I am a big fan in theory but irl, not so much.
In general, I avoid sweater dressed for reasons mentioned above but sometimes I could not resist. This was the case with J.Crew cashmere Fiori dress from 2009. I loved the silver gray shown in the stock picture but since I already owned a gray sweater dress (see below), I decided to go with black.
I was not disappointed when I received it, it was exactly what I was looking for.
It has just the right length and it is not cut too low. The slightly a-line skirt does not get out of shape by the end of the day. The rosette is subtle and eliminates a need for a necklace but makes the dress more elegant. However, I have worn it with boots to the office without feeling overdressed. Miraculously, it does not pill.
I took a smaller of my sizes (S) and the dress was still roomy at first, but after I washed it couple of times, it shrunk a little and become more fitted but not too small. Btw, I hate dry cleaning and I wash all my cashmere with regular detergent on gentle cycle and air dry. It shrinks a little but other than that, I did not have any problems. I actually think it pills less after washing. You just have to be careful, so you don't throw it in the dryer with the rest of the load. I learned that the hard way. However, putting it in the dryer for 5 minutes to fluff works well.
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I am wearing the dress with my Nottingham boots and Boulevard coat in sandstone. I love this coat and I hope J.Crew will come back with the classic Boulevard silhouette next year. I don't like the cut of the one they did this year, although some of the colors are beautiful.
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My other sweater dress is even older (2007?) and I bought it from Boden. I used to buy much more from them in those years.
This is 100% thick, ribbed merino wool with not a single pill in sight. It is not itchy and merino can bother me. I got it in size 10 but it is still roomy in hips. The length is good but the neck is rather exposed, which is a slight problem in the winter when I want to be covered up. What I like about it (besides the color and 100% merino) is that it reads quite casual. I am not DaniBP (I wish) but I can wear this dress around the house and feel comfortable.
Also wearing Ryder boots and Tillary purse (review HERE).
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That's all folks!
Do you like/wear sweater dresses?
Do you own J.Crew Fiori dress?
Do you wash your cashmere and merino?
Please share, it would be no fun without you!!!
I'd love a sweater dress, I've not had one since my teens, I always hand wash cashmere.
ReplyDeleteMaybe you can get one from Brora when they have their January sale?
DeleteGreat dresses! I wore sweater dresses a lot in my 20s but I have too many lumps and bumps right now to look good in them. Those look good with boots, I like how it makes the dresses more casual.
ReplyDeleteSo I read today in Marie Claire (?) a Tim Gunn advice column and he recommends that after washing your cashmere, you put it in a salad spinner to get the excess water out (then lay flat to dry further on a towel)! I thought that was a genius idea. Anyone tried it?
Why not just put it through a spin cycle in your washing machine? I wash mine on the machine's handwash cycle but after it's finished I run it through a regular, more aggressive spin to take out more water.
DeleteYou will have to ask Tim Gunn! I haven't tried to wash cashmere at all. My only guess is that the spin cycle could stretch it out. Also, I don't know if my front loader lets me do just a spin cycle, I will have to take a look.
DeleteI don;t have a salad spinner but what I do is after I wash it, I roll it up in a towel and sit on a towel for a few seconds. It seems to work pretty well to get the excess moisture out.
DeleteI really like the shape of the Fiori dress, it's gorgeous. Of course I love knit dresses and that includes sweater dresses. Unfortunately I cannot wear any wool, even cashmere next to my skin during these dry winter months so mine are silk, cotton or a blend of the two, which are not as warm as wool. They all have some spandex as well to help hold their shape or I'm sure they would look like a sack before lunchtime. I like them best with tall boots, I can't pull off short, slouchy boots with a dress or skirt like you can. The proportions are somehow always off.
ReplyDeleteCould you wear a long sleeve tissue t-shirt underneath? As for the boots, I never liked short boots for the same reason as you but somehow these Ryder boots work, not sure why. I really like them but I only wear them with skirts and dresses because with skinny pants they look too 'biker chic' for me.
DeleteI love sweater dresses - there's something really easy about them, but I don't wear them as often because I have this fear of stretch butt, hehe!
ReplyDeleteYou are right, the butt stretch is always the biggest problem with sweater dresses. That's why I find that the fuller skirts works better than a shift shape.
Deleteajc what do you mean "I wish", the grass is always greener I wish I were you! Love these dresses on you. I'm wearing my new Brora dress today and I love it. We were doing some fancy shopping today but these can be dressed up or down as you know. I'll wear it through dinner and clean-up as well (apron of course).
ReplyDeleteTell your daughter she's doing a great job with the pictures and I bought my young daughter a camera for Christmas!
I will pass it on to A, she will be thrilled to hear it. Camera is a great idea, she will have a blast with it! I did not mean to say that I think you have it easy. But you are definitely an inspiration for many when it comes to dressing elegantly for everyday chores!
DeleteOh, I love those Brora dresses but I reconciled myself with the fact that they usually are the wrong shape for me. Like Boden, they have too much room in the hips.
sweater dresses can be so fun! i love how you styled it with boots - really makes it look fun but still polished. you look fantastic in both dresses! xox P
ReplyDeleteI think you are right, the Fiori dress looks quite elegant with black heels and clutch but with brown boots I wear it to work without feeling overdressed. Well, of course I usually err on the side of being overdressed, so I suppose everybody is used to it...
DeleteI love the idea of sweater dresses, IRL maybe not so much. Every time I buy one - and I do keep trying - I love how the dress and I look in store, but by the time it gets home with me, it's grown mysteriously tighter in places that I like to pretend don't exist, it's gotten mysteriously shorter thus showing other lumps and bumps... I'm always thinking of travel wear, but if a dress can change like that on a 10-minute bus ride in a shopping bag, I tremble to think what I'd look like after the dress had spent 4 or 5 hours in a suitcase.
ReplyDeleteI hear you fred, sweater dresses are definitely in the wear-with-caution category, but I find that the worst ones are the form fitting, long t-shirt shaped cable ones, almost nobody can pull them off I think.
Deletelol, ikwym about how clothes can transform between the fitting room door and your front door. I am afraid there will never be a sisterhood of traveling sweater dress...
So do you wash your J. Crew Tippi cardigans?
ReplyDeleteI so hate to have them cleaned, but have never attempted to wash them. I thought I read where you do?
Yes, I do. I think merino is more tricky than cashmere to wash. I wash in baby shampoo like J&J and dry flat but at the end throw in the dryer for 5 min on low heat to fluff.
DeleteThank you for your great post! Collection's Wholesale Sweater Dresses with a sweet lolita coord, showing off the versatility of this style! This dress comes with a side part with 'skin' and is pre-styled with lush waves and short bangs for a natural, beautiful overall look.
ReplyDelete