A Sweater in Time — Reformation Edit
DISCLAIMER: I do not own the rights to any of the product images featured in this post, nor am I in anyway affiliated.
I don’t know about anybody else, but more than ever, Reformation’s sweater selection this season has got me in an absolute chokehold. As someone who considers it a cardinal sin to let a perfectly good—and by that I mean delightfully frigid bitch of—an autumn and winter pass by without so much as an innocent online or, better yet, in-store (sweater-permitting of course) peruse of the wondrous market of wool, cotton, and cashmere, I AT THE VERY LEAST allow myself (only after securely duct taping my wallet shut and burying it in the ice box) to bear humble witness, NAY pay my sincerely fanatic respects, to the genius behind such creations as the Mer Regenerative Wool Sweater ($178), Jadey Cashmere Oversized V-Neck Sweater ($298), and Sam Cashmere Oversized Crew Sweater ($278).
Fellow sweater aficionado, are we? Sign a waiver of liability and read on below!
Mer Regenerative Wool Sweater (Reformation, $178) — MY TAKE: A cutesy, bookish, window-shopping through town, buying fresh flowers vibe.
I just had to come on here and express how head over heels in love I am with the styling of Reformation’s models and look of their holiday campaign as a whole. Understated elegance achieved in large part by the simple, timeless, and comfortable pairing of knit over denim, which pays homage to my favorite era of late 80s/early 90s rom-com classics, and of course, Princess Diana (for whom my parents, I will always shamelessly plug given the opportunity, ultimately named me after).
Sam Cashmere Oversized Crew Sweater (Reformation, $278) — MY TAKE: A sporty, coffee to-go, running errands on the weekend vibe.
The sharp textured detailing offered at the neckline, hem, and cuff, coupled with the rich, vibrancy of color exhibited by the deep navy blues, dark umber browns, and glacier grays successfully reinvents the thread work, giving it a more contemporary chic flare while still preserving the potent essence of a bygone society and pop culture still relished and romanticized in memory by many, not even to the exclusion of younger generations who also find themselves nostalgic, only in the absence of any direct claim (myself included, I sometimes lament, having been born on the contentious cusp of ‘97).
Therefore, in this facet, fashion has the special capability of materialistically immortalizing feeling—that feeling, in the case of this basic, dressed-down/low maintenance look, being one of comfortability, approachability, and down-to-earth charm. These attributes are characteristic of the boy/girl next door archetype and fashion aesthetic epitomized by beloved characters such as Rachel Green (Friends), Sally Albright/Harry Burns (When Harry Met Sally), Anna Scott/William Thacker (Notting Hill), and even before all those, my darling, vivacious Corie Bratter (Barefoot in the Park—my all time favorite movie EVER).
Stills of inspiration from some of my favorite TV shows/films. From top to bottom, left to right: Notting Hill (1999), When Harry Met Sally (1989), Barefoot in the Park (1967), and Friends (1994).
I wanted to additionally comment on the accessories chosen here. There’s something so finely retro and smart to me about accessorizing with a timepiece, perhaps something akin to a grandfather’s watch, not that I personally do this or own any watches currently. My sights are set way far out on the small Two Tone Panthère de Cartier. Sleek and industrial-looking, I think something like this would add a nice, balancing masculine energy to any look.
Panthère de Cartier Watch ($$$) - Currently being sold secondhand on Ebay by dorothy_and_valtons_white_house (who own the rights to this beautiful image I am sharing).
As for bold gold, I’ve been mulling over a particular pair of moderately robust teardrop hoop earrings from Kinn Studio since before Black Friday. They may not have made it into the shopping cart this time around, but their inevitable fate has been sealed, as they are still very much up there on my wishlist for the way I’m convinced they’d provide exquisite framing of the face and bounce warmth off one’s facial features, effortlessly elevating the simplest of sweater attire to “party-ready” in no time.
Kinn Studio Teardrop Hoop Earrings 14k Gold ($820)
In the same way real estate agents help paint the ideal picture for their prospective home buyers (but not in the way they earn a handsome commission), I consider myself somewhat similarly skilled, only instead my selling point is to convey (to absolutely no one other than myself) the imagination of different sweaters as different personas, each with their own richly colorful and enticing backstories. After all, sweater and person alike, a woven fabric is made of many threads.
Guilty as charged.
Much to the disagreement of my boyfriend who already juggles my 6 monthly personalities, I thought I could do with a couple more personas, which is to say, I did indeed pull the trigger on two of the three aforementioned sweaters. Obviously my attempt to quite literally self-impose a freeze on my funds failed. Be it as it may that my cards are still on ice (in the metaphorical sense), what’s a girl to do when her computer so kindly memorizes and autofills all of her credit card info at checkout? It would be rude not to acknowledge the well-intentioned assistance. I, for one, do not want to be on technology’s bad side given the foreseeable future. Arguably a problematic breach in financial security that would be prudent of me to address at some point.
For now, I’m hideously giddy for my purchases to arrive.
Jadey Cashmere Oversized V-Neck Sweater (Reformation, $298) — MY TAKE: An elegant, champagne-sipping, hors d’oeuvre-eating, jingling and mingling vibe.
If you’re wondering, I resisted on the Jadey (for the moment), mostly for the sake of making rent, but also partially because it kept selling out in the time it was taking me to decide between the red or the gray. I have reached the conclusion that I already own a very similarly gray-toned, V-neck Old Celine sweater that bears too much of a resemblance to justify the price. I’m therefore waiting for it to restock in the red, which was the original colorway that caught my eye. I was instantly obsessed with how striking the shade appeared, and in coordination with those chunky holiday statement earrings and black velvet pants or a silky black skirt (but probably pants for me), it achieves the perfect level of maturely sophisticated festivity.
Update: So it seems the Jadey will have to wait for me a little bit longer, as I’ve just had to buy car insurance. Star-crossed lovers we shall remain for now. I’m good with that; I like stretching out the anticipation. It makes it more satisfying in the long run. A slow burn, if you will. But I can’t wait too long, since Valentine’s Day is right around the corner and, let’s face it, she would do brilliantly for the occasion. She’s ~versatile~ like that.
