The Modern Sweater Girl Look

AKA That Time My Massive Ass Split a Skirt in Half, but more on that later…

The Sweater Girl was one of the key looks in the 1950’s.  The tight high-necked sweater and bullet bra combination brought admiring looks from men and women alike.  It is one of the images synonymous with the famous Pin Up girl.  It was a controversial look at the time and these days the bullet bra has long been out of fashion, but you can still emulate this look without one.

For this more modern look I started with this Woolovers Unisex Turtle Neck Jumper to bring the essence of this look more up to date.  The neck is perfect for me as I wanted something that showed that all important high neck, but the idea of one that goes too high up makes me feel a bit claustrophobic.  Is that crazy?  The joy of this jumper is that it’s so lightweight and comfortable, you barely feel like you’re wearing it, yet it still keeps me warm.  It’s more than I would usually pay for a jumper, however it’s also a much higher quality as it’s made of Cashmere and Merino wool, so it feels very plush.  As it is unisex I was a little worried about the fit, but I got an extra small and tucked into a skirt like this I’ve had no issues.  I did think it would be a bit softer than it is, but it is still really comfortable.

The Lindy Bop skirt I have had since the summer, but haven’t had the confidence to wear it much.  I love the style, but I feel like I have to have extra time to put it on and think it through, especially with the constrictive style.  A lot of this has to do with my weight gain, something which was highlighted just before this shoot.  I zipped it on, wiggled it down and heard a small tearing sound.  I was a little worried, but decided to ignore it.  Then I leaned forward to pick something up and that’s when I heard the noise every woman dreads.  A gigantic rip, oh yes!  It had happened!  My skirt had split in two!  Now if that isn’t a wake-up call about my weight I don’t know what will be!  Luckily I was only in the garden for this one so I thought I’d persevere, but just know behind these shots there’s a big split!  Anyway, it’s a shame because I think it’s the perfect skirt for this look – I maybe just need to up-size!  The quality of Lindy Bop is a bit hit and miss, and the material for this is really thin, but it is a summer skirt, so I’m not sure if I can really blame them for this one.

I completed the look with this umbrella broach that I was given on my last day at work.  I thought it was perfect given the current weather – storms left, right and centre!  Lastly, I took advantage of the Bait Christmas sale and treated myself to three pairs of fabulous shoes including these Ione Mint Heels, these are the first I’ve worn.  They are so beautiful I am terrified of scratching them!  I was a little worried about the sizing and I could have probably done with going down a half size, but because of the strap it doesn’t cause too much of a problem.  I now want all the Bait shoes!  Bait, if you are listening: please find a UK outlet so I don’t have to pay such an embarrassing amount on postage and customs fees!  Anyway, this pair are cute, striking and comfortable – what more could you ask for?  I’d happily take them in every colour.  I do kind of wish I’d thought more about what these go with, a black and white pair might have been more practical with my wardrobe, but I just fell in love with this colour.

So there you have it, what do you think to the modern sweater girl look?

P.S Incase you somehow don’t know Oxfam (always a favourite of mine for hunting out books and vintage gems) have a pretty great online store.  They are currently on the hunt for a face of various decades and are asking bloggers to choose on outfit to represent a decade.  I’m choosing this outfit for the 1950’s as this is when this look started to gain popularity.  It’s very unlikely I’ll win but I love the opportunity to draw attention to a great charity.  There is something so satisfying about a charity shop rummage,  and highly recommend their online store if you can’t make it into one of their physical ones!