One Cardigan, Three Looks

Ok, so far we have seen our classic but structured black cardigan act as a denim jacket in the distressed jeans look, and a hoodie in the sexy sweats lounge look. In this third style, it acts as a blazer. But before we get to that, I want to zero in on the leather shorts here.

I bought these Haute Hippie black leather shorts six years ago. When the saleswoman showed me them, I remember saying,

"I am certain I'll look ridiculous in those. They are not age appropriate and I'll look like I'm wearing a leather diaper."

They looked tiny and impractical. They looked like one of those items meant for cooler, thinner, hotter people. Now let's dissect my reaction, which can be described as a series of sad, doubtful, insecure thoughts.

It's actually so gratifying to know that as I got older, I grew so much more confident in my looks and fashion versatility. I don't look at old pictures of myself and mourn the body or face of yesteryear. Au contraire! Forget that. Focus on NOW. Bemoaning a lower age number is literally a giant waste of time and energy. It serves no purpose whatsoever and will zap precious brain power. I WISH I had the confidence then that I do now. That sounds trite but I mean it. I'm a pretty proportionate gal, so for me to immediately write off even trying the shorts on is out the gate defeatist. At least give it a shot, right? I made the diaper joke to offset feeling like an idiot, which I should not have felt. I basically dumped the shorts before they could dump me. Textbook. And age appropriate??? At 33??? Why was I aging myself like this? Now at 39 I wouldn't blink at the prospect of leather shorts. Bring it on. Was I afraid of being judged by others or by myself? It was both, and thank the Lord I no longer subscribe to that. So many unnecessary judgements and restrictions. From both ourselves and others. Again, confidence and growth combats all that. Sweeps it right up. As far as the "other cooler, thinner, hotter people" thought, well, when those chicks write a fashion blog they can let me know...

Back to the cardigan as a blazer, a cool styling trick that only works if your sweater has a bit of structure. A floppy, loose cardigan will lose the tailored feel of a blazer. I topped the shorts with a beautiful leopard print, sheer, iridescent emerald green turtleneck by Natasha Zinko, a showstopper from Five Story in NYC. Since this is clearly a glam nighttime look, some sparkly fabulousness was needed to serve as the crown jewel of this outfit. The shirt has great structure but isn't tight, which would look silly with the short shorts. That would look very trying too hard/ fashion victim-y. Especially with these overtly sexy over the knee boots from Giuseppe Zanotti, a birthday treat from a couple years ago. Since the shorts, top, and boots are each heavy on hotnes🔥, the cardigan is the perfect balance to tone it all down and tie it all together. The effortlessness of the cardigan tempers the intention of the rest of the outfit. No one accidentally just throws on leather shorts, Pretty Woman boots,and a see through shirt; "oh, this old thing?? It was the only outfit not being washed. I didn't even realize when I threw it on in the dark"

🙄🙄.

But, a sweater totally looks like something you genuinely did grab on your way out to see "Dear Evan Hansen" (suck it, Hamilton!). Go easy on you jewelry here, there's a lot going on everywhere else. All the pieces do the talking so no need for added noise. This outfit is supreme evening, and the casual daytime feel of the cardigan is a chic, unexpected twist on glamour.   

So there you have it; one sweater, three looks. Reduce, reuse, recycle. Now go sign up to volunteer for the Peace Corps.