The Whole Peacock

 
I love end-of-the-season sales. Have you ever noticed how things you’ve never seen before suddenly appear in the end-of-season sales?

 
 
I found this magnificent sweater at such a Nordstrom end-of-season sale a few years ago and I remember thinking, Where did you come from, you extraordinary thing?
 
The color of this sweater is hard to describe. Is it green? Not exactly. Is it blue? Well, there’s yellow in it. Teal? Turquoise? Emerald?
 
The color of a peacock's tail
An indescribable color

Peacock, clearly desperate for attention
Peacock, clearly expecting (and deserving) admiration; cue the APPLAUSE
 
 
I’ve got it!
 
It’s the color of a peacock. Not peacock blue. The whole peacock. It’s the coloring of a peacock.

 
 
Are you seeing it?
 
Perhaps it would help if the peacock folded up his tail and moved away from the shrubs?
Thank you, Mr. P
Thank you, Mr. P; APPLAUSE

Or we could compare, side-by-side. Who Wore It Better?
 
I think you may want to come closer
The Directrice? POLITE APPLAUSE
 
 
bird
or The Bird? WILD APPLAUSE

 
 
Come a little closer and see how many colors (plies) are working together in this this knit.
See
Marling in harmony

 
To state the obvious, this sweater is cropped and features an enormous portrait collar. The collar is almost as large as the body of the sweater. The ultimate effect is one of a shrug or wrap.
 
Clearly I cannot resist playing with this giant, cozy collar.
Cover face
It’s a sweater that converts to a balaclava for an impromptu crime spree

skinny
Option B
 
 
I like this sweater best with wide-legged pants (as seen above), but thought I would also show it with skinnier pants. It works with both types of proportions.
 
And now for the lesson!
 
The formula for this outfit is one I’ve shared before and it is no-fail: a blouse/jersey/sweater and matching pants worn under a jacket/sweater of another color (preferably a distinctive or bright color). The alternative formula is: a sweater/jacket worn over a blouse/sweater of the same color (or a shade thereof) with a pair of grey, black, or taupe pants.

Sweater: Nanette Lepore; Charcoal shell: Brooks Brothers; Charcoal pants: Eileen Fisher; Grey shell: JCrew; Grey Pants: JCrew Campbell cropped pants; Shoes: French Sole New York

7 thoughts on “The Whole Peacock”

  1. The sweater colour is gorgeous! It looks so good over both black and grey pants. I was wondering though, how does it work under a coat. Do you need a looser fit topper over it?

    Reply
    • I do, Diane! I have one winter coat that is a size larger than I normally wear and cut very loose; it’s roomy enough to wear over a suit, a bulky sweater, and even a wool wrap. When I bought it, I hadn’t figured out how useful it could be; I just wanted a roomy coat and bought it even though it was probably too big. I have a fitted coat to wear with dresses and regular sweaters.

      Reply
  2. As I scrolled down the page, I was wondering how the sweater might look with gray. And there is was! So clever of our Directrice to provide several support acts. And, I do believe I prefer gray.

    Reply

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