About oatmeal and blue and what to do with argyle

In the early nineties I would walk around Madison Avenue and admire the discipline of the many ladies in oatmeal - oatmeal trousers, oatmeal suede pumps, oatmeal cashmere wraps. Their nails were manicured in a lighter oatmeal, and of course their hair a flawless bounce of blond oatmeal. I admired the high maintenance perfection but oatmeal was the safe opposite of adventurous in fashion. I doubt these ladies would have considered messing up their monotone perfection with a shout of cobalt blue. But how well they go together. A color combination I have never really tried before. The picture of this bag stopped me dead in my tracks. I can't take my eyes of it because the colors. It was made by a company I am extremely fond of (Serapian Milano), for I have worked with the owner closely over the years. But more about Serapian soon.

I bought this oatmeal and blue argyle jumper at the JCrew Collection store and I am not entirely sure what to do with it. The pie crust collar is so wrong, it was almost right. But I didn't know what to wear on the bottom (I fear looking like a housewife version of Alex P. Keaton) so I took it off again. Givenchy's version of argyle has little to do with 80s prep, and although I like the picture, this outfit would be contrived on me (and pretty much everyone else). 

I am also not keen on emphasizing my knees

photo from www.elle.com

I love how this last argyle jumper has been combined with a checked silk skirt/shorts in a clashing pattern. I have been thinking I have to change the proportions around my argyle sweater, but the proportions in this picture are perfectly classic. It's adding the silk and the clashing pattern that's made this look fresh.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I was going to show a picture of another JCrew jumper I will wear tonight for dinner at my neighbors - because it is so super cute - but my free blogspot blog has suddenly informed me I have run out of photo storage space and must buy some Picasa space. I may turn myself into a wordpress blog! Blogger offers free blogs but I can't remember seeing a warning that said you can have a free blog with us as long as you don't stick with it for too long cos then you'll run out of photo storage.