Shades of Grey: From Cozy to Comfy

The perfect weekend sweater…especially in heather grey, though there are lots of great colors to choose from. Many of us in the office have this sweater – it comes in a large range of sizes and J. Crew’s easy fit work for us all. It’s oversized and luxuriously thick and soft – not always the case in cashmere, especially at this price. It looks great with any style jeans, and while it is oversized, the v-neck is not so wide that you need to wear anything underneath.

Of course, Vince delivers with an amazing grey weekend sweater. We’ve mentioned the importance of turtlenecks this season, but this one is really special. It has snaps at the neck and on the side, so you can snap up for a cozy stand up turtleneck and more insulated body; or, unsnap it for an easier rolled down turtleneck and show off a simple tee underneath, if you need a little more air. The body of the sweater is oversized with fun pockets, but not long so it doesn’t look sloppy. This wool sweater really works with everything, but we usually pair it with slim jeans and oxfords or boots. Oh, and it comes in black, too.

Peserico makes luxurious knits in an easy, modern fit that come in a large array of sizes. The Italian craftsmanship is superb and they only use the highest quality materials. A piece like this grey long cardigan is worth the investment – you’ll have it for years. It’s perfectly casual with a tank or turtleneck and dark jeans. But easily dresses up with ponte pants or wool trousers (camel looks lovely). The toggle closure is leather and the little tan piece behind it is a pretty swatch of wool.

Belford has always been a favorite line of Mark Shale’s for their relaxed fitting, yet upscale and tailored, sweaters. This sweater is especially fabulous for it’s luxurious cashmere and reversibility. That’s right – you can wear this sweater to show off the fun stripe one day and turn it inside out to wear it as a solid grey option the next. That alone makes it worth every penny – you’re getting 2 sweaters for one. It also makes it a great travel piece. It even has a 2-way zip, so you can unzip the bottom a bit for easy movement and to give you some more space around the hips. Besides all that, it’s plain good-looking! We love it with the sweater pants shown here (click through the “shop it” button for those, as well), but of course, this sweater is equally easy with jeans or corduroys. Eileen Fisher’s similar take with a half sleeve pullover in a darker grey is an ideal lighter weight alternative.

This season, we love a good plaid, as we talked about a few weeks ago. Current/Elliott’s “Perfect Shirt” is just that…perfect for an easy weekend day with your favorite pair of broken-in jeans. The contemporary style is relaxed and oversized, to get that borrowed-from-the-boys look. The fabric has a washed looked to it, and a nice weight and quality, which perfectly completes the relaxed look – and is sure to make you feel the same way.

Splendid’s knits are so soft and cozy – especially this one. The thermal is a dream, with just a bit of stretch. And the details make this top so much more than a basic thermal tee. The sleeve has a smooth extended cuff to match the smooth fabric of the cowl neckline. It’s a great alternative to a turtleneck or crewneck tee, creating a stylish look without any extra effort, that can be worn with jeans or your favorite athleisure pants (you know, your nice sweatpants).

We are certainly not going to ignore grey jeans this week. A couple weeks ago, we talked about their importance this season as one of the biggest trends in denim. Here’s another take on this color from Christopher Blue. The relaxed fit and sophisticated take on grey in a twill fabric has nice stretch to it. And the straight leg style flatters with your favorite flats or ankle boots. The pale grey is so versatile – where it with any color, or a dark grey top for a sophisticated monochromatic look.

A more contemporary option for a pair of grey jeans comes from Citizens of Humanity in their best selling skinny silhouette. They have seriously great stretch and some rayon and lyocell in the fabric, which makes these jeans so soft and comfortable. The rise hits at a nice spot just below your bellow button, preventing muffin top. And the wash is perfectly distressed to go with any casual pieces, like this pretty soft blush plaid shirt.

Sometimes, you look forward to an evening renting a movie with your family or friends, just relaxing with some pizza (and wine). You will want to do it in this French terry hoodie and coordinating drawstring pants, we promise. The quality is amazing, so they wear well wash after wash. And they are as soft as can be.

We love the look of a soft, slouchy cross body bag for a weekend of errands and/or shopping. But besides the cool and easy look, we like the practicality, as it frees you up to hold bags and is more comfortable when you’re walking around. The strap is adjustable though, so you can wear it on your shoulder, too. Elizabeth & James has done this bag in such a rich, supple grey leather. And the front zipper pockets make for easy access to your phone, keys, and Starbucks card, while the main compartment can hold your sunglasses, and plenty of other essentials. The top flap effortlessly hangs down for easy access, while still remaining closed. The grey is a perfect neutral for blacks, browns, navys, tans, and any pop of color.