Career Style: Brighten Up Your Cardi

Jan 24, 2011

There is nothing that I loathe more than when women toss on a cardigan and assume that it makes an outfit work appropriate.  Slinky party dress? Just throw a cardigan over it.  Nude colored tube top? Wear a cardigan.  Leggings and a long tank top?  Grab that cardigan.  

Incidentally, these are all fashion faux pas that I’ve seen walking the halls of the Capitol.

If you prefer to wear cardigans to work, and many women do, you need to make sure that the separates you’re wearing with that cardi are also work appropriate.  Thus, I recommend that if you want to wear cardigan, you wear a blouse underneath it.  

This is a great outfit for late-Winter and early-Spring.  I wanted something that blended a neutral color with jewel tones and bright blouse.  

Also, while it would have seemed natural to wear a grey or black cardigan, I think that’s boring.  The blush-colored sweater tones down the bright azalea blouse while still providing a complimentary shot of color.

If you’d like to see where you can purchase these items (the skirt is a real bargain), click over to my Polyvore page.  And please remember, you cannot just throw a cardigan over it.  

Career Style

share this post

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

  1. A says:

    Love this outfit! Quick question though, if you wore this in the winter, what color tights would you pair it with? I have a light gray skirt I want to wear but I also don't want to freeze….suggestions?

  2. Belle says:

    Gray in a shade that either matches the skirt or the shoes.

  3. KLo says:

    Love the color combination. What color would you choose to do the same with a kelly green cardigan? I love it, but only ever wear it with navy, yellow, white and grey.

  4. lorrwill says:

    That blouse is The Color I am currently coveting. And I love the pleating on that skirt.

  5. Belle says:

    KLo-Cobalt or mint. Maybe lavender.

  6. Katie says:

    Longtime lurker, first-time poster… just wanted to let you know that when I saw this I stopped what I was doing immediately. Absolutely love this — I keep falling into a black-and-grey rut in my work outfits, so I'll do anything to get some more color going. More like this, please!

  7. Meghan says:

    we're so on the same page. most definitely used that same top in this post: https://witwhimsy.com/2011/01/12/styled-3-ways-bright-seprates/

  8. gingerr says:

    A blouse under a cardi instead of a knit shirt?

    Is it the collar you like peeking out or just the woven fabric rather than a knit?
    How about a knit with a wonderful scarf at the neck?

    I think more guidance is in order!

  9. Belle says:

    Cardigans aren't special. Not usually anyway. And they aren't structured like a jacket. Not usually anyway. So while I wear a knit and scarf of Fridays, or recess days, I don't wear it on work days. I think knits with cardis are casual, while a blouse with a cardigan, says I'm at work.

Join The List

Stay up to date on the latest from Capitol Hill Style!

sUBSCRIBE

Style Swap: How to Stay on Trend Post-35

Let’s not mince words: We are middle aged.  We have wrinkles. We have grey hair.  And we’re reaching the age where the homepage headlines feature the names of 20-something “celebrities” we’ve never even heard of.

0

READ MORE 

Recent Posts

The Range: Grey Jeans for Fall

Sometimes you have to see a piece of clothing in the wild to truly appreciate it, seeing it in the store just isn’t enough. Grey jeans, for example. On a shelf, not for me. At brunch, on a woman who looked relaxed and chic? Now, I need them.

7

READ MORE 

2013 Outfit Restyle: Bring the Tweed

The theme of 2013 was more is more. Wearing a bracelet? Wear five. Add a belt. Add a necklace, maybe two . . . make it three. So when I look at outfits from a decade ago, my first instinct is always: do less.

3

READ MORE 

VIEW ALL POSTS

Style Swap, Top Posts | October 3, 2023

Style Swap: How to Stay on Trend Post-35

Let’s not mince words: We are middle aged.  We have wrinkles. We have grey hair.  And we’re reaching the age where the homepage headlines feature the names of 20-something “celebrities” we’ve never even heard of.

0

READ MORE 

Features, Posts, The Range | October 3, 2023

The Range: Grey Jeans for Fall

Sometimes you have to see a piece of clothing in the wild to truly appreciate it, seeing it in the store just isn’t enough. Grey jeans, for example. On a shelf, not for me. At brunch, on a woman who looked relaxed and chic? Now, I need them.

7

READ MORE 

Posts, Style | October 2, 2023

2013 Outfit Restyle: Bring the Tweed

The theme of 2013 was more is more. Wearing a bracelet? Wear five. Add a belt. Add a necklace, maybe two . . . make it three. So when I look at outfits from a decade ago, my first instinct is always: do less.

3

READ MORE 

Posts, Style, The Essentials | October 2, 2023

Welcome Back to Boot Season

Capitol Hill Style is back! After a month-long hiatus, we have returned to celebrate boot season. As if I would miss it. For me, a committed summer girl, boot season is the primary thing that makes fall enjoyable.  So let’s get to it with the best boots for Fall 2023.

10

READ MORE 

RECENT POSTS

©2023 CAPITOL HILL STYLE | SITE BY LEIGH THE STUDIO