Outfit Diary #17
The Perfect Red Sweater? And New Jeans x2!
Sunday
It was cold and windy so I decided to go with an outfit that I know is cozy and that I feel really good in. I just love how all of the items work together!
It kinda feels like there’s a lot going on, but the color scheme ties it all together, even with 2 different patterns (leopard, check):
Sweater - grey with flecks of white, black, brown and yellow
Pants - black
Shoes - black, brown
Jacket - black, white
When I put this sweater/pant combo on, I knew that I had worn it before (my outfit diary analysis tells me it’s been 3 times) so I thought it might be nice to add something new. I grabbed this old bandana that I haven’t worn in a while, folded it in half, rolled it to the length that I wanted, and tied it around my neck, tucking the V underneath my sweater so it ended up serving as a collar. I like the pop of color that it adds!
Comfort - 10/10; Style - 10/10; Fun - 10/10.
Outfit Rating System:
Comfort - Was I too hot or cold? Did it fit me properly? Did I have to adjust any of the items constantly?
Style - Did I feel stylish in the outfit? Did it feel like a “me” outfit, or was there something about it that was off?
Fun - Did I try something new? Was I really excited about the outfit, or was I bored by the outfit?
We did our usual Sunday family outing and this week, both of the kids joined us! We usually split up at the beginning of the outing with the boys heading off for boba and the girls enjoying frozen yogurt (when it’s above freezing at least). After my daughter and I had eaten our froyo, we went into one of our favorite consignment shops.
And, of course it would happen like this, but after looking for a red wool sweater all winter, I finally found one from Baserange, which is a brand that I really like. And if I had found this sweater before putting together my wishlist newsletter, I probably would have went for it.
But analyzing my wishlist made me question if a red cotton sweater would be better. In particular, the red cotton one from Babaa with a high v neck. After debating whether I should get the Baserange sweater for wayyyy too long, I decided to take a photo to refer back to and I put it on a 24-h hold so that I could think about it intentionally.
When I got home, I put together the following pro/con list for the 2 sweaters.
Ultimately, I decided to go with my original decision and get the Babaa one as a Mother’s Day gift, which I think will be just perfect! The deciding factors were:
The Babaa contains only natural fibers whereas the Baserange one has 30% synthetic fibers.
I can only wear the wool one for about 5 months (Nov - Mar), whereas I can wear the cotton one for at least 9 months (Oct - Jun).
I really like the idea of having a different style of neckline to add some variety to my sweater collection.
The sleeves of the Baserange one were bulky under my wool jacket and I think that the cotton will be a little thinner for layering under coats and jackets in winter.
A search for #babaajumperno64 on Instagram brought me to this post by @caitsynd_sews, whom I have followed for years because I love the style of clothes that she makes and also because she is similar in height and size to me. Seeing how the jumper no. 64 looks on her (great!) was the final push that I needed!
Monday
Isn’t it a rule that you have to wear green on St. Patrick’s Day or you could get pinched??
In the past, I’ve pretty much neglected that rule simply for the fact that I didn’t have any green clothing (and I can’t remember ever being pinched for it, thankfully). But, not this year!
I thrifted this cardigan in between my no buy and low buy and I’ve worn it a few times over the winter. I had actually thrown it in the declutter pile because although I really like the color, I wasn’t sure that that the style was “me”.
And on Sunday, when my daughter and I popped into a shop, I saw a green cardigan that was pretty much the same color that I liked, and honestly, it was a very similar style so I pulled this one back out. I think it was more about the timing for this piece - it seemed a little more out of place with my darker winter bottoms but I think it works perfectly with blue jeans!
Speaking of blue jeans, I found these at a consignment shop yesterday and I love them! I had seen them a few weeks ago but I didn’t feel like trying anything on. Yesterday, since I was going to try on a few other things (red sweater included), I brought these into the fitting room as well.
At first, I was worried that they would be too small as they were a little snug pulling them over my hips, but I found out that was because they do that neat thing where they actually fit your waist while also having enough room for your hips and butt!! I find that to be very rare 😂
I love how they have pockets on the outside and a front seam and that they’re 99% cotton (1% spandex). They feel really fun for spring!
At first, I layered a white t-shirt under the cardigan but it felt bunchy so I went with my black tank top. I definitely think that a white tank top will be my next low buy purchase - I think it’ll be so much nicer with lighter and brighter colors!
And I’m really thankful to my past self (like my 5 months ago self 😅) who bought some lighter shoes.
These sneakers were actually the first purchase that I made following the end of my no buy year after dreaming of them for months! They look perfect with my favorite canvas bag!
Red sweater update: I ordered the red Babaa sweater this day. I was informed in the comments section of my wishlist post that Cup of Jo would be sharing a Babaa discount code on her website on Monday (thanks Lindsay K.), so when that dropped, I went for it! It’ll be a Mother’s Day gift so I won’t actually see it until then!
Comfort - 10/10; Style - 10/10; Fun - 10/10.
Tuesday
Do you ever add something to your wardrobe and then that’s all that you want to wear? That’s what’s happening with these jeans!
I’ve never had anything like them (that I can remember, but the plethora of clothing that I used to own was hardly memorable, mostly due to the excess and the constant rotation of it).
I think they’re going to be such a spring/summer staple!
I feel like I nailed my spring layering game with this outfit! By the time I had to leave the house for an optometrist appointment (to get a new contact/glasses prescription - hence the glasses), it was around 60F, so I wore my grey cashmere sweater over my shoulders with a blue/white striped cotton shirt that I left unbuttoned at the top and bottom.
I added my silver sneakers (again, I’m so happy that I added some lighter colored sneakers to my shoe collection) and I went with my small silver handbag for a little matchy-matchy moment. I switched out the long crossbody strap for a wrist strap.
My kids are off for spring break this week so my husband took the afternoon off and we took them out for a late lunch and a little exploring downtown.
After a while, I ditched the sweater in the car as the temp rose into the low 70s. When we got home, I went for a little walk and listened to an audiobook on my library’s Libby app called “Rewire”, then we played games with the kids and made pizza bites that we dipped in marinara sauce, followed by more games.
It was a fun day!
Comfort - 10/10; Style - 10/10; Fun -10/10