a step above a boring black cardi. It’s got a smattering of sparkly gems on it as well that glisten at different moments when worn open. It’s from New York and Company, who, by the way, is having an amazing sale right now so go scoop one up.

All of these are proof that you don’t have to settle for boring cardigans anymore! It’s about to be 2015, friends. Let’s let our cardigans get a little wild ;)