Winter casual - let's class it up

Now doubt you've noticed that I gabble on about a jacket being the fastest, easiest, no brainer way to class up an outfit, no matter what you're age, colouring, shape or profession (whether it's CEO or CEO of the household). 

"Class up" means to look more important, to look smarter, to look like you have your act together (even if you don't).

But let's work up the hierachy, so we have the bigger picture. 

A tee is less classed up than a blouse.
A sweat top is less classed up than a sweater.
A sweater is less classed up than a cardigan.
A cardigan is less classed up than a jacket.  

Did you notice that the jacket is at the top of the food chain? 

Now, hopefully you understand that these are general statements - after all, I dont know you & your specific tee, sweat top, sweater, cardigan or jacket. 

This hierachy may be thrown off by:
* fit - so a sausage fit may be less classy than a slim fit & a slim fit may be classier than a loose/sloppy fit. 

* cut - A cropped denim jacket may be less classed up than a luxe cashmere cardi. An anorak is generally less classy than a cardigan due to its inherently casual style. A bomber jacket is generally less classy than a tailored jacket, because it's cut is inherently sporty.

* fabric - a sequin tee may be more classed up than an bulky cable sweater. Change the sweater to a cashmere version and it may be a different outcome. A mesh tee tends to be less classed up than a fine wool cut & sew tee. A puffa pretty much guarantees a non class act, unless you're wearing it with an Hermes scarf and expensive shoes & bag. Otherwise it says you are very relaxed and that can be code for "I dont care about me".

In case you're wondering, in general wovens are classier than knits. But because we are focusing on comfort in this post, I'll leave wovens out of the picture. 

* trims - for garments from the high street, those with more trims or bells & whistles (zips, contrast buttons, epaulettes, fringing, inserts etc) tend to look less classed up than those without. 

* colour - neutrals and soft colours tend to project class, while brights & dramatic combinations tend to project power rather than class. 

* colouring & body shape - put simply, if the item isn't in your best colour (near your face), or the most flattering to your body shape, you will never project as much class as if it was.

* style personality - sorry to disappoint you, but a boho or rock chic style will never project as much class as a monochrome or classic style. It doesn't mean you have to change your style (outside work hours), but it does mean that you may need to tweak your style by adding some classic elements here & there - assuming class is what you want to project. 

Basically, SIA's hierachy may not always hold true, but in most cases, it's a very useful guide. 

Finally, I am not suggesting you dress in this classy mode. I am just saying that if you want to project that kind of image, you need to think about adopting some of the indicators. 

So, back to the jackets. 
This is not about work jackets. 
It's about CEO of the household jackets - pieces you can put on when you're out & about to instantly class up your act.

What's between a cardigan & a tailored jacket?

Glad you asked. 

The answer is a knitted jacket. It has the class factor due to its structure & the comfort of a knit. 

Everything photographed was from David Jones for AW 2014. It's all now on sale.

Marco Polo 100% wool cardi
100% class. The best piece in this post
for an instant class lift.

Mint fringed boho top - not high on the class scale

Marco Polo, 100% boiled wool.
Also 100% class
Available in petites & plus size

Hartford soft jacket, minimalist &
100% class

All puffas say very little about
you being a classy babe.

This puffa is interesting though - not run of the mill - so has a bit of class for that reason alone. The large segments on the upper half/small segments on the bottom half make it fabulous for pears.

Gordon Smith jacket/bomber in a woven wool
Class factor - more than a sweater or a cardi

The Clothing Company, boiled wool.
100% class. Available in petites & plus size

The Clothing Company, boiled wool.
100% class. Available in petites & plus size

Nothing this open weave/textural in a bright
colour will ever be very classy

Oh goody - a puffa in a neon bright
with absolutely no waist definition.
A total class fail. 

A textured rain vest. Unless you're
wearing this with top to toe
winter white & an Hermes scarf,
this is also a class fail.

A soft wool jacket in a bumble
bee stripe is never classy.  

A Chanel style "grandma" cardigan
can be very classy. It can also age
you unless you know how to
make it more youthful with accessories. 

A soft cardi in a bright colour especially if it isnt
a natural fibre can be touch & go classy.
Cotton knits don't launder well
(they become white on the seams quite easily) -
while wool or cashmere last forever. 

A Yarra Trail wool cardi in an even knit
like this can be classy.
But not if you are petite or a rectangle or busty.

The rough texture of this Jump
sleeveless sweater takes away
some of its class factor. 

This baby is classy - cables in a
fine knit tend to scream class.
But in a classy way.

Another textured Jump vest - again,
about as classy as a sweat.

A zip & a shearing look collar.
More boho than class. 

The darker version of the above vest -
the one that  is about as
classy as a sweat. 

These type of loose cardis can be very classy,
especially in neutral shades.
Ditto waterfall front styles especially those
with length at the back.
But the class factor flies out the window
when worn by a petite or rectangle. 

Thin, flimsy & unstructured viscose blend?
Totally not classy.
The black is turning white at the seams. Even less class.
Loud florals? In a good quality knit,
this could be fabulous.
In this knit, if you want class, it's very hard to do. 

No, no, no. Class that is.
Not stopping you buying this -
just telling you
what it projects & it aint class. 

Despite the chunkiness in the collar, this
fine knit & neutral colour say class. 

Chunky all over, highlighting the
tummy (oh goody)
 in an oversize look.
Not much class here. At all. 

The Gordon Smith woven jacket - in an
almost bomber style.
More class than a sweat or a cardi.   

The chunky cowl neck takes away some
of the class factor here, but the
fine knit on the body
could redeem itself in class school.
The bottom half of the outfit will
make or break the class factor.

Summary

1. Everything in this post is from David Jones & available in most stores and online.

2. The pieces indicated as "classy" will run rings around anything you own that comes from the likes of Witchery/Country Road & everything else on the high street.

The quality is infinitely better, they will last forever (if looked after) and can be hand washed without worry.

3. In case you didnt realise, apart from the quality of the fibres, the pieces which pass the class test, do so because they are all basic shapes which are fitting close to the body. Nothing loose or baggy and 100% comfy because they are stretch knits. You can sex them up with accessories if you like, so please don't turn your nose up at them just because they looks "boring". 

4. The Marco Polo jackets come in plus & petite. 

5. If you are on the "wrong" side of 30 and you are whinging about your image as CEO of the household or the quality of the likes of Country Road or Witchery - then do something about it. 

Comparing cashmere: Target v Uniqlo

For those who have worn 100% cashmere once, the understanding is immediate. 

The understanding is that cashmere is one of the warmest fibres known to man & it's lightweight. Properly cared for, it lasts forever. 

With the advent of fast fashion, cashmere has lost it's luxe status and is now available at every price point. With price reductions, quality also varies. Unfortunately that is often a downward variation. 

For southern hemisphere AW 2014, Target Australia has introduced 100% cashmere in it's top line, Limited Editions for both men and women. As a Sydney girl, we finally have a Uniqlo store and I also had the chance to look at their cashmere sweaters. 

This blog compares the Target and Uniqlo cashmeres for women. 

Let's start with the Target women's range. 

Available in camel & in marine blue (a bright navy with a tinge of purple).
Three styles, crew sweater (69), vee sweater (69) & a waterfall cardi (89).

NOTE: The sizing differs enormously between the crew and the vee. 

In the following photo I laid an XL crew over an XL vee. Notice the width difference?  

This means that online buying may prove tricky. 

If you want the smallest crew size in the vee style, it's impossible to get.

Similarly, if you want the largest vee size in the crew style, it's impossible to get. 

I cant understand why these were sized so differently but I checked quite a few & it's consistent. Scary. 

Some style differences to note:

The crew has a wide hem basque. The vee has a very narrow hem basque. Not a material practical difference - more about the look than anything else.

Now let's compare the men's with the women's.

NOTE: The men's (99) is a thicker weight than the women's.
It's a denser knit. I don't know whether it's the gauge or the ply, but the women's are flimsier.

Sure, the men's are bigger pieces, so use more fibre. That & the denser knit make them more expensive. You get what you pay for strikes again. 

The men's have a wide basque - like the women's crew. Due to the tighter knit, the men's hem is more bubbled than the women's which falls more vertically.

For me, apart from the thicker weight, the men's look more expensive due to the way the neckline is finished. 
The men's has a banded finish - the knit is folded over along the vee. In contrast, the women's (both vee & crew) have one layer of ribbing - it looks flimsier, cheaper. 

The men's are available in a purple (pinot) and charcoal (zippered front), as well as the same navy as the women's (marine blue).

Frankly I don't like the quality of the women's - when you wear it fitted, you can see your shirt print underneath. I suppose it depends on how fitted you want to wear it, but if you love loose - grab the men's. 

Overall, the women's sweater cost $69 and you get $69 of value. Pretty ordinary. 

Let's compare the women's sweater to the cardi.

In short, the cardi is outstanding. 

It's generous in its cashmere.
The back is long & covers the bum - unlike alot of waterfalls which try to save costs by keeping the back short.

Call me crazy, but I am pretty sure that it's a slightly heavier knit than the sweaters. I was in store, with limited time, comparing with my eyes closed & I think this is the case. 

But apart from the generosity of the cashmere, the thing which makes this look luxe was the finish. There is thick banding all around the edges (except hem) and on the cuffs.

But since the waterfall is the big feature and it's front row centre, you'd want the banding to look great in that area. And it does.

Just as a point of comparison, I was in Country Road & I snapped the waterfall finish on one of their "fine Merino wool" cardis (149).

Let's zoom in on the bottom corner of the waterfall...it's a single layer (not banded) but the finish is awful. And that's what takes away from the luxe factor. 

Now zoom in on the upper corner of the waterfall - closer to the face...it's icky. 

You may argue that a fine knit cant be finished any better. I agree with you BUT, I need to add something. A fine knit can't be finished any better yet still maintaining the same price. 

In contrast, the Target cardi has a gorgeous finish with any seams on the inside of the band. Love it. 

The price is 89 but the value is way more than that.

THREE MORE POINTS:

1. The women's range is made in Bangladesh - Target has signed the Safety Accord in respect of work done in that country. 

2. There is no swatch of cashmere thread attached to the sweaters. So if you need to mend, you'll have to find your own fibre match.

3. The cardi is generally not for petites. Even in the XS, I feel it may swamp you, but there may be cases where it works, depending on the person.   

Let's go to Uniqlo. 

Bear in mind I havent put a Uniqlo side by side with the Target sweaters. Even so, if I had to compare weight, I'd say the Uniqlo is definitely thicker than the Target women's. I'd say it's similar to the Target men's. 

As you probably know, Uniqlo is a Japanese retailer who specialises in selling basics in a gazillion colours. This contrasts with stores like Zara & H&M, who specialise in the latest trends & only use the basics as fillers. 

The Uniqlo cashmere I saw (in the Sydney pop up) was all the same grade for both men's and women's. 

There was men's & women's in a gazillion colours. But the shades weren't identical between the sexes - they varied. So men's may have a coral pink, the women's was close to a fuschia and a different shade of coral. The men's mint may have been mottled, white the women's was clear. Etc etc.

In the permanent stores, there are vee neck, scoop necks, crew necks, short sleeve, long sleeve etc etc. 

The only thing I noticed with respect to quality & the luxe look was on the basque along the neckline.

Both men's and women's are single layers (not banded/folded over like the Target men's).
But the women's has a vertical rib which runs along the band. The men's has the traditional perpendicular rib (like the Target women's crew & vee).

I think the men's looks more expensive, although the women's may be more slimming (it all helps...).

Caveat: One of the major quality indicators for natural fibre knits is pilling - those little balls you get on your sweater from friction. Obviously I havent tested that aspect. 

If you want to know the 101 on pilling, read this blog:
http://styleintoaction.blogspot.com.au/2014/04/pilling-myths-and-truths.html

Finally a word on maintenance...

1. Keep mothers & critters away. There is no need for napthalene these days - there are dozens of products in the super market for this which smell far better & do the job just as well. Lavender is one of them. 

2. Never ever, ever, ever dry clean cashmere. It's strips the fibres of their oils & makes the garment hard over the long term. It will also discolour the pale colours to a grey tinge.
The Uniqlo fabric tag says to dry clean - ignore it. 

3. Hand wash in tepid water with either wool wash or shampoo.
Just dunk it in & out of the water a few times & swish it around - its the agitation (friction not required) which loosens the debris from the fibres. 

4. Squeeze the excess water out with your hands (do not wring) & roll the sweater in a towel to absorb more moisture. 

5. Re-shape the sweater & lay it flat to dry away from sunlight, on another dry towel. Never hang as it will stretch out. 

6. If it's on an elevated mesh fabric, there is no need to turn it over. If it's on a sealed surface (table etc), turn it over after half a day, to speed up the drying process.   

Have big hips & a muffin? Read this.

Have a muffin & big hips?

This is the first important bit: Your best tops & dresses are fitted through the waist & flaring out at the hips. I often find that pieces which flare out from the bust will also work well (as long as they are not too voluminous). 

Hopefully you can see that this style hides the excess weight around your bottom half by skimming over it & not clinging to it.

One Aussie store that does this A line style particularly well is Blue Illusion. 

Because Blue Illusion has a niche market, even in a season of boxy & oversize pieces, they retain their signature shape. 

Today I was wandering through Country Road (notorious for younger trendier styles) and I spotted this little gem amongst all its boxy oversize brother & sisters. 

In 100% super fine merino wool, machine washable, it has a fit & flare waist. 

In fact, Country Road is calling it a peplum knit. Don't panic if you never had any luck with the peplums of last summer. 
This one is different.

How? 

The peplum isnt sewn on. Instead its created by the way the item is knitted, so it flares out without any horizontal seams. 

This means that the eye isnt drawn to any horizontal seams and isnt expecting the narrowest part of your waist to sit at any seam. Given that the chances of this happening are buckleys and none, it's no wonder those summer peplums looked great on the hanger & not so great on us. 

This is the second important bit: The upshot of this beauty is that if your narrowest waist is a couple of cm about the top's narrowest waist or a couple of cm below the top's narrowest waist, it wont kill the fit. Gotta love that sort of fit flexibility is what we love. 

The top is also in that off white which Country Road calls marshmallow. 

The marshmallow looks a tad see though on the site. But the black was opaque. 

The other gorgeous thing about the top is the open scoop neckline - even a girl with an ample bust can wear it. 

Small bust? Add a scarf. Hermes optional. 

http://www.countryroad.com.au/shop/woman/clothing/new-in/60166564/Wool-Peplum-Knit.html

If you try this on, please let me know on the Facebook page what you think. 

Now if only they did it in a navy, a burgundy, a cream and a soft pink.......