Winter is definitely here.
The sun may be out, but its cold.
Its time for cashmere.
Five times as warm as wool, never scratchy, it lasts forever (with gentle washing in wool wash).
I never dry clean my cashmeres as dry cleaning solvents are bad for the fibres - they harden them & change their colour over time.
The scarf
A Luciano Barbera, Italian of course, 100% cashmere and a mens brand (& scarf). A classic design - rectangle, with cashmere rolled fringe ends.
Bought from a designer warehouse in the Sydney CBD called Voi. I think I paid $150 and its worth every penny. Toasty & baby soft.
Inspired by this purchase, I then looked & found the same thing in a ladies brand - in black.
The jeans
Not Your Daughter's Jeans in a dark grey.
I think I got these in New York.
TIP: To stop your grey or black jeans looking too "westie", dress them up - jewellery, heels, smart bag.
The sweater
This Giorgio Armani "Classico" sweater is 18 years old and is 100% cashmere in a varying width ribbing all over. It has short sleeves. It has never fit me previously (too big), but I hung onto it due to the fantastic quality. Fits like a glove now.
I had purchased it from a designer recycled store in Double Bay which has notorious mark ups on its international labels. I would never even walk into that shop now, with the advent of ebay & on line buying opportunities. The only reason I bought it was because, back then, there was no secondary market available other than via bricks.
TIP: If you're buying Armani on ebay, the age of an item will help you to assess its value. In my experience, the older the item, the more chance there are issues (which the seller hasnt disclosed due to ignorance or deviousness). Hence to more likely you need to be on guard, ask questions etc than if you were buying a younger piece.
Alot of sellers have no idea about age - but a brand fanatic will be able to determine the approx age not just by the style but by the tags on the item.
The jacket
I bought this at the Sydney boutique for a hideously expensive amount of money. It is 70% cashmere and 30% silk.
It has a wavy grey and navy stripe with the navy being a pointelle type knit.
I tended to wear it to work with a navy pleated skirt as it has a school blazer feel about it. For some reason, as conservative as it was, I still got loads of compliments on it. I credit that to Mr Armani.
As far as the detail goes - & I am all about the detail - I love the functioning cuff buttons. I also love the knitted bound button holes & how the binding is in navy & lines up with the navy stripes...too divine!
TIP: Even if you are not in the market for high end fashion, by examining high end clothes, you can get an understanding of the hallmarks of good design....and then look for some of those hallmarks at a lower price point.
If those expensive stores intimidate you (& sometimes I think they go out of their way to do so, to keep that exclusivity), then take someone with you who can navigate the sales people for you - like me!!!
Its kind of like "reach for the stars so you'll fall in the sky".
Neck party
A Lovisa glassy/antiquey gold chunky necklace.
$25.
Normally I dont wear gold near my face, but this one called out. Plus the antiquey nature of the gold takes away from the yellow undertones to some extent.
The (gay) nurse at the hospital complimented me on this yesterday. Dripping in Armani, but he is a magpie & noticed the $25 necklace.
TIP: When trying on statement necklaces, jump around on the spot in the store to ensure it sits & stays flat. If not, you will spend time adjusting it & the look will be diminished.
Arm Party
A silver/gold plate necklace I got in India.
I was stuck in the only large city without runway designer clothing (unless you call Esprit, Sisley & Ted baker designer), so I got to know all the boutiques which sold interesting jewellery very well.
Did you notice that the metal on the jacket (the buttons) was silver? All the other metal I wore was gold. To bring the two colours together, it helps to have one piece with mixed colours.
Enter bracelet.
It was very well priced despite being silver.
Hand Party
I cant go without my rings.
On the bottom, a YSL dots ring in lapis & gold. I got this on ebay & stupidly paid more then RRP.
TIP: If there is anything I have learnt from Hermes scarf collection via ebay, its "watch, dont pounce" as everything comes around again & often at a cheaper price.
On the top, a ManiaMania ring from The Corner Shop in Paddington. Reduced to 40% off. I just love how huge it is - serious dome weapon.
BTW, here are the two YSL rings that have dominated the costume ring market in the last 5 years....they are available in many colours.
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| These babies are not mine unfortunately - taken from a web photo. |
The shoes
Too lazy to find alternative shoes today.
These are See by Chloe and I got them from the Fitted for Work sale shop for $30.
The reason I chose them for this outfit was because the zipper flowers have an antiquey gold look which complements the rest of my metals.
They also feed my need for height which comes from a sturdy heel
So has this inspired you? Given you some tips?
How would you change it to suit your style?
Very nice pair of clothes to wear even if it is winter. I like to be more fashionable even if it is winter.
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