Quest to Dress

Hello Everyone!

It’s January, and in the words of Michael Bublé, “baby, it’s cold outside.” Unless you’re one of those wild folks who live ~closer to the equator~, you’re probably bundling up in some snug sweaters and trying to cope with mild seasonal depression like the rest of us. Well, ladies and gents, I got you covered with Julia’s Mini Guide to Styling Sweaters! Strap on your mom’s snow boots, because it’s about to get crazy.

Chunky Knit Sweaters

Everyone that lives in a temperate to polar climate zone should have a reliable and enduring chunky knit sweater. They’re warm, cozy, and effect at hiding the food baby you accrued after a joyous holiday season.

Sweater: H&M (sold out)

Jeans: Pacsun – https://www.pacsun.com/pacsun/mitchell-blue-vintage-icon-mom-jeans-0860103680216.html?dwvar_0860103680216_color=349&cgid=mom-jeans

Belt: H&M – https://www2.hm.com/en_us/productpage.0673396002.html

This beautiful knit sweater is from H&M. I love the fit, the turtleneck, and the turquoise color. The sleeves are very oversized, giving me that esteemed pelican look. I paired this sweater with a pair of jeans from Pacsun. They have a more relaxed fit; however, they are still fairly slim fitting. I like the touch of the cropped hem. Sometimes, especially during winter, outfits with sweaters can look a bit stuffy. The ankle sneak-peek combats that by balancing the full coverage turtleneck. Added Bonus: You’ll really grab everyone’s attention with that sexy medial malleolus!

In the yards of fabric that make up this sweater, one’s waist can get as lost as my direction in life. Combat that by adding a nice waist-snatching belt. I like this one from H&M because of the cool gold buckle that’s easy to pair with gold accessories (foreshadowing??).

Styling with Chunky Knit Sweaters:

1. Pair big sweaters with a more slim fitting pant to balance out your look.
2. Use a belt and tuck your sweater in your pants to accentuate your waist.
3. Try to balance a full coverage look by showing skin elsewhere – ankles, wrists, knees, etc.

Accessorizing who? I didn’t go all out with accessories, in fact, I didn’t even go at all, but I would recommend keeping a gold and black theme. I’d probably pair this with some black Chelsea boots (too broke for Docs). Because the sweater has a thicc turtleneck, I’d put my hair up so the neck area isn’t overwhelmed (she has a stressful job). Add some gold hoops to spice up your head + this handsome trapezoid purse with sexy gold accents.

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There are links on the images, but they are hard to see because they are blue!

V-Neck Sweaters (+ finely-knit sweaters)

V-Necks are my definition of risky clothing. At any second, your slightly sexist lab partner could see the fabric tag you never cut off your bra or an egregious amount of chest acne. However, this peril comes with a benefit – ultimate layering power. Turtlenecks, tank tops, collared shirt, mock necks, jewel necks, halter necks, etc.

Sweater: H&M (not exact) https://www2.hm.com/en_us/productpage.0684712001.html

Collared Tank-Top: Croft and Barrow

Necklace: Etsy https://www.etsy.com/listing/535780513/angel-face-pendant-beaded-quartz-chain?ref=shop_home_active_22&pro=1&frs=1

Pants: Forever 21 (similar) https://www.forever21.com/eu/shop/Catalog/Product/f21/bottom_trousers/2000292632 

This is the classic dark grey sweater everyone and their mom has. It’s from H&M, and it’s made with a stretchy and finer knit material. I always find these sweaters a little awkward because of their neckline, plus I’m not a huge fan of the material. I tend to prefer fabrics that are a little less ~slippy~.

Either way, I like this outfit. The Forever 21 pants snatch your waist, but the sweater creates some volume, giving you a nice hourglass figure (plus, the plaid is very flattering!). The white collar adds more intricacy to the look and ties in the white in the pants. Because the sweater isn’t too overwhelming, you can get away with a wider leg for the bottom. I added a simple gold pendant necklace because I like the combination of gold + the red in the pants.

Styling with V-Neck Sweaters

1. Be creative! Use layering to turn your bland sweater into something more interesting.
2. Accentuate your waist by using the volume of V-Neck sweaters to your advantage.
3. Stick to pants with a more form-fitting waist and hip area; however, go crazy with the legs!

For the accessories I would stick to basic. I think the slimmer ankle of Chelsea boots, or any other slimmer black boot, would complement the wide pant leg well. If you are at the point in your life where walking in heels is not only a far-off dream and fantasy, I think a heeled black boot would be 10/10. The purse from the first outfit would also work well with this look. It has some gold accents (I love gold accents, even more than British ones) and that my-go-to-clothing-is-satin-shirts vibes – perfect for this look. If you want to spice it up a little, maybe throw in a little black beret or some glasses.

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Cropped + Slim Fitting Sweaters

Probably shouldn’t have gotten mad at my mom for shrinking so many of my clothes, because now, I’m paying too much money for the exact same thing from a store. This is the sweater that wants to be a sweater so badly, but are you even justified in calling it such? This is the sweater ideal for fall and spring – a perfect transition piece. This is a great little top and a perfect basic. It has buttons too!!

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Sweater: Brandy Melville https://www.brandymelvilleusa.com/caroline-top-z218s-162.html

Pants: Madewell (second-hand) (similar) https://www.brandymelvilleusa.com/jane-cargo-pants-yr13-t02-t.html

Belt: Target https://www.target.com/p/women-s-faux-leather-belt-a-new-day-153/-/A-52567876?preselect=52304536#lnk=sametab

I paired this shrunken white sweater from Brandy Melville with my thrifted green cargo pants. The pants have a high waist that goes well with the length of the top. And BOY, let me tell you, these pants have the waist-snatching power of my grandma’s holiday hugs. The sweater is cropped, so I would definitely stick to higher-waist bottoms. I added on this Target belt to x2 waist-snatching capabilities, and add some new ~materials~ to the look. These pants have a wider and longer leg, a bit more substantial, so they complement the minimal sweater well.

Style Slim Fitting and Cropped Sweaters

1. Match a cropped sweater with high-waisted pants to snatch your waist.
2. A slim-fitting sweater pairs well with a larger and more substantial pant.
3. To bring your outfit to the next level, try to pick pants with a fun touch. These pants have cool pocket details, but the possibilities are endless.

Because I’m basic and not creative, I would pretty much use the same accessories as mentioned in the previous outfits. Docs would look cool with these pants, and any black boots with hardware would as well! I think some sort of baker boy cap could also work well with this, especially if you’re an aspiring newsboy (this one’s for you, great uncle). Otherwise, I would stick to black with gold accents, although it’s a fairly basic outfit so you could go crazy if you wanted.

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Bonus: If you love this sweater but actually experience seasons, a great solution can be to layer the cardigan over a turtleneck!

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We’ve finished folks, that was my Mini Guide to Styling Sweaters! I hope you learned a bit about dressing in winter, Michael Bublé, and my inability to accessorize. See you later, hopefully in an oversized sweater.

– Quest to Dress (;