Day 32 -- Brother of a Lesser Sweater

Since I've been wearing this style for going on three days now, there's very little left to be said about it.  So I will take this opportunity to discuss a few things that I've learned over the course of this little sweater experiment.  Not that I set out to learn anything, mind you, but I guess if you wear acrylic-blend sweaters for thirty days, you are bound to gain just a little bit of wisdom.


I will say that I am now slightly more discerning when it comes to my in-store sweater purchases.  Instead of just grabbing a sweater in medium and just hoping it fits, I now look at things like pilling, annoying sleeves, and trendy necklines.  Before Thanksgiving, I had my eye on a sweater from Madewell that promised to be "The one you always wear. Slouchy and  over sized--just the way you like it." My thoughts were immediately sent to that happy place in the lodge...hot chocolate with marshmallows sold separately. Sweaters like that promise lazy afternoons and crossword puzzles that have just the right amount of challenge (with no questions about rivers, of course).  They don't portend a hectic day at work, followed by frazzled errands and de-icing one's windshield. And this used to suck me in, time after time.

As I looked at myself in this over sized (and 40% off now) v-neck, I realized that, though a bit more on trend, it truly was no better than any of the sweaters that I was so painstakingly evaluating now.  Sure, it was from this decade, but, in a few years time, I'm positive that those dropped shoulders will look just as dated as some of my funnel necks or boucle cardigans.  And that cute cardigan with the whimsical pattern on the front of it?  Pilling.  If there are still blogs around in five years, I am betting that these on-trend and on-sale cuties would be the subject of my scrutiny in my newest cyber epic: "500 Days of Sweaters--or Global Warming? What Global Warming?" I left the store adding no new sweaters to my collection.  A victory.

As for this sweater, like his brothers, he is soft, warm, comfortable...and a big snooze. Also, and I don't think this was true of his brothers, but the neck was kind of itchy (or was I just looking for a reason to get rid of this one?). I kept him in lilac, tossed him in navy, and, not one to break up a family unit, I'm going to release this sweater from active duty as well. Black turtlenecks are a dime a dozen (oh please...don't ever let me find a sweater sale that promises twelve black turtlenecks for a dime), and there's not much reason to keep this one in the starting rotation.

Whatever.

My rating: William Hurt.  I know, I know...he was great in _______ (insert your favorite William Hurt performance here), but, honestly, the guy has never done much for me.  I'm pretty much a film encyclopedia (if you haven't noticed) and even I cannot name more than a few of his films. He's talented, and, as I've already indicated, a fairly good fit, but I felt no joy in wearing this, just as I feel no joy in watching him onscreen.  (Sure, Children of a Lesser God was good...but isn't that because of Marlee Matlin, not William Hurt?) Maybe I would have liked this sweater more had I not been wearing the same one for three days straight...but, since I'm struggling to think of much to say about this turtleneck (see days 31 and 30 for more detailed information), I think it's best we sever our relationship.  

It might have protected me against The Big Chill outside, but I am looking for more from my sweaters, and so should you.