Moreintelligentlife.com is the website of Intelligent Life magazine. Articles about Arts, Lifestyle, Travels, and Ideas

HOW TO WEAR A SWEATER

It's February, which means you have probably been negotiating your sweater collection for months now. Mary Fellowes offers some do's and don'ts:

Soft and fluid women’s cardigans and sweaters contrast well with a skinny patent-leather belt. Wear them long and unbuttoned, and don’t rule out borrowing your partner’s/father’s/brother’s rejects—Miuccia Prada pioneered this look years ago and it is still a classic.

Tight sleeves don’t flatter women’s upper arms, unless they are a size 10 or less; buying a size bigger also avoids bra outlines showing across your back.

Scooped or V-necks are best for more voluptuous figures, as their proportions balance out the body’s curves; puffed sleeves have the same effect. And asymmetric knitwear is often more flattering than more conventional shapes, as it breaks up the lines of the body.

Round-necked sweaters are the most flexible choice for men because of the symmetry of their outline; a V-neck sweater can easily be wrong if it is too tight (which looks camp) or too baggy (which looks studenty). In either case, avoid wearing shirts with large collars or prints with knitwear—the smaller and neater the better.

Men’s cardigans can be surprisingly stylish. Wear one unbuttoned over a narrow shirt (but perhaps leave the horn-rim glasses at home).

Sports sweaters are generally not a good idea—they smack of someone who hasn’t  got over the glory of their teenage playing-field days.

An oversized scarf, whether super-wide, super-long, or both, is a good buy for men and women. They add an air of importance, while the wide volume around your head and shoulders makes your body look leaner and slimmer. Not to mention that they keep your neck warm and cosy.

Linen- or cotton-knit mixes are best avoided—their matt surface can too easily look cheap and nasty.

Don’t wear blue or green knitwear with jeans; the mottled tones of denim mean that whatever you wear on top can neither be similar enough to look properly co-ordinated, nor different enough to be properly contrasting.

~ MARY FELLOWES

Picture credit: Beard Head Knit Cap (Viking Edition)