This week’s foray through the discount stores found a curios wardrobe item that I hadn’t seen in such great abundance since 1986, the sweater dress. They were everywhere. They were available in mid thigh to knee length versions and in sleevless to long sleeved styles, with or without a turtleneck or cowlneck. Colors ranged from black to gray, to to shades of pinks and purples mostly. They come in empire waist styles as well as straight hug-your-body versions.
Now that I have described this season’s biggest fad, here is how you get one for less.
We got one for my daughter at Ross Stores for only $12.99 when they are being sold all over the internet for $25 to $79.00. When buying your sweater dress at discount stores be sure to inspect the items closely for irregularities and damage. If the problem is tiny ask for 10-20% off. If the problem is serious, put that item down and move to the next one.
Target.com also has a nice assortment of Mossimo sweater dresses for $8.74 to $12.48, regularly priced at $34.99 and up.
If you can knit, now is the time to make your own sweater dress. You might even want to consider making a few for your girlfriends, daughters and nieces for low cost Christmas gifts.
If knitting a sweater dress from scratch is too big a task to handle, consider making a sweater dress using old sweaters. Here’s an online tutorial you can use.
If getting or making a new sweater dress is not something you have the time or money to do this fall, you can dig out some old long cardigans and wear them sweater-dress style. Button them up, and wear them with skin tight leggings or skinny jeans.
Speaking of how to wear sweater dresses, the sparkleshelf blog makes some suggestions. They include:
Do: Use a belt
Do: Wear with boots
Don’t: wear with sandals
Don’t: wear a sweater over your sweater dress… It’s redundant!
Andrea Hermitt writes for parenting (specifically teens), the home blog, and also the frugal blog, and homeschooling at families.com.
Read: Frugalista Fashions: One dress, many styles
Frugalista Fashions: Making your old boots look new
Frugalista Fashions: Free Finds From His Closet