One thing I learned this year about my clothing preferences: I really like rolled edges in knitwear.
Today I’m wearing a long cardigan gifted from Mijeong Park for review. It’s arrival was timely because it’s warming up in NYC but the mornings are still a little chilly and the office is unpredictably cold as well. So I was in need of outerwear that’s not a full blown coat but something more substantial than my tiny cardigan. This was an easy layering piece that I could wear to work and still look put together. I asked for a size extra small which fits OK, but if I were to do it all over again, I’d ask for a size medium for an intentionally oversized fit. Sometimes I forget that my arms are pretty long and I prefer my sleeves to extend well past my wrists or at least to have that option. From now on I’m going to be more inclined to buy size medium long sleeved garments, even if I could fit into a small, for that reason.
My favorite part of this cardigan are the rolled edges throughout, even the pockets have rolled edges! I also love the rolled edges on my recently purchased ATM striped cashmere sweater that you’ve seen me wear a million times this year. Rolled edges give off an extra cozy, casual vibe and evokes an attitude that is not too concerned with perfection. Here’s a close up.
Like my Mijeong Park ribbed dress, these have strong pockets that held my cell phone and pager all day long while I was moving about juggling a million things at work today. I can see this becoming a work horse in my wardrobe for this very reason.
The only downside to this cardigan is that it does have some nylon blended into the cashmere/wool, which I’m only opposed to in this case for environmental/ideological reasons, although I guess that makes me somewhat of a hypocrite because I still do buy things with synthetic fibers in them, although I try to minimize it as much as possible. Besides knowing that there is nylon in it, I don’t think the nylon itself detracts from the texture and experience of the cardigan, because it is still majority cashmere/wool percentage-wise. In fact I think maybe the nylon component will prevent it from pilling and perhaps make it more durable. But I’m not entirely sure of that. I guess time will tell.
Synthetic fibers is kind of like meat for me. I’m trying to consume less of it for select reasons (health, the environment), and less so for other reasons (ethics), but I’m not ready to go completely vegetarian yet, because sometimes ya just gotta eat meat. I don’t think I’m alone in the natural fabric movement. It’s not surprising that MP’s 100% cotton ribbed dress is sold out. I think Black Crane is catching on too because all of a sudden their new line of clothing is 100% linen and cotton these days. Most of their old stuff are made from natural-synthetic fiber blends.
In other news, I have 3 upcoming events to attend this year that will require me to wear a dress. I no longer fit into the one and only dressy-dress that I still own (thanks KonMarie, lol), so I needed to buy one. I thought about going down the Rent the Runway route, but thinking about the whole process of renting the dress and sending it back stressed me out. Plus, I don’t mind wearing the same dress multiple times, so it makes more economic sense for me to buy a reasonably priced dress that I love and wear it over and over than to rent 3 different dresses for 3 different occasions that will in total cost me way more than if I had just bought one dress. I didn’t want to spend a lot on the dress and didn’t mind buying one made of synthetic fibers because to be honest, most dresses these days are made from synthetics and I’m not going to wear it often or put it in the washer so I don’t mind so much. Need Supply has some pretty neat dresses for under $100. I wanted something elegant but boring at the same time, if that makes sense. I wanted the fit to be forgiving in case I gain weight in the future and the style to be understated so that I could get away with wearing it more than once around the same people. I combed through all the Need Supply dresses under $100 and narrowed it down to these three dresses:
I liked them all equally, couldn’t decide, so asked the BF to make the final decision. But I’m curious, which one do you think I should have bought? Can you guess which one he chose? I’ll reveal the answer on my next post… just for fun. Stay tuned!
[outfit: Mijeong Park cashmere blend hooded cardigan (gifted for review), Elizabeth Suzann Harper tunic in linen gauze, Eileen Fisher system easy pants, *SAS suntimer sandals, *Cluse watch, *Dagne Dover midi tote]
Dr. it girl 
That blue dress is my favorite, love the twist-front detail. It is simple yet interesting. Also probably very forgiving with weight changes in either direction.
Also, I like your work outfit with the rolled edge cardigan over the ES tunic a lot. I like the two different fabrics in similar color palette.
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Good choice! The blue one is especially forgiving and more interesting than the rest. And I liked the similar gray colors together too.. Love an almost all monochrome look. =)
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I am typing this reply with rolled merino pulled over my wrists. Love them. The texture of that cardigan looks wonderful too. I was mulling over the Acne Raya for a long time, but when I finally found it in real life, it was horribly itchy and draped oddly.
The column dress is my pick—I still feel I can’t pull off a slip-style dress at more formal events. Anyway, they would all look great with a jacket or blazer on top too.
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Oooh, I’m glad you also appreciate a good rolled edge. You must be a woman of great taste, lol. Slip styles are def a bit risky, especially if bought online and there’s always the chance ya won’t be able to wear a bra with it — which is a deal breaker for me.
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I love love love everything about the cardigan, the design is perfect in every way. I too am a huge fan of rolled edges. I was all set to buy it but then I saw the fabric content—40% nylon is just too much for me. In my experience it means major pills. I hope the sweater works out for you but I don’t want to risk it.
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40% is at least moderate.. I seem to own clothes with no nylon at all and a few things that are almost totally polyester. I don’t have much in between. So far no signs of pilling but it’s still very early. Time will tell.
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The sweater is lovely! I would venture that he chose the black dress, mostly because that’s what I think most men like (ha). And several men I have known have tended toward “well, it’s black, you can wear it over and over.” I personally favor the cut of the black dress, so actually I would have chosen that too. The red dress has a bit of a man repeller effect in that we women love it–and its classy neckline–but men seem to be confused about this.
But if I were to guess what YOU’D choose, based on what I think I know of your style, I’d guess that you went for the blue one! It’s so pretty too. Now I’m so curious!
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Thank you. I can totally see your thought process and agree with the analysis! The red dress is a bit man repeller true… the color sort of makes up for that aspect. Its conservative shape is balanced out by its bold color. And if it were a deep red, rather than an almost neon red magenta, it would not work half as well.
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Ooh, this is fun! I like the blue dress…but I think he maybe picked the second one?
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This is fun! I love hearing your guesses!
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Honestly, all of those dresses would look fantastic on you!
We have a wedding to attend at the end of the month in Mexico, and my closet doesn’t really lend itself toward beach-wedding attire, so I’m also on the hunt for a sub-$100 dress! I really like the blue one and would consider picking it up for myself, but it’s polyester and I’ll die in the heat :(. I plan to head to a local consignment shop after work today to try my luck there. Dress-shopping is hard!
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A few days ago, I just so happened to walk past a thrift store and went in to look at the dresses. I hardly ever do this. Maybe it’s been years since I’ve done this. But there was not a single dress there that I’d even consider trying on. Maybe it’s just New York. If there are good things, it much be snatched up pretty quickly. I looked for cotton and linen dresses, but could not find one I liked. I am very picky though.
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I don’t agree that red is “a bit of a man repeller”… who are these men that don’t like a woman in a great red dress? It’s a classic. I’d go for the red. It will look great and I think it’s cool to step outside what is expected of you and “safe”. Second choice is blue. Third is black. All are lovely.
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I agree on the red. The shape is perfect and somewhat conservative. The red gives it an extra pop and appeal that the shape doesn’t convey on its own.
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Yes yes, my thoughts exactly. I wonder if the designer designed it with that intention. It’s nice to share the same appreciation for details like this… Thanks!!
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I think the shape is a bit man repeller, because the neck is so high up and it is one straight column, but I think the color is actually very flirtatious and attractive to men (in general). Doing something a bit different than what I’m used to is precisely why the red dress made it into the final 3. Loved hearing your thoughts. Thanks!
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