Spearmint & Polka-Dots (And An Easy Way To Pair Button Downs With Sweaters)

January 9, 2012

My favorite item from the J.Crew sale this past weekend is definitely this Honeycomb Cable Sweater in Heather Spearmint. Right away, I was daydreaming about pairing the crisp, minty-blue with my other new favorite find, this H&M navy polka-dot button down (post coming soon). I really wanted to wear a different color pant with this (too much navy on navy I think) but nothing else looked right…note to self: find grey jeggings.

I won’t go into too much fit detail about this sweater since Jean already did such a great job, but I will say the sleeves fit really slim (had to tug a bit to get them on) and the torso fits a little loose, typical of J.crew sweaters. I don’t mind the relaxed fit since I’ll be layering under these.

I’m loving button-downs with sweaters, but couldn’t for the life of me figure out how to layer them without fumbling over twisted sleeves and endlessly tugging to straighten everything out. After asking for tips on Twitter, I learned a very helpful trick (many thanks go out to PetiteAsianGirl, oohtana, and Saimaeve!)

Instead of putting on the button down, and then pulling on the sweater, put the shirt inside the sweater, all nice and straight, and then pull both on over your head. I kept one button buttoned while I pulled both other my head (to keep the shirt in place), and then unbuttoned it before pulling on the sleeves. Then just reach under the sweater and button up. The sleeves and collar were perfectly in place without any twisting, tugging or adjusting. Genius!

Outfit Details: J.Crew Honeycomb Sweater, size xxs :: H&M button-down, size 2 :: Paige jeans, size 23 (hemmed) :: Cole Haan Shoes, size 5 :: J.Crew “Edie” handbag :: J.Crew necklace :: Timex watch :: Pearl bracelets (similar) :: Daisy Knights ring

Readers: Any other genius ways to layer a button down under a sweater?

Tagged as: H&M, J.Crew Petite, Petite Sweaters

http://www.extrapetite.com/ PetiteAsianGirl

I’ve been waiting to see this pretty combo together! I love the tiny dots with the chunkier honeycomb knit. If you can’t find gray bottoms, would you ever wear winter white jeggings? I think it’d add a pretty fresh angle to this outfit, but I know white jeans in cold weather are not for everyone. Thanks again for the timely sale alert on these!
- http://www.alterationsneeded.com/ Alterations Needed
  
  You read my mind yet again! Yes, white is another option that I thought would look great (probably because of Khatu’s wonderful white pants that are now forever stuck in my mind). I just hate how hard a good, non-see-through pair are to find! I saw the Rockstars come in white…do you think they’d be really thin & see-through?
  - Jen (@CasualChicMom)
    
    I second the white jeans with this outfit, but I’m liking the navy+navy plus pop of mint. Maybe also a lighter denim wash would work? I tried on the white ON Rockstar jeggings and they were semi see-through on me (visible pockets). It may be because I have thicker thighs and they’re more snug on me.
    
    Maybe you or Jean can make a tutorial video on how to put on the button down or sweater. I imagined it the way you described it but it helps to have a visual. :)
Anonymous

I second what Jean said. I have been waiting to see this post. Such a pretty combo and refreshing too. This is definitely my favorite outfit.
http://www.thegirlieblog.com/ Girlie Blogger

This outfit is minty and fresh.
http://www.thegirlieblog.com
http://petalbypetal11.blogspot.com Carrie

Great tip on putting on the shirt and sweater smoothly. The necklace is perfect with that outfit as well. :) Hoping the cooler weather sticks around here for a little longer so I can try out that tip … :)
eann

I got the same sweater as a Christmas gift, but I’ve found that it sheds like crazy! White fuzz all over the inside of my coat, the outside of the cami I wore underneath, my purse, the boyfriends coat. Nightmare! Did I get a faulty sweater or does yours shed on everything too?
- http://www.alterationsneeded.com/ Alterations Needed
  
  Wow! Your sweater shed everywhere! My navy button-down is fuzzy, and will need to be de-fuzzed, but that was the extent of the damage. Have you tried washing it yet? Maybe a quick tumble in the dryer will help (I haven’t washed mine yet, so I’m not certain it will help)? Although be care of shrinkage if it fits you the way you like.
alice

I really like how you wear your watch and pearl bracelet together. Looks great!
- http://www.alterationsneeded.com/ Alterations Needed
  
  Thank you! They’re getting a lot of wear these days. =)
http://thealmostfoodie.blogspot.com/ jeni

oooh, thanks for the tip! and as long as I’m reading the comments, I’d love to find a part of white jeans/leggings too. (although I’m still a college student, so I suppose I could put white shorts to good use too.)
PF

thanks for the tip! I thought the trouble was me.
http://marinaminimalist.blogspot.com/ Rebecca

I love the button down. Can’t wait for the post on it.
http://helenslookbook.blogspot.com/ Helen’s lookbook

The sweater really goes well with the polka dots shirt! Jane from extrapetite also wore a similar sweater that I love. I didn’t scored any sweater at Jcrew recently. But I do found a jacket from Ann Taylor that fits me very well. Thanks for the tips about hunting blazers and jackets again!
Olga

i’ve been inspired by how you match different tops with your jeans…it makes me more beautiful! thanks a lot!=-)
Anonymous

Oh hahaha! This is what you guys were tweeting about LOL!! Good tip :P
http://easypetitelooks.blogspot.com/ Amber

love this outfit! i was just checking out that sweater but it just didnt fit me right! oh well, im allergic to angora anyways, so its probably a good thing! i actually always put on sweaters like that. its because im too lazy to take them apart after the first wear.
http://twitter.com/RLLater R.L.

Love the navy polka dots with the mint!! I don’t think it’s too much navy on navy, but maybe you could try black pants or the Loft wool pants.

Also, I saw your instagram and noticed that you have 4 of these sweaters? Lol, that good? I got the pine bough today, and now I’m thinking of getting the warm ivory and bright dahlia too. This is the first cable sweater that fits me well and I figure cable sweaters are winter staples, right?
- http://www.alterationsneeded.com/ Alterations Needed
  
  Good idea about the LOFT wool pants. I thought about black, but the navy shirt is so dark, that it almost looks black in certain light. Don’t want to look like I got dressed in the dark. =)
  
  I bought 3 of the sweaters…I had to have the spearmint, and I was needing some solid crew neck sweaters so I picked up the white and grey as well. Cable sweaters in those colors never really go out of style. Hehe. I love the bright dahlia as well and am kinda wishing I had picked that one up too. Oh well. =P
http://thepetitefittingroom.blogspot.com Michelle

Great idea from your Twitter comments!

Love the necklace you paired with the top
http://littlepiecefnb.blogspot.com Karen

I love the color of that sweater! It will be good for spring time too. Thanks for the great tip!
Iris

I might be a weirdo but that method sounds like wayyy more work than
what I actually do all the time when layering long-sleeved tops under
sweaters (both pullovers and cardigans). And mine is so simple and quick
I feel like I misunderstood the question?

So, at the risk of sounding silly, I literally just: put the long-sleeve
or button-down on. Then tug my right sleeve down a bit so that I can
grip the sleeve’s edge with my right hand’s fingers (feels slightly
awkward depending how long/stretchy the sleeve is). Hold taut with
fingers and put through right sleeve of sweater, even so that a bit of
the INNER sleeve peeks through under the edge (could make for easier
adjusting later). Repeat with left sleeve. Then pull the rest of the
sweater over your head and tweak to taste (cuff/pull out collar/fluff sweater/etc). There shouldn’t be
bunching if you’ve held the sleeves taut enough so that the sweater
slides over them easily, and for me this generally means the torso area
ends up pretty much in place too. This takes me mayyybe ten seconds. I
tend to get dressed in a hurry and I totally would not have time to put
the button-up in the sweater first, etc. Hahaha. I don’t always need the
sleeves to peek through first either if I know I want them hidden (so I
just align the edges), and sometimes if the sleeves are stretchy I grip
both at the same time and it’s even faster :P In, in and over; fluff.
Efficiency FTW!

Anyway, is this even what you were referring to? Did I totally miss the
mark? Did I elaborate on something totally useless? Did I even elaborate
it well enough for it be useless? Does this only work for me and nobody
else in the whole world? LOL

On perhaps a more relevant note, I would also love this outfit with gray or white jeans! The mint with navy and polka dots is so delicious.
- http://www.alterationsneeded.com/ Alterations Needed
  
  Hi Iris! You’re right on mark. That is the exact move I just couldn’t ever get right! I’m still confounded that so many ladies can do that without tugging and pulling endlessly on sleeves and collars. My shirt sleeves would be straight from holding them tight, but my sweater sleeve would be all twisted, especially at the shoulder. That would cause the sweater torso to be out of line, and my shirt collar would always end up too far back. I would fuss with straightening things out for way too long. It’s much more time saving for me to now put the shirt inside the sweater first, and then pull them both on together. Weird right? =)
http://seamstress-stories.blogspot.com/ poet

I have a sweater that looks almost like this one! (here: http://seamstress-stories.blogspot.com/2011/09/mermaids-made-me-do-it.html) I haven’t worn it with dark blue or denim but I must do so as soon as it’s out of the laundry! I do the pulling-down-the-sleeves-while-putting-on-the-sweater move, too, but I don’t wear button-down shirts very often anyway…
http://meganmaedaily.com/ Megan Gann

I wear sleeveless buttondowns under sweaters. They do double duty as tops in summer, but that way I eliminate both overheating (living in the US South) and twisty sleeves. Love your color combo.