the sweater dress

A person who sees only fashion in fashion is a fool.

                                    – Honoré de Balzac. 1799-1850

The color of this dress is, for me, the embodiment of autumn. It’s kind of a cross between olive and rust, looking quite different depending on the light. Earth tones, how do I love thee.

IMG_7297I am completely fixated on this kind of rust-sepia shade right now. This encompasses cognac and whiskey shades, too. Here, for example, is a Pixiwoo tutorial for a sepia eye look I’ve been keeping in the wings, wanting to try out.

It would be superfluous to outline the virtues of the sweater dress, right? Its appeal is universal and self-evident? I am also much enamored of its close cousin, the turtle-neck dress, which will become clear by and by. The crew neck keeps this one reading quite casual to me, though it’s so brief in the leg that it can never be as casual as its crew neck seems to promise. Unless I wear it as a normal sweater, which I will certainly do.

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IMG_7320American Apparel knit sweater crew neck dress, vintage Levi’s belt (brown + black, yes), Zara heels*, Breil Milano watch, Pearls of Joy 10mm studs, brown-dyed freshwater pearl necklace (as bracelet) from eBay, vintage LuckyBrand bag.

*I came across a picture of the kitten-heeled version of these Zara pumps on a great Polish style blog. They are from several seasons ago, evidently, and I could only find the taller style available anywhere now, but I loved this look so much that I didn’t care. Advertisements wish they could be as effective as this photo. I wish I could take a photo like this. Look how nice this looks! So nice! Sooner or later I plan to wear them exactly like this. Imitation/flattery/etc.

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The cutout edge and instep are what got me, I think. The pointed toe I don’t actually love, abstractly, but I’m succumbing to the trend of them a little here. Well, it happens. I will admit it. You see enough images of a trend styled well (that is, if it is not simply beyond saving – some trends will always be incomprehensible) and you start to come around, bit by bit.

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