A Clothing Rant and the First FO of 2012

First the rant, for my birthday back in October, I received an Aventura cardigan. It is a whole two and one half months later and the cardi is literally falling apart at the seams!! I wear it about once a week, so maybe I've worn it six or seven times since I received it. Honestly, I've heard about such things happening, but I have never had an item of clothing actually self destruct this quickly. This cardi retails for around $80, which is not an insignificant amount of money. I might expect this from a Target sweater, but not from a company whose motto is "Aventura -- helping the earth one garmet at a time." How is making crap helping the earth? This is not even good enough to recycle at the consignment store. I will most likely try to mend it, but I think the gazillion other cardis like this one are making a beeline for the landfill. What a waste.


I know wise shoppers check clothing for quality before buying, but honestly to look at this sweater when it was brand new, it really was lovely. It's in a price range that I would think would offer at least moderate standards of workmanship, although I do know crap comes in every price range. The friend who gave me this sweater is the boutque owner.  Do I tell her so she can inform her vendor of the shoddy workmanship? Do I return it? Neither of these options appeal to me. I think I will most likely keep it, thankful for the generous friend who knew I would love both the cut and color of this sweater. One thing I know for sure is that I will never buy anything from this company.

For better quality knitwear, I finished my first knitted sweater of the year, Zephyr, and learned a couple of new techniques along the way including Judy's magic cast on and how to knit a contiguous sleeve. The best part is that I'm very happy with my new cardi. The yarn in incredibly soft and luxurious(44merino, 44alpaca, 12nylon), made in France (reasonably sure mill is not a sweat shop, unlike the Made in China cardi above, of which I am not reasonably sure) and I can personally vouch for the workmanship. 





Simple Pleasure: Gloves

It’s been an odd winter, very warm until our recent snowstorm, but even on those days when the temps hit the high 50s, I was wearing my favorite new winter accessory – gloves – just because.

As a knitter, I’ve been a hardcore mitten girl because there are so many cute and quick-to-knit mitten patterns out there. But for my birthday (back in the fall) my husband gave me an olive green pair of cashmere-lined, leather gloves (on sale now). My hands are my least favorite body part, but when I slip them into these gloves, they are magically transformed into an expression of feminine grace. Okay that may be overstating things, but I love them immensely. They make me feel so … classy and refined. Not the usual words to describe my style. Even if I wear them with something as pedestrian as my Patagonia puffer jacket, I feel ever so slightly more sophisticated.

And I’m hooked, since then I’ve acquired two more pairs – one was a gift from a friend, the other, a consignment store find – I’m enjoying having a small wardrobe of gloves and it comes as a complete surprise to me how hard I’ve fallen for them.

I’ll keep knitting mittens, like these, which are lined with lace-weight mohair, but I think they will become gifts in the future. Perhaps I’ll try some knitted gloves on tiny needles. The pair below have been on my list for at least a few years.

What are the accessories that have surprised you, either in how they make you feel when you wear them or how they add versatility where you didn’t expect it?

Why Black Is Not Simple

My quest for a simpler life includes simplifying my wardrobe, purchasing only quality clothing items I love in a color palette that transcends trends. A lot of what I’ve read in the blogosphere, in books and magazines has suggested black be the color that grounds a simple, stylish wardrobe, and I can see the logic there. In the photos of stylish women in New York, Paris and other urban hubs there’s no denying the sleek women in head-to-toe black with a dash of color in a handbag or scarf do look oh-so-chic. I’ve tried this look, and well, it simply doesn’t work for me. I’ve often wondered why this is. This is what I’ve come up with:

1. Black is moody. I live in Colorado, a state that boasts 360 days of sunshine. Black looks better against moody, rainy backdrops like Paris, San Francisco or that town in Oregon where all the vampires live. Exposed to the unfiltered atmosphere at 6,000 feet above sea level, black looks grumpy and in need of a nap.
2. Black likes the City. I don’t live in the City, I live in the mountains; a place where people come to get away from the City (perhaps they come here to get out of their black clothes and experience something more colorful). Head-to toe black, to me, looks like a lost tourist.
3. Black likes to party. Me? Not so much. I love a good wine-tasting party and a concert, but I’m glad my clubbing days are a faded memory. These days, my nightlife includes dinner or drinks with friends, the infrequent work-related function, a few low-key holiday get-togethers, events with extended family, going to the movies – all of which are cheerful occasions calling for attire to match.  
4. Black likes winter. I once bought I linen dress in black, thinking I’d wear the heck out of it all summer long. It hung in my closet, hardly worn, until I consigned the thing. I haven’t bought a black summer dress since. But here in Colorado, with all the snow reflecting all the sunshine, it’s still too bright to wear black on most days, even in winter.
5. Black likes to be alone. It’s no secret that black says back off. There are times when I want to send that message loud and clear, but honestly most of the time, I don’t. Like I said, I live in a small town. I know when I go for a walk, shopping for groceries or to a school function, I will see many familiar faces. Whether I’m wearing black or not, people will stop and chat, so why send mixed messages – “Hi, now get lost.”

Of course if you like black, wear it. It might be simple and chic for you. It is for many, but it’s not for me. The point is to find what works for you, your life, your aesthetic. I still wear black. I have black cardis, pants, skirts, shoes, a coat, handbag and hat, none of which I’m planning on consigning any time soon.  But these days black takes a backseat to other colors, especially the autumnal colors I adore and the jeans that ground my everyday look. Sounds simple, it’s not. One of my most favorite style blogs is The Vivienne Files. She explains with examples and great detail how to take a color palette you love and make it your own.  Black works, but so do a spectrum of other colors.