Day 12--Embracing my inner Coldwater Creek shopper

Since this is my last day in wintery climes before a (all-too-brief) trip to Florida, I thought I'd embrace a somewhat festive and snowy sweater.  Being that it is from the Limited (again, probably early 2000s...was there a sweater explosion then, or was it just me?), I am hoping that I'll have an instant gag reflex with this one.  Otherwise, the white, almost snow-like yarn on the sleeves will probably lure me in...

Inoffensive enough to keep, right?

Any sweater can fake its way through the day, as long as only close family members or unassuming store clerks are involved.  And when it's the Christmas season...well, even Stacy London would have to cut me a little slack here.  So, while I hesitate to use the word "swagger" (or worse, "swagga") here, I will say that I had a little pep in my step with this one. It's soft, it's cheerful, and, wonder of wonders, it kept me warm.

And I really didn't give its, ahem, age a second thought...not even when I went to the hipster Holy Land of Urban Outfitters. I obliviously perused the rack of "re-fashioned" Christmas sweaters near the front of the store, and even considered purchasing more than one.  Why not...I'm capable of irony.  I get the joke.  Christmas sweaters are ugly...and the uglier they are, the cooler I am.

Yes, for a brief moment, I almost provided a home to these Coldwater Creek cast-offs.  They even have skates on them...it'd be a business expense!

And this was my fatal error: I gave up the right to buy these sweaters with a tongue firmly planted in my cheek because I was wearing my sweater, sans irony.  The person who would go the whole day wearing this perfectly acceptable Nordic sweater, without shame, is not allowed to wear an ugly Christmas sweater and pretend that it's cool.  Because these sweaters, although originally from Talbots or Field Gear, are now from Urban Outfitters and will thus be worn with skinny jeans, short jean shorts with black tights (thank you, Katie Holmes, for that trend), or, dare I say it--jeggings...and I neither possess nor desire those items of clothing, thank you.  I learned a lesson today.  A painful, but valuable one.  I kept this sweater...but I lost out on the opportunity to wear others that are far boxier, have way more acrylic and feature NFL-approved shoulder pads.  Oh, to be a hipster at the holidays!

My rating: Timothy Hutton.  Although he has an Oscar to his credit, he will probably not rise to those levels again (although he was quite good in "Beautiful Girls," but that's been a while) and has to be content now with an occasional wear on a snowy day, or a successful series on basic cable.  A solid player, but has a tendency to make you feel old for liking him.  Hipsters + Timothy Hutton do not mix...much to my dismay.  I guess there's nothing wrong with being an Ordinary People (Person).