vendredi 9 novembre 2012

Up to my neck


Till a couple of years ago, turtlenecks were a no-no for me. Except if worn à la Audrey Hepburn or Jacqueline Bouvier.

Otherwise, the shape was in my mind synonymous with dorky, unsexy and supreme fashion blasphemy: out-of date.

Between a little visual push of said item efficiently styled on the Celine runway and worn by Phoebe Philo herself, the more realistic reinterpretation by accessible brands like Hope Stockholm and J. Crew, the trend caught up with me and adding a companion to my black turtleneck became obvious. 

I don't subscribe to the white turleneck trend which I feel don't work with my skin tone but which looked great on a red haired COS sales assistant who wore one under a light green tweed top.

Subtler and more familiar hues in greys, taupe have my preference. Also, as much as I love the cosyness factor of heavier knits, I feel like thinner knits work better for my frame, with my other clothes and lifestyle. That's why I wisely went for a safe taupe angora blend knit... 

Now I only have 2 turtlenecks but after years of deep v and more modest round collars, I find it refreshing to put my neck out of the woods. 

The inspiration: City looks which are achievable, mature, very of-the moment but not over the top trendy.

(Paul Smith F/W 2011, Hope Stockholm F/W 2012, J. Crew F/W 2011, 2012)

My way: I've been doing that kind of tri-color mix a lot lately, a game of dark hues (black, grey and navy mainly) with a paler shade (taupe, white, light grey) and a pop of red with my tote. 



coat/manteau: Comptoir des Cotonniers - turtleneck/col roulé: h&m - pants/pantalon: COS - boots: André - bag/sac: Céline

For friday wear, I wanted cool and comfy but not slouchy and between the boyfriend jacket and the baggy cords, playing down the volumes and casualness was the key. Teaming a fitted turtleneck with baggy cords and staying in the same taupe-beige neutral and putting on high heeled boots made me feel more put together.

 

jacket/ veste - pants/pantalon: Etoile Isabel Marant - turtleneck/col roulé: h&m - boots: Colisée de Sacha - bag/sac: Balenciaga

The title of the post is also my justification for a month long absence from the blogosphere as I was up to my neck in daily and mundane business.

14 commentaires:

  1. I've been doing the same - looking at polonecks and I have never entertained them before as I have a short neck but I keep thinking there will be one out there to suit. The usual suspects at Uniqlo are sold out in my sizes and I'm down to looking at cashmere ones currently which although sounds lovely, I don't like the prices as much. Both looks are lovely and very inspiring. I'm going to carry on my search ....

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    1. Thanks!
      Have you tried on polonecks recently? I'm asking because I have the same issues regarding my round face and not giraffe-like neck but once I tried my thin black H&M on, I didn't find it shocking in proportion to my head... Maybe it is and I'm delusional, hehe! But I don't mind!:))

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  2. Love your outfits, especially the second one. Totally inspired me to recreate it with what I have in my closet. Sadly, turtlenecks don´t suit me at all- I have a short neck and a rounded chin line- but I love to wear them as I really need to have my neck warm. So they are limited to casual wear and lounge wear.

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    1. Thanks! As I was answering to Sue, I've got that head issue too but I refuse to let "geometry" prevent me from wearing something I like and keeps me warm!

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  3. I've been a long-time fan of the polo neck! So chic with a leather skirt or high waisted jeans. Cos do great thin knit ones.

    http://herribbonsandherbows.blogspot.co.uk/

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    1. Great style idea! I might wear the polo neck-leather skirt combination tomorrow! I like how the polo neck somehow adds a touch of vintage cool and sophistication to any outfit.
      On a side note: funny the nuances of a language, I always thought polo neck was the "Lacoste" like neck but it also means turtleneck. I learn everyday!

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  4. Funny, I just bought my first turtlenecks in a long time today. I had given up on them as they made me look neck-less (in my mind). But thanks to Celine I reconsidered and decided to give them a second chance. One turtleneck is in classic black, other in beautiful indigo shade. Will see how it goes but I feel very hopeful this time around.

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    1. Well I experienced the same process! Last winter was kind of a revelation which left me wondering about the unbased reasons why I had overlooked this very useful and classic winter piece.
      Thank you Céline and Phoebe Philo!!
      The indigo one must be stunning. I love this shade of blue! It looks great with so many colours, I'm sure you won't have any trouble making it work.

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  5. I think I was traumatized by those tight turtlenecks from the Gap that my parents used to make me wear when I was a kid, I would fiddle with the neck part all day long. But now one of my favorite layering pieces is the American Apparel sheer rib t-neck. It's thin and the turtle isn't constricting at all. On the website it looks like they're all on sale, I hope it doesn't mean the style is discontinued :-(

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  6. I think there's a generation (myself included) who shares this kind of "war" story about turtlenecks!
    The AA tee seems like a good bet but at the moment I'm obsessed with everything "heat tech" by Uniqlo for layering so I'll try one of their turtleneck.

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  7. Voilà qui confirme mon envie d'un col roulé bien chunky... et me donne envie de me replonger dans cette collection Paul Smith hiver 2011 qui m'avait tant plu à l'époque mais dont j'avais oublié l'existence. Jeanne-Aurore

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    1. Effectivement, le défilé Paul Smith de la saison dernière est toujours une référence pour moi, j'aime tellement ce genre de stylisme inspiré, moderne, réaliste et sans "chi-chi".

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  8. You look lovely. I think my aversion to turtlenecks for the longest time was such a childhood thing and the feeling of being constrained, but I've been wearing very thin merino and cashmere blended ones for several years and I love them. There's something very chic and minimalist paired with a leather skirt.

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    1. Thanks a lot! It's funny how childhood feelings have such a powerful echo and lasting effect on our fashion tastes. Luckily we (sometimes) overcome our reluctances and find appreciation in what we thought we disliked.

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