Yes, you’re at the right place! We might look a little different, but we’re still the same girlfriends gabbing about fashion and beauty products.
Now, first, I have to get something off my chest. I have a confession to make. It’s a little piece of my sordid past that very few people know about. I’ve tried to keep it hidden, but full restitution cannot be made until I come clean. So here goes.
A long time ago, when I was a 3rd grade teacher, I fell prey to one of the biggest fashion disasters of the 20th century — the holiday sweater. The good part is, I was not alone. I am about to show you something that will horrify and shock you. I hope you’re sitting down.
Yep, that is Sarah and me circa 1996. I KNOW! You were warned. In my defense, I must add that I was a 3rd grade teacher at the time. The holiday sweater sort of comes with the territory. Now, Sarah, she doesn’t have an excuse. (Heehee! Just kiddin’ wit’ ya, Sar!)
We have come a long way since then. Here I am in LAST year’s holiday sweater.
See, even the vilest offender can be reformed. So today I plead with you. If you are still guilty of this crime against fashion, please consider setting aside the jewel-encrusted knitwear embroidered with Christmas presents and reindeer. Let’s show a little peace and goodwill toward our fellow man by donning some more more stylish holiday options.
Take for instance this textured foldover sweater in red from Ann Taylor. This says festive without saying grandma.
If you need a little more pizazz, this sequined cardigan will liven up any of your ordinary slacks or jeans. (Just no “mom jeans”, please!)
I realize this beaded cardigan with blouson sleeves from Bloomies is a splurge, but I just love it. And perhaps you can find something LIKE it for, you know, NOT $200. But it’s proof that a little bling goes a long way.
The design in this snowflake sweater from Talbots is seasonal yet subtle.
Oooh! What about this cardigan in red? (Or ivory.)
Eddie Bauer has a slew of more casual holiday-ish sweaters such as this and this and this and this! Personally I’d stay away from the one with the reindeer, but if you absolutely MUST have a reindeer on your holiday sweater, I suppose I can allow this one. I’m all about the compromise.
If you can pull it off, and I’m quite sure I can’t, this sweater hoodie from Anthropologie is darling (not to mention incredibly affordable!)
But if you still have something like this or this in your closet, please, for the love of all that is kind and generous this holiday season, give it a proper burial and find something more chic and modern. You can do it. I know you can!
And just for fun, be sure to participate in Big Mama’s Ugly Sweater Contest. It’s sure to be quite entertaining. Just so long as the sweater you send in isn’t from YOUR closet. Because if it is, we will certainly have to stage a fashion intervention.
About Jo-Lynne
You are too funny! My Mom’s group might be doing an ugly sweater contest this year!! I love your photos. You are awesome!
Steph
Love the new look. Very chic. And the belted reindeer sweater is hideous, sorry. No one should wear that. And you get a pass for the ugly sweater because you were a teacher. Everyone knows that teaching makes you do strange things. 🙂 That dedication to your job leaves little room for fashion sense sometimes.
OHMYGRANNYSWEATER. I love y’all but those are BAD. I love that first red one you’ve got here and I have one much like the black with the sparklies! I AM NOT COMPLETELY HOPELESS! What a great thing to find out at this miraculous time of the year. Great post and great showcase of some happy alternatives for the season!
I am so with you. I can’t stand the red and green santa/reindeer/holly sweaters. Your alternatives are fantastic, though, especially the red one from Ann Taylor and the cardigan!
Nice!
The only one allowed to wear Christmas knitwear in our house is our 4 year old – he looks so cute with his snow men or santas – please tell me they are ok? Please?
Nice sweater. I can’t believe you admitted to wearing it. You could have burned it and let it live in some memory.
And you brought nice Sarah down with you – for shame.
I do love the pretty sweaters you posted – I just got a red one from Eddie Bauer with a Shawl Collar – and I love it. Its my new fav!
Oh. My. Gosh. That is horrifying! Even scarier is the fact that I saw the exact same sweater vest in Kmart this very weekend. Guess somebody in purchasing ordered a surplus 12 years ago. I love the alternate sweaters you picked this year! The white one is my fave.
I’m pretty sure there is no evidence of a holiday sweater in my photos, but I don’t know for sure! LOL
My mom and grandma LOVE them. There is no way they will give them up!
Now come on — I kind like the 3rd grade sweater in a 3rd grade kind of way. God knows I have worn worse:) I have the one from talbots in red:)
Have I told you that I like your journal:)
Well I do:)
I can’t believe you found that! What a hoot! You are too funny. And to think I helped you figure out how to scan pictures today. Dang. hahaha.
Well… at least you weren’t wearing the ornament earrings to match!
Oh noes! As an elementary teacher of almost 15 years now, I am SO guilty of the holiday sweater (shame). And it wasn’t that long ago, either. Although, none of mine were quite as busy as the one you are wearing in that picture. I need to scour my closet to make sure they are all gone.
EEEEEKKKKKKK!!!! I really hope you have since burned that thing! Whenever I go to my daughter’s school and see the teachers in their holiday sweaters (of which there are MANY), I want to buy each of them a new sweater and hold a bonfire in the parking lot with the old ones.
AAAAAAAAAAAAH! What? What happened?
Oh my…. About 4 yrs ago I started teaching at a Pre-School. I firmly vowed, that I would NEVER wear holiday sweaters, Disney character shirts or holiday SOCKS. That said, I will admit to a solid color ‘snowflake’ sweater and a matching necklace/earring X-Mas “lights”. *sigh*
Ha! I had a holiday sweater back then, too. And I had NO excuse, because I was not a teacher! 🙂 Love your sweater options for this year and, when I saw the photo, I remembered last year’s post about your Christmas sweater. I love that gray sweater — supa-flattering on you!
I love this post. I had several bad holiday sweaters when I was teaching.
Thanks for the links to the Eddie Bauer sweaters. I went yesterday and bought the gray one with the snowflakes. (Much better than all my old ones!)