Today’s post is a really fun post because it’s solely about my ridiculous and somewhat inexplicable love for sweaters. And I say ridiculous because I know that it may seem weird that I love sweaters so much considering I currently live in Arizona and we seldom see temps below the high 60s during the day, thus I seldom have a reason to break out a good heavy sweater throughout the year. But growing up in Michigan I was forced to live in sweaters for 2/3 of the year… for 18 years of my life and almost every Thanksgiving and Christmas since, so now I just can’t fight the urge to break out my favorite cozy style staple when fall and winter hit. Clearly I’m really pushing the limits of what constitutes “sweater weather,” but I’m cool with that! Rule breaker.
h&m Sweater, h&m Pants, Gap Long Sleeve tee, Coach Dinky 24 Bag (w/ floral customization), Zara Shoes (also love this similar pair), Glasses, Lipstick (in “Edgy”)
Shop The Post
Since the temps have started to dip just a little bit here in Arizona and have given us a taste of what fall weather actually feels like, I decided to be bold and step out in my first sweater of the season. And it was every bit as satisfying as I’d hoped! And yes, those are totally little bees and insects attached to the shoulder of this sweater and that detail really sealed the deal for me when pondering whether to purchase this piece.
While we were shooting these pics Chris actually asked me if the insects came with the sweater or if I added those myself. And while I’m certainly not above adding a random embellishment (insects included) to any outfit, I had to laugh and jokingly tell CC that, “Yeah, I totally added those myself. You know its been my lifelong dream to jazz up a sweater with some insects and it felt right. Bugs just move me.” Ha! No no no… the bugs came with the sweater and while an unexpected detail, I’m couldn’t be more into it.
Over time sweaters can take quite a beating through wear and cleaning, so even though I don’t abuse my sweaters as much as I did when I lived in Michigan, I still feel the need to refresh my sweater collection with a few new fun additions every year. But I admit that I’m a little bit picky where sweaters are concerned. They have to be super soft. They have to have a really fun details (bees!). The cut has to either be oversized or perfectly un-stuffy. And the color has to be ah-maz-ing or a really pretty, soft neutral. It’s a long list of requirements, but what’s the point of wearing a sweater if isn’t perfectly cute and comfy cozy? There is no point, people. Keep it EXTRA!
And because I like to update my sweater selection almost every year I like to keep my sweater purchases on the more affordable side, if I can. There’s certainly always a place for cashmere investment pieces, but nowadays there are so many great budget friendly sweater options out there from retailers like ASOS, H&M, Zara, J.Crew, LOFT and more. All have really affordable sweater finds every year that I fall in love with and wear over and over again. I kind of feel like price doesn’t necessarily reflect quality anymore where sweaters are concerned. Just me?
So in light of that, I thought it would be really fun to round up my very favorite affordable sweaters of the season that are all under $100, just in case you, too share my love for snuggly sweaters. Whether it’s the color that got me, the cut, the material, or some funky detail or pattern, all of these sweaters are unique, fun, and most importantly will allow you to save a few pennies and throw them into your Aspen Girls Getaway 2017 (2018 too!) fund so you can rock that sweater somewhere cool… and cold this fall and winter.
1. Embellished H&M Sweater 2. J.Crew Velvet Trim Cardigan 3. Chunky H&M Turtleneck Sweater 4. Blush TopShop V-Neck Sweater 5. Seafoam J.Crew Long Cardigan 6. Cream ChicWish Cardigan 7. Pink ChicWish Cardigan 8. Textured Light Turquoise H&M Sweater 9. 10. Nordstrom Pom Pom Sweater 11. Embroidered ChicWish Sweater 12. Embellished H&M Seafoam Sweater
I also have to mention super fun Coach bag that I’m wearing because not only is it one of my favorite bags I’ve ever owned because it’s made of the softest leather, is a great winter white hue and has the most perfect compartments for all of the random stuff I carry around with me every day (a built-in coin purse, two standard compartments and a flat back pocket for easy phone access and storage), but it’s also my very own design! Ok well actually it’s not just my design… it’s Coach’s with a little bit of me and a little bit of my incredible parents! My mom and dad made their annual fall trip to New York City recently and one morning I woke up to them FaceTiming me from the flagship Coach store (called Coach House) on Fifth Ave. to show me how cool it is. And it was totally worth the crazy wake-up call because that store is 100% amazing! It’s like a fashion lover’s toy store with gorgeous leather goods and other pretty things from floor to ceiling.
At the store you can customize the bag you choose with tea roses (the floral appliqués on my bag), rivets, pins and monogramming and have them applied right then and there… which is the real reason my parents wanted to show me around the store. Also, shout out to the awesome Coach staff member who helped us crazy people pick the perfect bag via FaceTime and showed us every single option for customization. She must have thought our family was completely nuts, but she couldn’t have been nicer or more awesome to chat with!
You can see that I went with three neutral tea roses right over the bag’s clasp and had the tag monogrammed. And I absolutely love it! Also yes, I have the coolest parents ever who know me so well and yes, I’m absolutely spoiled and in no way deserve even half of my good luck in life! But I’ll happily accept it all. Duh.
Would it be total overkill to get them all?! They are so pretty and so cozy!!
Haha DEFINITELY not overkill, Jane! I’ve already scooped up more than I should, budget friendly or not! Thanks so much for the sweet words – so glad you love them! And I adore your blog!
All of these sweaters are so cute. Even better, they all look super comfortable! Thanks for the good ideas!
SO comfy! Love that you love them. Thanks for stopping by and stay cozy 🙂
Love this post! I’m definitely picky about my sweaters, they MUST be soft. If they are not like wearing a giant cozy burrito, is it even worth buying? My answer is no! Thanks for the shopping inspiration!
Hahaha YES, Lauren! I’m so glad I’ve found a fellow sweater-burrito lover out there in the world! A girl after my own heart. Thanks for stopping by and for the good laugh today. I love your blog, BTW!
I love how these are not your typical fall colors, but still look so perfect for this time of year! Also, I’m dying over the pants!
Thank you so much, Kayla! I’m so glad you love them! The pants were such an awesome find, too! A pair of faux leather pants is always a must for me during the fall and winter seasons. They’re so fun! Thanks for dropping a comment and saying hi!
I live in Texas so during fall and winter I LIVE ain sweaters so these are great recommendations!
Yay! So glad to have a fellow sweater lover here! Sweater weather is just the best. I miss living in them throughout fall and winter, but Phoenix just doesn’t give me the kind of cold and cozy weather I’m looking for 🙂 Thanks for stopping by!
I love that super oversized chunky sweaters are in right now. There’s literally nothing worse than seeing a cute sweater on the rack and then finding out it’s a crop top (I live in the midwest – crop top sweaters are not going to cut it) so seeing all of these cozy ones is perfect!
A- simplylovely90.com
Totally agree! The too-cropped sweater is a tough look for me to pull off. I love just love a good chunky sweater – they’re so cozy and I’d much rather wear something oversized in the winter weather to snuggle up in. So glad you popped by! Love your blog!
Love the seafoam J Crew sweater!
Me too, Julie! Such a fun color for a long cardigan. And it’s super soft, which I love!
I’m so happy it is finally cool enough for sweaters down here in the south. I’d much rather layer up than suffer through the heat of the summer.
Ditto to that, Heather! It’s finally cooling off here in Phoenix, too and it’s such a nice change. I love cool weather so it’s kind of hilarious that we live in one of the hottest cities in the country! Thanks for stopping by!