Sweater: Kate Spade | Pants: Theory | Shoes: Madewell | Earrings: Kendra Scott | Ring: Elizabeth and James

So, I ended up getting that Kate Spade sweater I highlighted on Cyber Monday and it. is. fabulous. And it reminds me that there’s an amendment to Commandment #4, which is to take reviews with a grain of salt. EVERY SINGLE REVIEW of this sweater complained about it being itchy, but at some point it occurred to me to compare the material contents to the reviews. It’s 90% wool and 10% cashmere, and suddenly I realized why everyone thought it should be softer. Just because it says “cashmere” doesn’t mean there’s a ton of it in there! Pay attention as much to the percentages as you do the materials. This sweater feels just as soft as any other merino wool sweater I’ve owned – that is to say, perfectly fine.

The gorgeous knot at the neck does a lot of accessorizing on its own, so I chose not to do too much else with this outfit. Go-to gray Theory pants, haircalf leopard-print shoes, and jewelry that balances delicate and substantial all at once.

Also, re: the strange face I’m making in this photo – some kind of combination of (a) it being Monday, (b) singing my insides out yesterday at my choir‘s Christmas concert, and (c) waking up with grimace-inducing pain in my left shoulder. That face is basically all I could muster.