Forever 21 Does Cashmere (Blend)

What a difference a day makes! Over the long weekend, there was a lot of frolicking around in the heat. On Sunday, I wore my short shorts. On Monday, it was back to being all business. Hard to switch gears, but the long weekend definitely did me some good.

My all-business outfit was comprised of a $3 v-neck t-shirt from Charlotte Russe (which is surprisingly versatile for work), a pair of sandals I splurged on (more on that on another day), and two new items I picked up from Forever 21. After a long drought, I've had quite a bit of luck there lately. Although it can be really hot these days, it's not too early to look for clothes suitable for the cooler months. In California, they can actually be worn even during the summers--on work days, the office is freezing; at night, there are times when the weather drastically cools down.


In the last 6 months or so, I've been adding quite a few cardigans to my arsenal of workwear. They make dressing up for work really easy--I can wear a comfortable t-shirt underneath along with pants/jeans without looking shabby. This brown-with-plum-trim number is a new addition. Despite the less-than-perfect workmanship (things not necessarily sewn on straight), I really love this cardigan from the slightly more "upscale," if you will, Twelve by Twelve line. The brown is on a more conservative side, but the plum-colored trim adds a nice splash of color. I usually eschew buttonless cardigans, but this one is perfect when worn open, as the muted tones allow whatever is worn underneath to show off a little. The belt is really long, so I had to wrap it around twice. It works quite well this way. Best of all, it is incredibly soft and comfortable, not at all itchy and scratchy as some budget sweaters are prone to be. Initially, I thought it felt like a cashmere sweater, notwithstanding the fact that I was standing in Forever 21. Indeed, there was 10% cashmere in the knit. For $28, it's a pretty good buy.

As for the pants, I spied them on the clearance racks. While a little loose at the waist, the pants fit quite well everywhere else. I thought that they'd be $15 or so as written on the tag, but to my surprise, they turned out to be just $8. Great pants for $8? Doesn't happen very often. Now that I have a sewing machine, I can (eventually) make them look and fit like a million bucks.