Sweater dressing: 7 Style Panel tips for refreshing your knits this season
Knits are about as revolutionary for fall as florals are for spring, but as constant as they may seem, their function (a.k.a. mega cozy warmth) is something you just can’t beat. On the Fall 2014 runways, knits were re-imagined in multitude of ways—head-to-toe at Céline, bedazzled at Balenciaga and on granny-worthy purses at Rodarte. On the sales floor, they’ve taken a similar turn, appearing as everything from flurry to tailored to multi-coloured. With all that inspiration in mind, we asked our Style Panel for tips on how to freshen up sweater dressing for yet another season.
Question 121: How are you refreshing your knits this season? Read the answers now! »
Jump to: BARBARA ANN SOLOMON, TORONTO | BECKY KUNG, CALGARY | JESSICA CONCANNON, MONTREAL | JILL LANSKY, VANCOUVER | LARA CARDOSA, TORONTO | LYNDSEY FOREST, EDMONTON | SASHA XIAO, TORONTO
Lara Cardoso, 21
Toronto | Lara Cardoso
I am a big fan of sweater dressing and an even bigger fan of the knit turtleneck during the fall and winter seasons. This look is layered with a long dress over jeans and a turtleneck as the top layer piece. I tend to wear my sweaters as a top piece for all style settings and like when they are a bit bigger or baggy to accentuate a layered look. Turtlenecks are my favourite style of sweater because they are cozy and practical—they keep you warm in our extremely northern temperatures and can be styled casually and dressy!
Lara’s wearing: Sweater, Gap. Dress, COS. Jeans, J Brand. Coat, Aritzia. Boots, Shellys London.
Becky Kung, 30
Calgary | Velvet & Vino
I love fall knitwear and my go-to sweaters for the season are cropped. This grid print sweater is a popular pattern and lately I’ve been pairing it with a mini skirt and lug boots for a downtown chic vibe.
Becky’s wearing: Sweater, Mango. Skirt, boots, handbag and socks, Topshop. Hat, Club Monaco.
Jessica Concannon, 30
Montreal | WestmountFashionista
With knitwear playing a major role in what designers showed for the Fall 2014 season, it’s time to banish the stale notion of sweater-sets and embrace a more contemporary take on this closet staple. From dresses to skirts, knit dressing makes for perfect fall dressing. I find that these two pieces work wonderfully together but can also be styled independently for even more use.
Jessica’s wearing: Skirt and Top, Designers Remix. Boots, Frye. Sunglasses, Joe Fresh.
Jill Lansky, 26
Vancouver | The August Diaries
Even though it was all over the runways, I won’t be wearing the head to toe sweater trend. I’ve learned to discern which trends will work for me and which won’t, and stay true to my style while staying relevant. I have started to wear oversized sweaters this fall, and I’m loving the silhouette. My tip is to keep the bottom either short (miniskirt) or very slim (skinny jeans) to counteract the top bulk. Have fun with the proportions and remember that everything looks better with a little height i.e. heels.
Barbara Ann Solomon, 25
Toronto | Barbara Ann’s Style Blog
I love to layer up in thick knits that give texture and volume to a silhouette. My favourite look is bold in colour and pattern, yet soft. So when I head-to-toe sweater dress I add soft fabrics like silk to keep the outfit feeling light (and in case of over-heating).
Barbara’s wearing: Sweater and skirt set, Topshop. Shirt, Joe Fresh. Heels, Gianvito Rossi for Altuzarra.
Sasha Xiao, 25
Toronto | Sasha’s Satisfashion
Dressing according to my body type is key, so in order to embrace the head-to-toe sweater trend, I added a skinny belt to tighten up my waistline to give this a rather casual fall look a polished touch.
Sasha’s wearing: Dress and belt, Oak & Fort. Hat, vintage. Boots, Le Chateau. Bag, Zara.
Lyndsey Forest, 23
Edmonton | Over My Styled Body
There are so many ways you can mix and match with a sweater. From wearing a sweater dress to pairing a sweater with a maxi skirt, the look is all about comfort.
Lyndsey’s wearing: Sweater and maxi skirt, Forever 21. Hat, Aldo. Boots and Jacket, Zara. Bag, Pursebox. Sunglasses, Ray-Ban.
 is something you just can’t beat. On the Fall 2014 runways, knits were re-imagined in multitude of ways---head-to-toe at Céline, bedazzled at Balenciaga and on granny-worthy purses at Rodarte. On the sales floor, they’ve taken a similar turn, appearing as everything from flurry to tailored to multi-coloured. With all that inspiration in mind, we asked our Style Panel for tips on how to freshen up sweater dressing for yet another season.
Question 121: How are you refreshing your knits this season? Read the answers now! »
Jump to: BARBARA ANN SOLOMON, TORONTO | BECKY KUNG, CALGARY | JESSICA CONCANNON, MONTREAL | JILL LANSKY, VANCOUVER | LARA CARDOSA, TORONTO | LYNDSEY FOREST, EDMONTON | SASHA XIAO, TORONTO
Lara Cardoso, 21
Toronto | Lara Cardoso
I am a big fan of sweater dressing and an even bigger fan of the knit turtleneck during the fall and winter seasons. This look is layered with a long dress over jeans and a turtleneck as the top layer piece. I tend to wear my sweaters as a top piece for all style settings and like when they are a bit bigger or baggy to accentuate a layered look. Turtlenecks are my favourite style of sweater because they are cozy and practical---they keep you warm in our extremely northern temperatures and can be styled casually and dressy!
Lara’s wearing: Sweater, Gap. Dress, COS. Jeans, J Brand. Coat, Aritzia. Boots, Shellys London.
Becky Kung, 30
Calgary | Velvet & Vino
I love fall knitwear and my go-to sweaters for the season are cropped. This grid print sweater is a popular pattern and lately I've been pairing it with a mini skirt and lug boots for a downtown chic vibe.
Becky’s wearing: Sweater, Mango. Skirt, boots, handbag and socks, Topshop. Hat, Club Monaco.
[caption id="attachment_198621" align="aligncenter" width="500"] Photography by Marie Claude Viola[/caption]
Jessica Concannon, 30
Montreal | WestmountFashionista
With knitwear playing a major role in what designers showed for the Fall 2014 season, it's time to banish the stale notion of sweater-sets and embrace a more contemporary take on this closet staple. From dresses to skirts, knit dressing makes for perfect fall dressing. I find that these two pieces work wonderfully together but can also be styled independently for even more use.
Jessica's wearing: Skirt and Top, Designers Remix. Boots, Frye. Sunglasses, Joe Fresh.
Jill Lansky, 26
Vancouver | The August Diaries
Even though it was all over the runways, I won't be wearing the head to toe sweater trend. I've learned to discern which trends will work for me and which won't, and stay true to my style while staying relevant. I have started to wear oversized sweaters this fall, and I'm loving the silhouette. My tip is to keep the bottom either short (miniskirt) or very slim (skinny jeans) to counteract the top bulk. Have fun with the proportions and remember that everything looks better with a little height i.e. heels.
Barbara Ann Solomon, 25
Toronto | Barbara Ann’s Style Blog
I love to layer up in thick knits that give texture and volume to a silhouette. My favourite look is bold in colour and pattern, yet soft. So when I head-to-toe sweater dress I add soft fabrics like silk to keep the outfit feeling light (and in case of over-heating).
Barbara’s wearing: Sweater and skirt set, Topshop. Shirt, Joe Fresh. Heels, Gianvito Rossi for Altuzarra.
Sasha Xiao, 25
Toronto | Sasha’s Satisfashion
Dressing according to my body type is key, so in order to embrace the head-to-toe sweater trend, I added a skinny belt to tighten up my waistline to give this a rather casual fall look a polished touch.
Sasha’s wearing: Dress and belt, Oak & Fort. Hat, vintage. Boots, Le Chateau. Bag, Zara.
Lyndsey Forest, 23
Edmonton | Over My Styled Body
There are so many ways you can mix and match with a sweater. From wearing a sweater dress to pairing a sweater with a maxi skirt, the look is all about comfort.
Lyndsey’s wearing: Sweater and maxi skirt, Forever 21. Hat, Aldo. Boots and Jacket, Zara. Bag, Pursebox. Sunglasses, Ray-Ban.){kind=link}