Ask Belle: Under-$100 Sweaters for Fall
Oct 19, 2015
Hi Belle,
I took my sweaters out of storage and discovered that all of my pullovers were moth-eaten. When I finished crying, I started searching for replacements. I found two I liked, but I need two or three more. I don’t want to spend more than $100 per sweater, $75 is ideal.
Love your blog! PM
I feel your pain! My favorite yellow, henley sweater was destroyed by bugs during my move last year. (Why do they only eat the cashmere? Why?!?) Here are a few sweaters — broken up by style — to help get you back on the right track.
Halogen V-Neck Sweater ($89, also in petite) // Vince Camuto Tie Neck Sweater ($89) // F21 Contemporary Oversize Sweater ($25)
V-Necks are my go-to sweater choice. The balance out my wider shoulders (or an ample bustline) and allow you to mix in other blouses as needed. For this set, I choose basic black (it comes in 15 colors), a fun tie-neck in a bright color, and a modern, oversize look.
For affordable basics, try Land’s End. If you are allergic to wool, they make a lot of cotton sweaters. Mango usually has a good selection of v-neck sweaters as well.
Neiman Marcus has well-made, well-priced cashmere sweaters in seven colors. They also offer them in plus-sizes.
Uniqlo Cashmere Sweater ($69, 11 colors) // Halogen Button Back Sweater ($58, petite, four colors) // Cotton Addiction Textured Sweater ($69)
Crewnecks. I like the look of a crewneck sweater with a statement collar necklace. Uniqlo makes a great crewneck sweater in a soft cashmere. For a simple detail, I like the look of this button-back sweater. And if you need cotton, this textured sweater has a chic, casual look to it.
If you like detailed sweaters, this affordable Fair Isle sweater in a simple black and white is nice. You can also add a bit of sparkle to your attire this Ivanka Trump sweater has a fun detail. I’ve also seen a few sweaters with sheer accents, like this 1.State sweater in berry.
You can also choose a crewneck with a sleeve detail, like these balloon sleeves. Mango has a sweater with knit-detail on the sleeves, which is pretty.
Plus-size? This coral Charter Club sweater is cute. I also like this ivory Land’s End sweater with an embellished collar.
Speaking of this, how have you found is the best way to protect your sweaters from cashmere eating bugs?!
Heather
Pineapples and Pearls
As a knitter:
Wash before storing
Seal if possible
Lavender and cedar are moth repellant
On the pain thing- I have to wholeheartedly agree that anything gynecological is read as an exaggeration by a majority of the medical field. I had to beg my gynecologist for a hysterectomy. The final straw was when I was at a conference and woke up covered in blood and screaming in pain despite having taken all necessary precautions prior to going to sleep. The Gynecologist finally caved, and advised us that the surgery would be about an hour. My surgery was 5 hours, during which no one spoke to my family about my status. My husband and aunt were convinced I’d died on the table. My left ovary had fused to my abdominal wall because of the severity of the endometriosis. It took 3 months between my insistence of the hysterectomy and actually getting the surgery. If I hadn’t gotten it, I would have been in emergency surgery within a week.
Oops, I put this in the wrong spot yesterday…