Saturday, January 11, 2014

Style Over 50: Graphic Sweater Coat



Unless you live somewhere extremely remote, I suspect you are seeing sales everywhere right now. The temptation to save big is hard to resist. The thing I love about January sales is they give me an opportunity to buy a few things I wasn't sure I wanted in the fall and get them at a significantly lower price. This January, I was looking for a sweater coat and for something--a dress or skirt--with a graphic print. Recently, I found a sweater coat with a graphic print, marked down 50% (above).

A FALL AND WINTER LAYER
I like fashion (obviously!) and always read about the latest trends for a new season. However, I tend to  wait to see what the trends look like "on the street" before buying anything new. Often, I don’t start to shop until a month or two into a new season.



This fall-winter season, I fell in love with graphic prints on women over 50. (A while ago, I wrote a post about my over 50 girlfriend who purchased a sweater dress with a graphic print on vacation in Italy.) I also loved the long sweaters and sweater coats I was seeing on the street. Long sweaters and sweater coats are a fun, flattering look for women over 50 (though, perhaps, not the height of fashion when paired with Timberland snow boots like mine in the photo--ha!). It's also a versatile piece. The sweater coat makes a great fall outer layer, when you don’t need a heavy coat, and it's a perfect winter layer under a long down coat. This week, I wore my sweater coat under a down coat when the temperature dropped to 5 degrees Fahrenheit.  Indoors, I kept toasty warm with my hands tucked in the coat's two side pockets.


I got my sweater coat (was $79, now $39.99) at Urban Outfitters. (UO calls the piece a 'cardigan,' but the length and side pockets say 'coat' to me.) UO is one of my guilty pleasures; it basically goes against all my fashion over 50 principles. First of all, the clothing brand's sensibility is young hipsters. Please believe me when I say I have no desire to dress like a young hipster. Also, UO clothing isn’t the highest quality, which is fine for the youngsters. In general, however, women over 50 look better in better quality clothing. Still, I occasionally shop at UO because I like to mix in a hipster piece with my otherwise conservative wardrobe. I think it adds a little edge. Again, it’s my guilty pleasure; I don’t expect it to be anyone else’s.

Is there a store or clothing label that’s your guilty pleasure?