Outfit for a Monday: Fair Isle and Details

During this cruel and prolonged transition from winter into spring, in which one week features almost balmy temperatures with the nascent beginnings of floral buds and the next features an entire day of ice-rain sludge plummeting from a blackened sky, this multi-chromatic, thick wool Fair Isle-style cardigan is an ideal piece. I bought this cardigan on an immense online discount from Talbots, and I am very impressed with the quality of the fabric and the chic details. With a pattern that is both tightly woven and intricate, with deep olives and creams, burgundy, burnt oranges, magenta, and violets, it is reminiscent of a violent sunset and pairs well with nearly anything. Yesterday, I wore a simple cotton navy blue shift dress underneath, with plain deep navy tights, so that the sweater was my sole focal point. Foolishly, I wore only a simple wool blazer over this sweater to and from the office, believing that the weather had turned; I shivered leaving my office late last evening as I dashed to my car in the treacherous wet snow. Aside from this lack of preparedness, my cardigan kept me cozy in my cubicle.

From this perspective, this wide red bakelite bangle appears to be a freshly plucked tomato, a welcome but delusional hallucination for those anxious for the premiere of the spring and summer farmer's markets and their wealth of delicious, juicy local produce. Thick gazpacho and spaghetti sauce, prepared from scratch on a lazy Sunday evening after a stroll to my local market; I cannot wait.

A bit coincidentally, these champagne-tinted crystal chandelier earrings match the button detailing on my sweater. They are delicately cut, prisms that capture and refract light, playing and toying with the wavelengths; I wore my hair wrapped up high in a bun to showcase their sparkle.