Designer

CASUAL….CASUAL….CASUAL….that is a word that gets bantered about a lot, but casual means many different things to different people. It can mean a sweat shirt and sweat pants to some or a pair of trousers and a turtleneck to others. I think this new TUNIC SWEATER is some where in between. With all of the LEGGINGS I am doing….and selling…. there is a need for tops that you can wear with them…and your jeans of course. I call these my SATURDAY SWEATERS….you know what I mean……The sweater you pull out on Saturday morning…. this time of year when it starts to get chilly, and you need to start layering….It’s that kind of weather already here in New England, and I’m sure in other parts of the country. While it may be blistering hot in So Cal……Montana had SNOW!……..This is the sweater you throw on over a T shirt with your jeans or LINEA BODY LEGGINGS, A260034. This is the sweater you throw on over a TN when it gets even colder, and  in the evening….to see the newest movie you have been wanting to see. This is that comfy cozy sweater you just hang out in. The new STONE TUNIC SWEATER, A259108, above is that kind of sweater.

I wanted a casual looking YARN…..a HEATHER SHETLAND type yarn without the WOOL. I sent out the word to my sweater manufacturer to find me such a yarn, and they did just that. The yarn is 83% acrylic and 17% Nylon. I know to some acrylic is not equated with quality, but that is incorrect. I designed and manufactured sweaters for AK in Italy for twenty years, taking four to five trips to Florence a year overseeing the making of each new design. There are as many different types of acrylic yarns as there are any other type of yarn….that means many. EVERY designer line uses acrylic yarns….KRIZIA, an Italian designer know for her whimsical sweaters, used many different types of yarns in her intargio sweaters and many were acrylic. Once again….it’s not the name of the yarn, but the quality of the yarn that makes all the difference. This sweater has all the attributes of a Shetland sweater, but none of the deterrents. It is super soft, and though it looks substantial, it is very light in weight. The instructions say “hand wash and lay flat to dry”…..don’t they always. I know you all have your own tricks and methods for washing your apparel…..that do not require hand washing……..The sweater has a FUZZY SURFACE as any Shetland sweater would…..THAT IS THE LOOK…that’s what gives it the casual SHETLAND vibe……You could say the sweater also has the look of a ……”BOYFRIEND SWEATER”……..That means…..yes, it is generous and slightly over sized….that’s the way it should be! However, because it is light weight it is NOT bulky. Ladies…you do want the ability to layer as the weather changes, but  you can still wear it with nothing but a cami and it will look good.. Size down one size if you must!…..BUT you will be missing the POINT! The sweater is approx. 30 1/2 to 31 inches long….PERFECT FOR LEGGINGS…..It is made exactly the way I would make this type of sweater in Italy……FULLY FASHIONED with a TUBULAR finish attaching the ribs to the V-NECKLINE is the sign of quality……The sleeve is finished with a 2×1 ribbed cuff….approx. four inches…..Now this is IMPORTANT…..the sleeve can be worn many ways….Straight down covering part of the hand…or….rolled back once….twice….three or four times depending on the look you are going for….It really looks good rolled back a lot….even to a 3/4 length when wearing a TN underneath……ALL of the different lengths are RIGHT and give you VERSATILITY….Notice above how I have the sleeve rolled back along with the CUFF of the new PALE BLUE WING COLLAR SHIRT, A259103, for a more relaxed casual look…. If you think the sleeves are too long…. you’re not wearing it correctly……..Wear it as is or play with all kinds of belts….hip belts or wide waist cinchers all look good………wear it with leggings, jeans, trousers , mini, maxi and boho skirts…even leather pants and skirts…..boots, shoe boots….sneakers…. Wear it however and with whatever makes you happy……………….have a good weekend!…………………….enjoy much Love……………….Louis

……………………………….Now that I have totally convinced you this is a CASUAL SATURDAY SWEATER…..I’m flipping the switch!……………Above is the GRAY HEATHER V-NECK TUNIC SWEATER, A259108….still worn with a relaxed attitude, but a little more dressed up………….This time I have the WING COLLARED SHIRT, A259103 in WHITE with the BLACK & GRAY PINSTRIPE TROUSER, A259098 for reg. length, and A259099 for petite length…………………Add my new REVERSIBLE CROSS in the GUNMETAL above …..my new SHRIMP EARRINGS  in the GUNMETAL with the gray stones, and you are ready for the office, dinner or any special occasion where casual/dressy is the required dress………….It really is super CHIC, and very CLASSY…..I could see a wonderful quilted velvet slipper worn with this or a Black patent tuxedo flat……….

………………………………………………………………….enjoy……………………………much Love……………………………………Louis

The third color is………………PERSIAN BLUE, and yes it is the same color as the PEA JACKET….only heathered……Jean friendly….check…..Legging friendly….check ….especially with my GRAY, NAVY or BLACK LINEA BODY LEGGINGS, A260034…pant friendly….check….especially the new navy PINSTRIPE TROUSERS or solid Ponte Knit…WHISPER KNIT Pencil skirts…long and short….check…..PONTE SKIRTS short or MAXI, A239318 as above….check, even the FEATHER JERSEY MAXI SKIRT, A233970 reg, A233971 petite, would make the perfect transition maxi with this tunic sweater. Above, the Gunmetal Love Knot necklace if you own them, or two of the 18 inch Love Knot necklaces in silver and gunmetal look wonderful with this color, J270122, and they are still avail…………………………PERSIAN BLUE is a fabulous new color………………………………………….

…………………………………..enjoy……………..much Love………………………….Louis

…………………….The fourth and final color avail. in this TUNIC SWEATER is………….MAUVE………..a beautiful dusty, soft, romantic color………………PERFECT with my new NAVY [above] or GRAY LEGGINGS…..To give it the right edge….a double strand of the MULTI CROSS NECKLACES, A270119, now avail in the SILVER TONE with the ANTIQUE BRUSHED FINISH, and the GOLD TONE with the same finish. The earrings are only avail in the gold tone. Any silver earring will look perfect……………………………enjoy you AUTUMN WEEKENDS……………………………….much Love………………………………Louis

………………….This September I will be bringing you a new SIGNATURE COTTON/SPAN SHIRT……This new addition to the Linea  collection is the WING COLLARED SHIRT, A259103. For those of you who may be new to the Linea collection this is a 98% cotton/2% spandex fine twill cotton that I had made exclusively for my QVC customers. It is a very fine cotton yarn, and the twill weave gives it a little extra weight…..just enough for it NOT to be SEE THROUGH. It always astonishes me when I see how thin womens’ cotton classic shirts are, and how expensive they are for the poor quality. My wife Jac, who loves a good white cotton shirt, always complained about how much she would have to spend to get the quality she wanted…..after all it was just a cotton shirt!…. It was my goal to find a beautiful quality cotton and create  wonderful classic menswear inspired shirts with a twist for all of the COTTON SHIRT LOVERS out there. I could not find exactly what I wanted….so I had it made to my specifications. This fabric is exactly the same as the “KATE SHIRT”, A214116, so for those of you who own one of the shirts in this fabric, [the ROBYN and POET shirts included], you know how silky it is and how it preforms……………………….The body of this shirt has PRINCESS SEAMS front and back, so it is NOT a BOXY fit. It skims the body without being tight. The sleeve has a two button cuff and a buttoned placket exactly as a man’s shirt……..This shirt is all about the WING COLLAR…..It FRAMES THE FACE beautifully. A true wing collar should be POPPED UP in the back, but you can adjust just how POPPED you want it. It also looks perfectly fine folded down like a regular collar. This shirt has plenty of style and looks great on it’s own….worn with whatever you like….super casual with leggings or jeans….or perfect for giving a suit some SNAP….It is the shirt you will want to layer under your new Whisper Knit Sweaters and some SURPRISE sweaters coming in Sept and Oct…….To give it the MASCULINE/FEMININE twist add my new PEARL NECKLACE, J296624 and my new PEAR EARRING, J296890, clip or pierced, shown here in the GRAY……………………Jac has finally found the shirts she loves…………………………………………..enjoy………………………………….much Love……………………………Louis.