Sweatshirts

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.

Kenzo Tiger Sweatshirt, Zara Tiger Sweatshirt

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)

Isabel Marant Noah Sweatshirt, Isabel Marant Noah Sweatshirt

For the classy chicks amongst us, you can still rock sweatshirts like these two below.

Allsaints Yosa Sweat, Whistles Adele Top

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.

   Zoe Karssen Madame Sweatshirt, Zoe Karssen Boy Scouts Sweatshirt

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?

H&M Grey Marl Sweatshirt, John Lewis Kin Grey Sweatshirt

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?