A client who recently lost a lot of weight asked me how she should restock her sweaters. I came up with five must-have sweaters for fall, and I thought I would share them with you. If you like a specific sweaters, click on it, and you’ll be directed to a website where you can get info and shop.

1. The cardigan. It’s not just for Muffy anymore. I like to make cardigans a bit less conservative by wearing them with a shirt or tank showing underneath or with a funky belt. I’ll also pile on the chunky jewelry. No pearls please! I would mix the sky blue cardigan below with a chunky choker, dark indigo jeans and sky-high boots to toughen it up a bit.

2. The grandpa cardigan. These oversized cardigans are so comfortable to wear on the weekends and can be very chic if accessorized correctly. I wear mine open with a tank or T-shirt underneath, a long scarf looped around my neck, and I’ll add a long pendant because I can’t ever go without jewelry. I finish it off with a pair of skinny jeans and booties. Grandpa is gone, and all that’s left is a cute and casual look. Sometimes I’ll wear it closed with a low-slung belt to change things up. Then I add my chunky necklaces (a scarf would create too much going on in the waist/hip area), and I’m good to go.

 

3. The sophisticated sweater. If I’m going to a meeting, I’ll usually opt for a more upscale sweater and balance it out with trouser jeans or black jeans. (I’ll wear jeans so I don’t look like I’m trying too hard. The secret to style is to make it look effortless.) Cashmere is always a great option because it’s warm yet thin. And the right pattern or extra details can crank up the style volume.

4. The V-neck sweater. These are very flattering on most women. If the V is too low, wear a tank underneath. I stock up on colorful Old Navy tanks here for about $7.50 each, and layer them so they show at the bottom of the sweater. Not only does it smooth the button/snap from your pants and your tummy a bit (especially if you get a tank with spandex), but it looks very cute. It’s great to have a couple V-neck sweaters: some oversized to wear with jeggings and some more fitted to wear with bootleg jeans, trouser jeans or trousers.

5. The chunky sweater. Last but not least comes my favorite. There’s nothing like throwing on a warm, chunky sweater on a cold winter day. If it’s a turtleneck, I’m in heaven. I wear mine when we go apple picking, skiing, for a casual brunch and even with (cute) sweatpants around the house to stay warm.

If you have any questions about how to wear your sweaters, let me know!

Illysia Neumann-Loreck