“Sneak Peek # 3” is the A221793, cotton/ rayon sweater. It is aprox. 23 inches long for the XS size. The sleeves are aprox. 11 1/4 inches long. The sleeve hem and the bottom of the sweater is started with a fine rib. It is a true cardigan and totally unbuttons. Of course, it is a fully fashioned garment. The exciting feature of this sweater is a trompe l’oeil lace…..which means, in French, “trick of the eye”. It isn’t lace at all!….it’s emb. to look like lace. Why did I do emb. instead of using real lace? ….because I would never have been able to have lace appliques in the pattern and shape that I wanted to achieve the design I wanted…….so, I designed the pattern I wanted and had it emb. I think it came out sensational and is PURE DESIGNER! That’s what a designer garment is all about. From a distance it looks like real lace, and only when you get very close you realize it is emb….tromp l’oeil. Even up close someone may not even realize it isn’t lace. The colors are Black with sand color emb. which gives it an antique and vintage look…… Blush, which is a very peachy pink and does NOT match or blend with the perfectly pink!!!!It’s a new color and is very beautiful and very flattering…..again a vintage color. The last color is Aqua which is pale, soft and has more than a little mint in it….again, a new and fresh color. Both the Blush and Aqua have black “lace” emb., so they coordinate very easily with any black pieces you may own…i.e. black Boho etc. The new sand tank and pant looks perfect with the black sweater as does the black paisley skirt. I know the question will come up so I will answer it before it does…..no, the blush sweater does not look good with the paisley skirt. This sweater looks wonderful layered under jackets such as the black crepe [sneak peek #1], unbuttoned and layered with tanks for summer dressing, or buttoned up on it’s own. This is a year round piece….dressy or casual [black cotton capris in the spring/summer, black velvet in the winter]. About the colors….they are fragile, soft colors, and they are very sophisticated pastels that can be pumped up with black, black, black. For my non pastel ladies…….give one a try….you may be pleasantly surprised, and again, when the weather starts to heat up they will not only be cool to wear, they will look cool………………hope you enjoy sneak peek #3…………..much love, Louis
These are beautiful, Louis! I think I’ll go for the aqua-
Celia
What a fabulous sweater!
I’m going to have a big problem choosing one or two.
Thanks again for a unique design!
Dear Louis,
This sneak peak #3 cardigan is simply STUNNING! Although it incorporates a trend with the tromp l’oeil lace, I think it is such a classic piece, that I will love it for many years to come. The colors are lovely and feminine. Great job!
Sincerely,
Jennifer
Hi Louis,
These are so lovely; I want all three colors. I am one of those who is not usually a “pastel” person, but the added black embroidery and the sophisticated hues take these into another world. Do we understand correctly that the embellishment is embroidered on, and does it “give” with the sweater at “stretch” points? Lovely, just lovely!
Thanks,
Cathy in PA
Dear Cathy,
That is correct the lace motif is embroidered. Naturally the areas with the heaviest emb has little to no stretch but most of the sweater an the entire back hasn’t any emb so that isn’t a problem in any way.
Thanks for the quick answer! The way you so carefully placed the lace should also insure no issues 🙂
Cathy in PA
Good afternoon, Louis,
Will the aqua top be shown in another sneak peek? Also if you wanted to wear this sweater/cardigan on its own, should you go down one size for a more fitted look?
Enjoy the unseasonable warm weather!
Chris
Dear Chris,
My samples are xs in all the photographs. This is not a fitted sweater and does not come in at the waist so it is difficult to answer your question. The XS bust measurement, laying flat, is aprox. 17 1/2 inches. I don’t think this sweater is running on the large size but fit is very personal. I do not have the Aqua top in another sneak peek…….You should measure a sweater that you like the fit of and compare the two…….regards, Louis
Louis, I do love all the colors. I am a pastel girl, so keep ’em coming. I know you said the black coordinates with the black paisley skirt, but do the aqua and the blush coordinate with the black paisley skirt, too?
I have to say I’m a bit skeptical about the placement of the lace for full busted ladies. Maybe when you show the sweaters we can see one on Angela….or someone with a similar figure?
Thanks for the sneak peeks!
Dear Carol,
I would have initially said no….they do not work with the black paisley skirt, but when I tried them together…..I like it. It is certainly off beat and not everyone would get it but the black emb does pull it together and with additional black accessories it won’t be so obviously mis-matched. I certainly have seen stranger things combined in magazines…..after all….it’s all attitude. Fashion editors would put it together this way. I don’t know what to tell you about how the lace will look on full busted women, because everyone is so different, and the undergarments make a huge difference. We deliberately placed the emb to sculpt the waist in and to keep the top lace off the bust. I actually think it should enhance the bust. I can/t make any promises about what model wears what…..it depends where they fall in the lineup, but I will keep your request in mind…………..Louis
Dear Louis,
I love lace, but the way the lace was done also reminds me of one of my real loves – counted cross stitch embroidery.
I think you must have put a lot of thought into the placement of the lace – it brings attention to the face, and accents the waist at the same time.
Lovely. This was made for me.
Mary