Chunky Sweaters: Online EVERYwhere!

True confession: I have a sweater fetish. Here in the Northeast, the cold weather moves in around late-October and stays till late April. My sweater collection helps me cope with the grim reality of frequent temperatures hovering at or below freezing. Needless to say, I’m thrilled that chunky sweaters are the trend this season. These sweaters come in every imaginable style—cowl neck, shawl, cable, wrap, turtleneck, cardigan, pullover, and more. With so many styles to choose from, the hard part will be deciding on just one or two. The good news is there is a chunky sweater style to flatter every over 50 figure and many of them are on sale right now. With the holiday season approaching, a chunky sweater might also make a perfect gift for a sister or girlfriend.


THE WELL-MADE SWEATER
There are lots of very pricey chunky sweaters online (Ann Taylor has a very nice Cashmere Cable Open Wrap for $348.). However, for this posting, I’m going to focus on sweaters under $200, many of them under $100.

Chunky sweaters are available in all the trendy shades--gray and beige as well as jewel colors like amethyst and sapphire. Macy's actually has a Chunky Sweater section online. Check out Lauren Jeans Co. Sweater, Luana Shawl Collar Cabled sweater for $99.50.

Tommy Hilfiger has a similar Shawl Cardigan for $69 in four shades on its website.

At the Gap online, you'll find a Alpaca blend shawl collar cardi for $69.50. Or Cable cardigan for $69.50. Or the Sherpa moto sweater for $128.00. And check out the Double-knit alpaca blend cardi for $79.50.


A couple of other chunky sweater examples...

From Jones New York...


Jones New York Long Sleeve Dolman Wrap Cardigan (Pattern) for $98.






Jones New York Three-quarter Cowl Neck Sweater (Pattern) for $79.

Talbots has six chunky sweater designs online, ranging in price from $134-159. Right now, if you buy one sweater, you can get a second one for 50% off. I’d love to see any of them on a woman over 50.

Also, check out Banana Republic. I love the details on the Cable-knit military sweater jacket in dark gray. It's on sale for $89.50. I also like the Horizontal cable turtleneck in four pretty shades. It's priced at $89.50.

WHAT TO WEAR WITH YOUR CHUNKY SWEATERIn general, my fashion rule is: Never going bulky head-to-toe. It's too much, especially if you’re average height like me. Instead, plan to wear a bulky sweater with either a straight or light-weight skirt, jeans or slacks--bottoms without heavy or excess material. If you are feeling a little fashion adventurous, you might try creating the trendy “unexpected” look. Pick up any fall 2010 fashion magazine and you’ll find designers pairing a chunky sweater with a light-weight flirty lace or flowing skirt and possibly a pair of leather, long boots. Personally, I think it’s a lot of fun to mix things up a bit. It's good humored and makes me feel energized.


You'll find other chunky sweaters that would look great with flirty skirts on the Macy's website. For example, check out Buffalo Jeans Sweater, Lucyna Chunky Knit Cutaway Cardigan for $99.

LONG AND CHUNKY…Short chunky sweaters are perfect for flirty skirts. But when I'm running errands, I want to wear jeans or straight slacks. Longer chunky sweaters are great over straight-legged pants. On the Macy's website, you'll find Fever Sweater, Long Fringe Open Front Cardigan. Normally, I’m not crazy about fringe, but I like it with this green sweater. I also like the sale price of $57.99. Tommy Hilfiger has a Long Sweater Coat for $99 in 3 shades.


Below are a few examples of long, chunky sweaters.

From Max Studio ...




PULLOVER SWEATER-ASST-BLUE for $98.







BOY FRIEND SWEATER-M-HEATHER OATMEAL for $128


And just for the fun of it, here’s a video clip on chunky sweaters for young moms. However, as the woman reporting points out, chunky sweaters work for any age, any shape. The clip begins with chunky sweaters on the runway, followed by why they are a great trend for fall 2010. Enjoy!