There was a period in my mid twenties when I worked for Ralph Lauren. Part of my job included production for Men's Purple Label Sweaters - the highest end produced by the company. We'd receive the prototypes and then they'd get thrown into boxes under the desks and completely forgotten about. I finally asked "am I allowed to take these?" and someone looked at me as if I'd just taken a pen out of of the garbage "yeah, sure whatever."
We're talking retail value $5000 finest gauge Italian cashemere.
Whatever.
All oversized and now, holes in the sleeves and body and you better believe, I still rock them on the reg. I ADORE them. Slightly coming undone at the cuff and hem and no, unlike Weezer's The Sweater Song, no one can destroy my sweh-tah!
This drop has been in the making for over a year whether I realized it or not. I've had the fabric that long, staring at it, begging it to tell me what it wanted to be. Funny thing, the silver dress fabric - it's sweatshirt fabric. French loop to be exact. The silver overlay is done on the wrong side (the loop side) which, if you follow me on insta, you'll learn all about tomorrow in another fabulous segment of UP CLOSE and TEXTURAL!
Here's the thing - the overlay in it's unwashed state is a lot like a super thin leather. It will only move in so many ways. And everything I made just didn't. want. to. move.
(Cue Pharrell singing "She wants to mooooove!)
I finally realized I needed to wash it. My dear friend mid convo said "I really feel like you just have to wash it."
And
She moved.
And the best part - she's only going to get softer and more worn in with each wash.
Oh wait - there's more.
You can wash the coat too.
GASP!
YES! I know.
If you've been here long enough, you know I test all of my fabrics to see how they'll react in the wash because NOBODY wants surprises from their new favorite pieces. And when things work in the wash, it gives me a wave of delight as I know it's going to make loving that piece so much easier.
So here's to comfort. Here's to shining bright. Here's to wearing our new favorite pieces every day until it turns 2023 and then some.
Cheers!
Lu
