In southern Cal there’s a weather pattern called June gloom. It refers to a marine layer resulting in chilly, overcast mornings that warm into sunny afternoons, followed by cool evenings. I suspect this weather condition is a big reason why I am such a cardigan fanatic. The cardigan is a true fashion best friend…it helps you layer your way through climate transitions, it helps you hide certain body parts for days you feel particularly bloated, and heck, it turned Mr. Rogers into a sweater-wearing icon!
If experience –or Coco Chanel–has taugh me anything, it is that next to the little black dress (LBD), every woman should have a black cardigan in her closet. I find it to be a true go-to item year-round. Over time, I’ve learned to invest in well-made cardis of various weights to accommodate all occasions. So whereas choosing a LBD is like planning for a first date, selecting a good black cardigan is more like…estate planning– it’s all about finding the right tools for now, and later.
Test Item: Chanel 10P black cotton cardigan with gold-chain-embedded-in-tweed trims. This FIMTSO would have been a lot easier had I featured one of my plain black cardigans instead, but what fun is that? In fact, let’s raise the stake a little. For this cardi with the extra wattage, let’s see how I would work it if I had to use it in 3 looks for 48 consecutive hours, from Friday through Saturday.
Day: For the office on Friday morning I would pair it with a black Prada skirt and light tan Theory cotton shirt. These Chanel peep-toe hidden platform pumps are my shoe version of the mullet….business in the pump, party in the peep-toe.
Night: Let’s say after work I head for drinks and dinner at a benefit function. I’d do something silkier on top–in this case a Chanel silk/lace camisole from the 05P collection–and lacy on the bottom, a vintage YSL slim skirt. And just for giggles, I’m wearing dark gold Prada croc slingbacks with this outfit. Did I already say that black is awfully hard to photograph?
Weekend: So by now we are into Saturday, which means I’m wearing this cardi over a pair of jeans and JCrew white V-neck t-shirt. The snakeskin sandals are from the Tom Ford era. I could probably discuss the shoes from this one season, or Tom Ford for that matter, for 3 hours nonstop if you let me…so don’t. I’ll show some close-up pics instead!
OK, so selecting a black cardigan is A LOT more fun than estate planning :-D.
^i’m not sure what boutique has what items/sizes left anymore. sales began on june 2 so i think a lot of the items have probably been sold. each boutique seems to have its own policy on sending overseas so you’d have to call and see…GL!
what?
it’s on 40% off?
u sure?
which chanel store is this at?
do they do charge sent?
in what size do they have?
can u feed me the details?
sigh… we never get chanel sale here.. in malaysia that is.. sighh
Many thanks for sharing the info! I’m on a “debt diet” as well but this Chanel cardi may be well worth the investment…especially since it’s on sale now! I’ll contact the SA right away.
@Ilene: that cardi is from the 10P season and the UPC number is 3572624406256. if you need to locate from the cc boutique, they prefer to locate by style number P38537K02643. it’s 40% off now. welcome to FIMTSOville!!
@jelita78: oops, did i break the FIMTSO rule by sneaking in that “new” cardi? hehe
I stumbled across your wonderful blog and love the FIMTSO challenge! It’s just what I needed with “how to” instructions to boot! I’m a cardigan lover as well but I tend to resist the urge lately since they tend to make me look a bit older or dowdy. However, the featured Chanel cardigan is stylish, classic and quite versatile. I’d appreciate any details (style, upc, store, etc) that you could offer so that I can replicate your looks. Thanks for being a catalyst to those who find themselves yearning to express their own fashion voice while in the confines of corporate surroundings.
hun, did u JUST recently got that cardi?
coz i wouldn have sworn that i’ve never seen pics of u wearing it before ..
hmmm..
Mister Rogers!!
bwahahahhahaa