Sweatshirts

Tuesday 12 February 2013


I quite like sweatshirts. I like jumpers more but every now and then I break out and put on a sweatshirt. Anyway, I have a few sweatshirts. I don't need any more but it doesn't hurt to look. Sometimes, things catch your eye for no reason. Amongst my late night web shopping trips, these are the ones which floated my boat.

At the higher price end, we have the Kenzo Tiger Sweatshirt. I feel like if I were to put this on, I would want to beat my chest and shout "hear me ROAR". I don't know what the beating of the chest has to do with it but I feel it is a very empowering sweatshirt. It's been out for a while now but it's still eye catching. Last year it was all about the owls. This year, it's all about the tigers. Grrrr. You have to run as fast as one if you want to catch one of these. The initial batches came and went and there are waiting lists aplenty.



But if you can't catch one of those, catch the Zara version. It's a little more subdued but from what I've glanced in the shop - it's well made and the embroidery was precise and good. Go on - put a tiger on your chest!

Love these ones from Ms Marant. They're adorable and a little retro - which one would you go for? I think I'm liking the red print one but I hear it's quite short in the body. Maybe I'll have to pass for that reason and not because it's £200 ;o)



For the classy chicks amongst us, you can still rock sweatshirts like these two below.
These two lovelies are from Allsaints and Whistles. Very wearable and not in your face. The Allsaints one is possibly one of the best takes on leopard as a neutral that I've seen and the black Whistles one is just on the right side of interesting. Not exciting enough for you? Try both of these with leather skinny pants - that will make them a whole lot more interesting. Admittedly not something I will be donning but there are a few of us out there who could probably wear them and carry them off effortlessly - probably those with skinny legs up to their pits!

Appealing to my fun loving side, I'm rather smitten with the Zoe Karssen ones this season. I rather like her designs and tried on her bat one last year which is probably her most recognisable. I didn't buy and  though I liked it, the fit was just a little off that time. However my two current favourites of hers this season are the following.

Gosh - seriously torn. Pink or blue? Pink or blue? Now am I bit of a Madame or a Boy Scout at heart? The kids swear I'm a bit of a Madame. These are lovely ... err I tried one on ... for fun in Harvey Nicks after all it doesn't cost to try, it only costs to buy. They had the Madame one in grey marl. Size small. Soft fleecy snuggly inside. Perfect fit. Lovely. Try - don't buy! Keep repeating, try - don't buy! For once, I didn't want the grey but if they'd had the pink, who knows what might have happened! Admittedly, I'm a little old for writing adorning my chest area but sometimes, I don't care. If I dressed in a manner aligned with my age all the time, you would be thinking that Sue is a bit past it. Sometimes, you have to dress a little bit young, a little bit fun, to feel a little bit young and a little bit fun. Just roll with it.

For the true sweatshirt aficionado out there who lives and swears by a plain sweatshirt with the v embroidered neckline, how about this pale grey one from H&M? Or the slightly more styled one by Kin by John Lewis?


The H&M one costs £3.99. Yes seriously. It normally retails at £12.99 but if it's your first purchase of one of these online - you can have it for £3.99. Subsequent ones will be £12.99. This is a great light sweatshirt for the summer, for chilling out in or for mucking about with the kids. That's not to say it's a bad sweatshirt because it's cheap - it's just at that price, you can afford to be a little bit less precious with it. The Kin by John Lewis sweatshirt is interesting as it's not styled like a typical sweatshirt and is a sweat top. I've included it as not everyone likes the sweatshirt shape and this is just a little different and is a brand from John Lewis which I've not come across before. It's £35 and priced okay in my eyes. Okay because the Kin brand has a bit of a nod to Toast about it and Toast is not that cheap. Take a look  -  quite simple styling - minimal prints, clean colours. You might like it and no I'm not on commission.

I've got the H&M cheap and cheerful in the blue marl. I needed a break from grey. I've done too much grey this winter and even though blue is hardly pushing the boundaries, I liked the fact that this was a blue marl which doesn't show cat hairs, dust and fluff like a true navy would.


This is a size small modelled by yours truly - I'm usually a size 10 but online you will need to order a size 10-12 which equates with a small. I like this plain little sweatshirt for all the reasons I mentioned, price, fit and practicality. Seriously, it's a good little sweatshirt - nice spring/summer weight, mine is a very soft cotton and with a loopback inner (not fleece lined). Infact, I like it so much , I'd like another one in either the grey (well its a classic isn't it?) or one of the pinks (my inner pretty rears it's pretty head again).

I know I'm very boring in my blue plain sweatshirt but it works for my wardrobe and for my lifestyle. Besides, you can always play around with a plain sweatshirt to make it more interesting ......

Wear with Converse for chasing small people.

Or swap out the Converse for the Krimble sandals and add a scarf.

Old Primark scarf and old Maison Scotch chinos 

Bang on a hat. Primark's finest.

And suddenly it becomes a whole lot more interesting.
Could swap the sandals for brogues too.
If I could find a suitable pair without leg stunting properties.


And you can't argue with a price of £3.99. Or £12.99 for that matter.

Well that's my little roundup of sweatshirts - I'd be happy to parade round in any of the above if any of them wanted to come and live in my wardrobe. Did any float your boat or have you got your eye on any others which I should take a look at?

Or are you sticking with a jumper or fleece?




48 comments

  1. Hi there! Oh if money were no object I would love a Kenzo one, but I am settling for a grey marl one from Uniqlo. I will definitely keep my eyes open for motif vintage ones on my thrifting trips too xx

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    1. I had a quick look on Uniqlo and didn't spot any there on my travels. The Kenzo one is a stunner especially in the blue as seen on Mandi from Find me a Muse http://www.findmeamuse.com/2013/01/urban-jungle.html. Love how she's paired it for a different take.

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  2. Not in a million years did I think I'd read a post where you wished for a pink sweatshirt with the word Madame written across the chest! Hello?? Who are you and what have you done with Sue, lol?!!
    I'm not really a sweatshirt kinda gal, unless I'm slobbing around at home in trackie bottoms. Although I do like the H&M one and I particularly like it with the hat. You do 'good hat' lady!

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    1. Yeah - well I'm getting a bit girly and soft in my old age - these things happen. Don't keel over in shock if I turn up in pink one of these days especially one with Madame emblazoned across the front. And I was actually after a good navy linen top to team with the chinos but the sweatshirt seemed to work so voila!

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  3. It's not that I have anything against sweatshirts as a garment, it's just I still have bad memories of the 80's when people wore them so badly and with shoulder pads! I am a jumper person but really love the grey H&M version of the one you're wearing! It doesn't have too wide a band at the bottom and best of all it's just slouchy enough - I really don't like it when they hug into your hips or wrists.
    Love the hat and scarf styling too!

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    1. You should try the H&M one - it's not too slouchy and quite a comfortable fit. Just the right amount of looseness without overdoing it. I do love my jumpers but I couldn't resist the call of a £3.99 sweatshirt in this instance.

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  4. I've tried the H&M one on, it looks surprisingly nice! I bought a really oversized plain gray sweatshirt from another store in November, thinking I would be able to pull it off without looking like a slob. Didn't work on me at all, and the poor sweater is now reserved for lazy Sundays and dog walking. They definitely need to be a tighter fit on me :)

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    1. It's okay isn't it this little H&M sweatshirt? I can't actually believe how comfortable it feels on - like it's already been worn in rather than a stiff scratchy cotton. I've tried big slouchy but they just make me look scruffy. I love the old off the shoulder (Flashdance) sweatshirt look but hugely impractical and very annoying - I would spend all day hitching it back up. But this one is quite a good compromise in that it skims all the lumpy bits. Did you get the H&M one or are you going back for one?

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    2. I didn't buy it, but it is definitely then one I'll go for if I ever were to get one!

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  5. Ooooh I bought the grey marl one a couple of weeks ago for £3.99 with the necklace on the model too........looks cute for a relaxed look, fab value too. I need that scarf too!

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    1. Strange that I can't find it in the actual H&M stores and only online as I'd like to check out the light and dark pink ones (I've got pink on the brain). The scarf is on old Primark one and expensive at £5 a few years back - it had little silver dangly coins on - which I cut off because I'm funny like that. I like to think of it as being my slightly hippy traveller scarf.

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  6. I am a huge sweatshirt fan, and have even totally splurged on a basic grey one

    http://bit.ly/VSjXo1

    (I'm actually wearing it right now though, and for the amount of joy it brings me I think it was worth it - you know my feelings on this issue I think). And now that I have my splurgy luxury sweatshirt, I think maybe a $5 one is the next logical step! Seriously, that H&M sweatshirt looks super promising! The only thing I wonder about is the softness level. can't possibly feel like it was mae out of clouds for that price point, right? But as long as it's not stiff I think I could get behind it. Going to have to go check it out this week, thanks for the tip! And I actually love the dull blue color you've chosen, may have to get the same one.

    Ps- also really like the Zara tiger sweatshirt. My only beef with pieces like that is that they become so instantly recognizable, but it might be worth it just to have that fierce beast emblazoned on your chest...

    www.nomadicd.com

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    1. ps - just ran into these at topshop

      http://eu.topshop.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?beginIndex=1&viewAllFlag=&catalogId=34058&storeId=13058&productId=8872652&langId=-1&sort_field=Relevance&categoryId=339110&parent_categoryId=339500&pageSize=200&refinements=category~[339231|339110]&noOfRefinements=1

      Really like the curved hem, couldn't resist sharing the find.

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    2. Love the R13 sweatshirt. And I would pay good money if I had good money to spend on it too. Sometimes you just have to because it's just perfect in every way - it's okay - I get it :o) Try the H&M one so you don't wear out the R13 one - that's what I tend to do - I have cheap and cheerfuls for mucking around in and save the really good stuff which I know I shouldn't but I would weep if small people were to kill my good stuff. The H&M one is pretty soft actually or I wouldn't recommend it. Some have no give in the cotton but this one does - try it - for £3.99 - you've got to! I know what you mean about the Zara Tiger one - it is quite recognisable but if you're going round with a tiger on your chest - it might as well be this rather good one.

      Like the Topshop one too - strangely drawn to the pure white one which is totally impractical. Guess that's why we have bleach :o) Good price on those too.

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  7. Seen this offer but forgot about it even though I'm after a sweatshirt, so thanks for reminding me Sue. I love you in the chinos and converse very cool, I cannot wait to the weather warms up a bit as I'll be rocking this look a lot!!

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    1. I always feel a bit like I need to try harder when I turn up in a top and bottoms and a pair of Converse - like I didn't put in much effort but I'm afraid that's really what I like which is why I don't accessorise very much. Are you going for one of the sweatshirts then? What colour?

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  8. I'm still crying over not getting the M&S sequin one at the end of last summer. Really should check ebay and might get the H&M one x

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    1. Check out Next on Ebay at the same time as they had a very similar one before the M&S one came out. I know because I bought it before I eventually returned it as the fit wasn't quite right on me. You like your sequins don't you?

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  9. I love these especially the Kenzo and you look amazing as usual, have a very similar grey number from TKMaxx. Sorry I have been so AWOL lately, have finally pulled myself together and updated my blog. Will email you this evening just wanted to say hi.

    Lucy (suburbanstyle)
    xxxxx

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    1. Aaah lovely to see you back Lucy. Should have known you'd go for the Kenzo (the edgy one). Hope you've had a nice break and been looking after yourself. Looking forward to catching up with you and seeing what you've been up to.

      Sue xx

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  10. I'm not a huge sweatshirt person, I think I was when I was younger but I seem to gravitate more towards jumpers and jerseys now as I tend to buy things on the premise of wearing it in weekends and for work. I do quite like the Isabel Marant ones though, they are so cute!

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    1. I'm not a huge sweatshirt fan - I think I would be if I had more of them which were really comfortable. Infact this little H&M one is the comfiest and softest out of them all. I have an off white one which is so not practical around children so I don't wear as much I would like. Why oh why did I buy it? The Isabel Marant ones are cute though aren't they? At £200 a pop, the boys would need a bath before they came anywhere near me ;o)

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  11. Oh I love a good funky sweatshirt! Fab blog! Hollie

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    1. Hi Hollie - thank you for stopping past and your comment. Chuffed :o)

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  12. Looking very cute Mrs! I adore the AllSaints one and was actually thinking about getting the sleeveless version. Zara have a really nice blue washed one too and it comes in pink too - they're on my list for spring:)

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    1. Ooh - I've seen the blue and pink ones in Zara - I was showing them to Ben(???) when I dragged him off shopping with me the other week. Nice bright ones.

      Not seen the Allsaints one but at this point - can you get sleeveless sweatshirts? And how big is your suitcase that you are bringing to the UK?

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    2. LOL - I think it needs to be bigger:) It's more like a tank - but the same fabric - slouchy and gorgeous with denim shorts in the summer...I am going to get the blue Zara one for sure:)

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  13. WOW! £3.99?! That's very cheap. I'm tempted. Seriously tempted but should really rein it in considering that I've gone into the Zara website (thanks to Joanna) and bought a few things.

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    1. LOL - it's not all my fault!!

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    2. You can't afford £4? A price of a coffee ;o) And you've only just gone on the Zara site? Where have you been?

      Joanna - we need someone to point a finger at and it might as well be you ;o)

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  14. Great picks!
    www.rsrue.blogspot.com

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  15. wow £3.99 for a sweat, where have I been, I missed this? You look very chic, love with the converse x

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    1. I'm loving with the Converse for all manner of things at the moment. Get yourself on the website and get yourself a sweatshirt for £3.99. Honestly - it is really really soft.

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  16. Have just come across your blog and love your style. Have ordered the H&M sweatshirt in the blue/grey too, have high hopes for it :) Not going to break the bank if it doesn't work for me though! It really does annoy me that i have to order a size 14-16 when i want a size medium!

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    1. Hi Joanne and thank you! I'm glad to hear you've gone for the sweatshirts - like you say, if nothing else, you haven't lost out too much and they are perfect for knocking around in. Not eye-catchingly exciting but so useful all the same and sometimes some clothes are just that way. And the sizing is strange - what you order is different to what it says on the label when it arrives. It's the reason why I mentioned it as it had previously put me off from ordering as I wasn't sure what size to order. Let me know how you get on.

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  17. Ooooh Sue, I had my eye on that H&M one for £3.99 in the catalogue they sent me - you definitely recommend? I was thinking grey purely as I don't have tons of grey and love it! Bought a grey tee from there last week-end and thought of you & your grey tee post!!!x

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    1. I ordered a grey tee to check it out along with the sweatshirt. Jury's out still. I think the perfect cheap one is in Uniqlo but I can't be sure. Which grey tee did you get and is it good?

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    2. £6.99 100% viscose with a little pocket, lower at the back than the front. Tad see through so have to wear a cami under it but I liked the way it fell on me. x

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  18. I;m beginning to catch on the trend on those printed sweatshirts too (I'm a laggard. LOL). I guess I can't carry off fierce looking ones like those Tiger ones though. I don't have that kind of attitude to carry them off. :D

    Love your pairing of the sweatshirt with chinos.

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    1. How can you say you can't carry off the tiger sweatshirts - I've just seen your Chinese New Year post and you are wearing some awesome tees which I really didn't think you would go for but there you are and looking great in them.

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  19. You are so right about the tigers! I just now went and bought a very basic Beyond Yoga marled grey sweatshirt that I'm sure will be worn with everything I own. I'm also watching the boatneck marled one at Boden, but the pink is out in my size, so I continue to stalk for one to be returned. What did I ever do before Internet prowling?

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    1. I don't know how we managed without Internet prowling. I used to have a big stack of magazines which I would peruse endlessly looking at the fashion pages but now we have the internet and the fact that we can buy what we see is just fabulous .... and dangerous.

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  20. Still searching for that perfect pink sweatshirt that doesn't break my bank! Love this blog Susie x

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    1. Zara have a washed bright pink sweat for £19.99. The H&M sweat at £3.99 also comes in a pale pink and a sharp pink. I'm weaning myself off the pink - I think it was a glitch in my brain.

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  21. 3.99, what!? omg h&m is still not available here yet and i didn't get a chance to properly raid the store in KL. sigh. definitely loving the sweatshirt thing being such a lazy dresser + love the grey marl (have something remarkably similar from zara). the navy + your polka dot chinos are a great match!

    steph / absolutely-fuzzy.com

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    1. You don't have H&M? Do they post to you? Because I saw a dress on a girl the other day which I thought might be up your street. http://www.hm.com/gb/product/08249?article=08249-A

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  22. Our company manufacturers best quality sweatshirts in pakiskan.We also deal in many accessories so come contact us.

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Susie So So