love that, porkandham! I would wear it just as pictured-- with a turtleneck.

I want something to wear over this cashmere sweater i purchased at BR few years ago --- what you can't see in the photo is that it is very long -- too long for the coats I plan to take with me. It is also oversized so the arms dont fit into a traditional sleeve well.

I love the ef ruana but didnt want to pay the price for it. I preer the taupe/oatmeal color but their styling of it was dumb lol.

I can get this one from nordstrom in time-- but it is $300 and acrylic. I just dont think I can pay that much for acrylic.

I did check out chicos as i will be near there later today -- they arent for me... for one, they arent long enough.

I do have cashmere wraps but as noted above, i wanted something more substantial... and more neutral (I have light purple, blue and houndstooth). i do have this one-- the opposite of the neutral oat color lol but it is kind of fun for the holidays and warm. i will pack it regardless so I guess this is my backup.

No chance of trying one on before buying -- i agree that makes sense but we have only a very poorly stocked macy's, talbots and chicos nearby.

You have me loving green. The last one is very nice, and it much less fabric so not as overwhelming.

Can you layer things under your sweater instead of over? like silk tneck?

i could for outdoor activities but it would be way too warm inside a restaurant, store, museum, etc

ps if my typing looks weird, my shift key is broken and my space bar is working intermittently lol. i am over it lol .. but i have a new laptop waiting for me in minneapolis.

I like all the ruannas and capes people are sharing ( and pork that look is perfect)--- I think the original one Funky share ( still laughing at pot lid) just looked too voluminous and I really couldn't tell what it was either. The though of wearing it over a bulky sweater just seemed overpowering?

I can definitely see the others as you described, for running around and not fumbling with a coat etc.

I learn so much here. You all have such good visualization skills. I could see the same ads and never picture me wearing it.

Funky - love that last wrap. It's perfect!

Ruanas and capes tend to overpower me. I need a little more height for that look. However I have loads of wraps, cashmere from Warren & White and Garnet Hill and several wool and silk print challis. They are so versatile - easy to pack or carry, and most can be worn year round.

Has anyone bought the featherlight from Ovcio? For some reason I am inundated with their ads. The featherlights are quite gauzy and look like they could easily snag on a fingernail or a gust of wind! They now sell a heavier cashere wrap, vest and poncho.

I love that green wrap too!

well darn, i didnt need to buy a thing!

(but i did want a neutral..oh well)

I like the green one too Funky!

I have a black light weight wool fringed like you posted and it does come in handy. I would not pay $300 for acrylic.

No, i draw the line there too, Irish2! I have a real issue with acrylic and used to refuse to buy it. Now it is hard to avoid acrylic -- even in pricier pieces. I am going to return to refusing to buy it.

m_c, I want one of the ultra thin cashmere wraps, but, like you, I’m afraid of them snagging on the slightest thing. A review I read backs up that fear!

bbstx - that's what I'm afraid of too. Well that - plus if they are so lightweight they can readily slip into a handbag, then I''m not sure how effective they might be at providing a little protection when it is chilly. I've never had a problem with my other cashmere pieces and at least those are more of a knit where you might be able to pull the loose thread back into the weave. The featherlights might be better used merely as an accessory.

Back to the mundane, for a bit I felt like I was on a manic shopping spree, because I bought I think 5 sweaters....which for me is like major. Then when I went to put them in the sweater closet and saw what I have already, I thought maybe I didn't really need them.

The weather here has really turned, and I've thoroughly enjoyed my new purchases (along with their older siblings) and so glad I have them ready to wear.

It's always a nice feeling wearing something new that feels and looks nice.

Today I'm wearing one of the sweaters along with new knee height boots.

also, my keyboard seems to be skipping letters so sorry for the cryptic writing. Trying to correct.

We went to a performance last night and it was soooooo cold just walking to the garage. People always think "ohh you are in Maine, of course it is cold." But being coastal and being in very So Maine, where we are, temp.s are generally within 2-3 degrees of NYC (I have a few cities I track on my phone) so I don't really think about winter attire unless we are doing something outdoors. Last night I was so glad to have my long cashmere coat from the Ladies Village Improvement Society!

That reminds me, apropos of this thread, I just bought snow boots yesterday. I had a fave pair for years but they were getting ratty and last year, and the end of a three week holiday vacation in Europe, I put them in the trash in my Zurich hotel room.

I got these. Warm, waterproof, not to hard to put on or take off, and functional without being dorky.

Okay so I went to google what a coyote coat looks like, and ended up on Wolf and Badger. Apologies but I love the colors of this coat. I might buy something like this in a sweater.

My Chico’s cape sweater came yesterday, and the colors are darker than the ad showed, which I’m happy about. The material is wonderful, it drapes well, and isn’t too heavy. I didn’t realize before that the sleeves and zipper were edged in leather, which is a plus.

The ad:

The colors are in between what I show vs the ad … my bathroom was dark during the photoshoot. I was seeing if my suede slouchy boots went with it (they do). I also have brown and black leather boots for it, and various flats that would be cute and casual with the cape and jeans.

I LOVE flowy clothes. This is perfect because it is flowy, but still has a sort of fitted look, too. Flowy tailored mix.

Another recent find —

I don’t think these will appeal to anyone here but me. They were marked way down on the Sundance site and I love boots of all kinds. They were delivered recently and fit perfect. They’re super heavy, have a sort of distressed look, and are over-the-knee style. Born brand.

I hadn’t looked at W&B for a long time but their array of coats are completely diverting.

Are nt they!

Great outfit Jilly!

Thanks, mtn! I think I’ll wear the cape with a white collared shirt (like the model in the ad) and skinny jeans tucked into the slouchy boots or my brown leather boots (flat heel, equestrian style), for our family get-together this week. And my pearls. :)

I was looking at this similar style cape on the Chico’s site:

https://www.chicos.com/store/product/Embellished-Paisley-Sweater-Ruana/570375107?color=355

And is that Paulina Porizkova in the second pic? I haven’t seen her in a long time … as gorgeous as ever!

I’m not ordering it. I’d want to belt it, so it would be something I’d need to try on in person. And I just noticed it has sequins — another feature I’d need to see first. I was mainly just excited to see Paulina modeling. :)

@Jilly, your outfit for the family gathering sounds great…and always pearls!

A Google search reveals that Paulina Poriskova collaborated with Chicos for their 40th anniversay edition. So, it is highly likely that is her. Sure looks like her.

Thank you, bb!

I have found Born shoes and boots are very comfortable — but rarely as stylish as those, Jilly!—- Or maybe I never see their more stylish offerings because of where I shop 🤔 You will be the belle of your family gathering in the outfit you’ve described.!

Someone here recommended a light cardigan from the big A. I think it was on a different thread that I can't find or has disappeared. And I apologize for not remembering who it was (I bet mtn remembers; mtn remembers everything!). Anyway, I want to thank them because it is perfection. Exactly what I was had been searching for. I first ordered it in white. Liked it so much I also ordered it in black and khaki. The khaki hasn't arrived yet. Hoping it's the right color to go with some wide leg pants for my trip in a couple weeks. And you cannot beat the price - $30!

Santa was good to me. After a run of bad luck, I go three items today and love them all!

Love this, but I either need Spanx, very low lighting, or a juice fast LOL. Prob all 3.

The blue silk is adorable!!! Love the pink jacket and in awe of the jumpsuit which would mean neck to ankle Spanx for moi!

Just back from family retreat which was mahvelous, DH unpacked for us both 🥰 and I am already dressed for midnight mass. It will be cold and I am tired and so here is “festive comfort“

Plaid slacks, RL shirt and OLD Banana Republic cashmere cardigan with a little ruffle at the sleeve edge. It’s a funky girlish touch on a staid v-neck cardigan— and it rarely works. You can’t tell from the picture but my cable knit socks are one of the colors in the plaid and the slippers are black velvet. Wearing a black coat and royal stewart muffler for plaid overload 😎 Merry Christmas Eve, all!

Merry Christmas Eve!

Love the outfits Mtn! My favorite of the 3 is the blue jacket … love the neckline .

Jilly, you are going to look smashing in your outfit with the cape and those amazing boots.

Mtn, I love that slinky jumpsuit, and especially that it has sleeves. The two jackets are gorgeous and food choice for your new boots too. Glad St Nick came through for you!

Kswl, you nailed another outfit again. I never think to make a photo of my outfits, mainly because I’m usually so casual (meaning a plain sweater and pants).

Merry, merry everyone!

Some fantastic looks pulled from the Intrend sale site this am…. when I looked back at the pictures I saved it became even more obvious that I am skipping the wide leg pants trend.

The thing I notice, KSWL, on your fashion picks....the body potions are off. Too leggy...too much focus on the hips....the model with the white bobbie socks...could be in a Britney Spears video.....the one with the black tarp looks ....ridiculous. I don't want THAT to be me.

I think people are drawn to looks for their body types; none of these models have hips and neither do I 😎 The proportion of ankle slacks and shorter tops work better for me with my short waist. I guess that’s why I pick them out?

Maybe a fun thread could be: post an outfit that is most ”you”? I am sure we have a lot of variety within this group! For me, sometimes it is hard to decifer what is going to look good on me based on a model’s photo, and I am glad that at least some online retailers are starting to show outfits on less-perfect bodies. (Of course sometimes you have to scroll past a few ”perfect” bodies to get to them.)

From the Gap, for example.

Great idea, @Sueb20. Start the thread. I’ll play!

I saw this on the NYT today and bought it for DH

I also bought myself a cropped leopard print jacket --- wanted one from J crew but found another.

ANd I am keeping both Farm Rio pieces - the loud sweater and the simple black one. I love the hand.

I agree, Sue, and that is why I love reviews with pictures. In the other thread where someone said age is just a number, well ... so is weight. And I think being rail thin is just as important as youth to pull off high fashion. Those very bold styles tend to work on model-thin people. Like the video I linked; the woman is actually does wear socks and slingbacks, and can pull it off.

I love the ankle pants shown! Even though I am on the short side, ankle or cropped pants, at the right length and with the right shoes, can work. I would never wear socks with them.

I also really depend on reviews and give the most credence to those that list height, weight and numeric size in addition to pictures. I try to find a picture of someone wearing the garment that looks like it fits as I would wish it to (no straining or gaping between buttons, no oversized slouchiness) and divide the person’s weight by the number of inches of height. That result is surprisingly helpful, as I can compare it and their size with my own metric and get a pretty good idea of what size I need.

Taking advantage of some sales. I rarely think of Lululemon as a source for sweaters, but I bought one earlier this year after admiring it on a stranger, then got the same one for DD and we both love it. So I am getting these.

Then since I am on a sweater roll, I decided I need a navy blue sweater and ordered a couple options from BR.

I had ordered 3 things from Eileen F last week and kept only one. I ordered two tops in a regular medium and they were huge. I did keep this. Perfect for something dressy with my EF black crepe pants.

My January project is culling a bunch of ”never wears” from my closet and getting everything organized enough so I can find outfits for a variety of occasions without having a tantrum.

I got a sale email from RTR and found two summer dresses and a sweater yesterday. I didn’t appreciate how fast that stuff goes, but my size is sold out now in a couple of these. We are going to Florida to visit friends in June and I thought these would be useful and cute:

100% cotton poplin, I will likely have it shortened a few inches.

This is a navy and white sundress with a daring (for me!) back

I will be on the hunt for a bra to wear with it if the one I have in mind doesn’t work. I can wesr it with a thin white sweater in air conditioning.

And this RL sweater. It is heavy cotton and replaced an EF one I wore out that was the same knit stitch. It will be a blazer alternative in spring and fall

Looking at a few other things on the RTR site as well, a burnt orange sweater dress and a black dress with a white ruffle collar and cuffs. Still trying to determine what size and whether I really want them. Both are inexpensive and I would donate them with a happy ❤️ if they didn’t fit.

Not me obviously, but basically how I dress day to day. Another typical look for me is a solid tee with jeans, usually worn with a hoodie or sweater. My favored shoes are sneakers, followed by loafers and sandals. The look is fine but a bit boring.

Bought this from Zara for our Hawaii cruise in 2 weeks. I have bought things for my granddaughter before, but first item I bought for myself from this store. I have never found anything in the store but saw this on line. I love it. I have to have the straps shortened a bit.

It's on sale now and so inexpensive. Looks and feels way more expensive. Link: Zara Dress

I like Zara, I have had this from them for a few years and I wear it mostly to my office

@Kswl really like the second dress and the sweater blazer

Just wanted to share what I ended up wearing to The Nutcracker ballet with a group of ladies. Our Mountain West region tends towards casual attire everywhere so it was fun to take an opportunity to get a little fancy. (Note that these are photos of the items not me.)

French Connection Viven Dress

As you can see in the picture, the mesh is fairly subtle, especially at the waist.

Life Stride Georgia Ankle Booties

I am so pleased with how comfortable these booties were for someone who hasn't been wearing heels in quite a while. They worked so well with the dress and my feet were comfortable and warm when we were walking around downtown.

JCrew Lady Day Coat

I ended up keeping the JCrew coat. The warmth was great and it felt quite classy compared with the other coat I was considering.

I also tend to wear very minimal makeup (just mascara) on a day to day basis. It's been years since I've done anything more but opted to wear some Laura Mercier eyeshadow and Laura Mercier stick gloss. I also wore some vintage styled drop earrings from Anthropologie.

Beautiful outfit Picklypear— each item individually and the ensemble a a whole, very chic! The coat is perfection ❤️

Very casual outfit today to take grandsons to Mufasa movie and this is the reason I take and organize outfit photos:

I took this photo earlier in the fall. Today I wanted to wear blue and gray to go with the navy blue waxed cotton jacket I bought in Scotland last summer (chilly and rainy today) so I picked this and substituted white ruffled ankle socks and white addidas for the no-socks /striped deck shoe look. The gray leggings/ pants are from Talbot’s, with a white Athleta tee and navy cotton RL cable knit sweater. This is my most casual ”athleisure” look and I had already forgotten it without the pic.

Went back to RTR and ordered both these dresses in a smaller size based on reviews:

I will wait and pick up some spring/summer pieces, but I have more than enough clothes for now. I am ashamed to admit there are things I have not worn, and others barely worn. I do need to go through my extra closet and donate some things. This will happen soon as I need to clean out a few of our closets. A good cold weather project!!

Kswl, thank you for your kind words! I'm so impressed with how you put together outfits on a regular basis. The majority of the time I'm wearing something simple and not really composed into an outfit.

Thank you Pricklypear! Having my closet professionally organized (last January) and keeping a photo album of favorite outfits has helped me get ready faster and more decisively. I am heading out to church in an hour. The temp is in the low 60’s with 95% humidity, raining on and off so if “feels like” 55 degrees. I am wearing a red plaid RL mohair suit with black tights, shoes and bag and will add a black raincoat with a hood for my poor hair.

I found a pair of jeans with crystal flowers at TJMaxx today! Check your local stores if you want a pair too.