I’ve nearly done a whole year of Buying Nothing, I can’t believe how fast the time has gone, but come January 2018 one of the first items on my list will be a piece of knitwear that will keep me warm, look stylish and not make me feel like a frump.
(btw those of you who follow us on Insta will know I went to Delhi last week, and I’m thrilled to report I bought no clothes at all, despite being seriously tempted).
Although the recent snap of very cold weather has highlighted the knitwear-centric gap in my wardrobe, I’ve actually been thinking about what makes a good sweater for a month or two. My new buying strategy, having had a year to think, will be about filling gaps. I have a favourite pair of Winser London wide leg trousers with nothing warm to wear on top, come the big chill. Everything in my (now super edited) wardrobe has got to earn its keep, so the trousers urgently need a winter mate.
I’ve resisted buying too much knitwear in the last four or five years, because a) the moths eat all the good stuff and b) due to menopausal issues just looking at a piece of merino has brought me out in a hot sweat. Now I’ve got the moths under control and I’m getting fewer hot flushes, I’m ready to rethink a stylish sweater, particularly since everyone’s talking about this being a ‘hard winter’.
I have been considering the Me+Em Stripe Slouchy Box Jumper (£149) ever since the brochure popped through the letterbox. Like a couple of the Me+Em styles it has a detachable roll neck (they call it a snood) so it can be turned into a crew neck at the slip of a button -useful if your temperature control is still unpredictable and giving the jumper two personalities. It is quite short, which is exactly what I want for the wide leg trousers and I think I’m going for the black and cream, although the navy and khaki would look great with jeans.
I’m also crazy about this Joseph Fair Isle sweater (£275) with a groovy double back. Often ‘cosy’, oversized sweaters can make you feel like you’ve lost yourself inside a blanket and can look a bit frumpy, especially if you have boobs. I love the modern look to this sweater, if you’re up for a bit of colour it also comes in a joyous mustard yellow too. This is exactly the sweater I would have pressed the ‘buy now’ button on prior to my Buy Nothing year, it makes my heart beat faster, but with my wish-list only function, I’ve just bookmarked it to give me time to think about how I’d wear it, if it turns up in the sale, as it’s not going to work with my wide leg trousers. .
Here’s a few more snug but stylish sweaters you might like to consider while the weather is nippy.
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