Why I Don’t Wear Cardigans

Hey everyone! Do you ever put on a top and just think something doesn’t look right? That’s how I am with cardigans. Even though I love some of the styles and the prints, they just don’t look right. And I don’t mean just the traditional ones that every librarian owns. Even the long, slouchy ones don’t look right but I think I have figured out why they don’t look good on me. It’s the way they hang on my shoulders.

Over 40 Fashion for Over 40 Bodies! - www.whenthegirlsrule.com

So, this is a pretty cashmere sweater with a fun bit of silk at the bottom to add some flare. It’s very warm and forgiving no matter what I’m wearing underneath. I bought this when I first started figuring out this fashion stuff because I needed something that wasn’t always making a statement so it’s a couple of years old but here is one that is similar.

Over 40 Fashion for Over 40 Bodies! - www.whenthegirlsrule.com

Most of the times I was wearing it with a scarf because it was winter but several times I didn’t and it looked weird. I took a long look at it and realized that it emphasized that my shoulders were sloping. This is a normal aging attribute, but something I had never noticed before. All of my other sweaters and jackets had some sort of collar to break up that line. This sweater did not. Also, the cut of it just feels like it pulls down and hangs, making me look tired and droopy.

Over 40 Fashion for Over 40 Bodies! - www.whenthegirlsrule.com

As I started figuring out this fashion thing in my 40’s, I was having a love-hate relationship with shoulder pads and couldn’t figure out why. Once I noticed my shoulders sloped down, a lot was explained, but now I had to figure out how not to emphasize this silhouette. Enter the big scarf. This scarf breaks up the line of my shoulder so you don’t see the slope. Of course, I’m not photographing my sweater without the scarf and all of these positions have my shoulders looking pretty broad. If you want to see this sweater and what I’m talking about pop over to my Instagram account and look at one of the very first posts. That was last winter before I figured out that slope was showing and how to fix it. I’d love for you to follow me on Instagram while you’re there since that’s where I show more “behind the scenes” images.

Over 40 Fashion for Over 40 Bodies! - www.whenthegirlsrule.com

Jeans (similar) here. Boots (similar) here.

And you will all be happy, especially you long-time readers, that I have bought myself a new purse! I know, you were all so sick of that black one! So was I, even though it works so well and will probably be back in the pictures soon!

This post contains affiliate links for products I love and own or love and would like to own!

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15 Comments

  1. >>I bought this when I first started figuring out this fashion stuff

    LOL! All I can see when I read this is Meryl Streep in the Devil Wears Prada coming after you for saying “fashion stuff.” I loved that whole scene — a must watch if you haven’t seen it.

    Love the scarf — looks great on you.

  2. Ahh, shoulder pads, I miss you so! I was so sad to see shoulder pads go…and for a long time I bought stand-alone shoulder pads that attached to my bra strap. They helped with *my* sloping shoulders (look! we have so much in common!) and in my mind’s eye they helped balance out the width of my hips.

    Yes, it’s very hard to find things that fit properly in the shoulders when you’re trying to also cover other things, like big boobs or hips. And poor shoulder fit makes things look sloppy, or, dare I say, SCHLUBBY?? Ha.

    I struggle with shoulder fit a LOT. I try to find more structured items (I don’t always succeed and at the end of the day, I’ve gotta wear SOMETHING when I leave the house, so…) to make the shoulder area look more…well, structured! And not rounded, slopey, sloppy, etc. I can barely even keep a shoulder strap purse up like a normal person, I strive to always have cross-body bags so I don’t have to deal with purses falling off my shoulders all the time.

    I think your scarf suggestion is a good one – cuz you look great!

    Bettye (with a Y)

    1. Gosh, yes, Bettye! I was wondering about 5 years ago why my shoulder strap of my purse kept sliding off. Just figured I was moving around so much so switched to different purses. So now we’ve figured out shoulder line importance on to the next thing!

  3. I love the hem on this sweater, Julia!! It’s subtle, yet a fun detail!
    I saw some older photos on IG where you looked great with a cardigan. Sometimes I think it’s not so much the type of clothing item but how it’s constructed and what we wear with it!!
    Keep up the fabulous job!
    jodie
    http://www.jtouchofstyle.com

  4. As a reader, an admirer and as a librarian, can I ask that you please retire the cardigan-wearing librarian cliche? I do wear cardigans(along with skinny jeans and ankle boots), but so do many of the nonlibrarians I know and work with!

    By the way, this is a great outfit, and I love the white pants at this time of year. Keep up the wonderful blog, but leave us librarians out of it. Thanks!

  5. Love the sweater, and it looks great with the scarf. I would have never noticed your “shoulder issue”, so whatever you are doing, keep it up! I also like how you said you needed some things to wear that don’t always make a statement. So true. I wear cardigans a lot, because I need them to disguise the fact that I do not have a waist…and because a lot dresses are sleeveless! The main thing is to dress for the figure that we have. You are doing such a great job of that!
    http://www.over50under20.com

  6. Hello! Once again you look great & I can’t believe that I had the exact same problem with a fav ‘boyfriend’ cardigan I wore to work today! I just love the sweater so much I figured deal with it-but you positioned your scarf so well it all totally works-head to toe PLUS that nice new purse! Stay warm & I hope the weatherman is wrong for us Michiganders this weekend! Bye, C.

    1. Thank you Cathy! Yes, I love my new purse and am wondering why I didn’t think of a new winterish one sooner. I totally loved our mild fall and am not ready for winter. So, next time try a big scarf or one of those blanket scarves and your sweater can get a new chance at being marvelous! I’m so happy to help others figure these things out!

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