Years ago I worked at a clothing store with a distinctive style that I adopted thoroughly as my personal style, and I continued to shop there exclusively for nearly a decade. I also during this time adopted navy as my signature color. I kept repeating that navy was a neutral while black was a statement. I repeated this to myself, since no one ever asked me why I wore so much navy. (I guess it’s a good thing I was not in fact trying to make a statement.) I have recently abandoned navy entirely, however, in favor of black. Black shoes, black jacket, black jeans, black nails. This shift seems to have occurred at about the same time I started working from home, so if I am in fact making a statement with my clothes, I am still the only one around to listen. But I digress. I meant to tell you about my favorite navy cardigan.
I bought my cashmere navy cardigan when I still worked at the clothing store, which is just about the only time I’ve ever bought cashmere. I was dismayed to find it full of holes the last time I inspected it (i.e., when I purged my closet of all navyness). It was pretty old, and given my recent abhorrence of navy, hadn’t been worn in some time. Nevertheless, I couldn’t bear to part with it and kept it in case I found a use for it.
One day an online luxury goods company sent me a marketing email featuring a cashmere travel pillow that cost roughly a mint. I wanted the pillow despite knowing how dumb that was–and then I knew.
Upon close inspection, I determined that the holes in my sweater were all up by the shoulder, leaving me the back and both sides to work with. I decided this was perfect, since I could use the buttons to close the pillow case.
Pick-pocket pup
Before
Long story short, I cut the top off, slapped a seam in the top and the bottom, and stitched a third right down the side of the left pocket just where it would fit the pillow form. And there you go. Cashmere travel pillow.
At first I didn’t really like the color or the buttons or the pocket. But then I realized I could put a nip in the pocket and decided that it fits the new me just fine. So now I’m flying the solo skies, content in the fact that my super luxurious cashmere travel speaks volumes about me, if only just to me. Like my statement-making black jacket and nails and understated jewelry (because statement necklaces went out with the neutral navy, natch).
Naps and nips
Fail It Yourself 