Greyed and grey

OK, first things first -- I'm experimenting with some new lighting. Does it help? I can probably do even better with a bit of adjustment...I found a few LED clamp lights I can fix in various spots. 

Being one of our resident silvers, and cool complected, I'm raising my hand for greyed colours. But they have to be the right greyed...blue greys or winter whites added to soften or "heather" the colour slightly more than "dirty" it. It's the rare true "dirty" colour I can wear well. 

But the mauve tones in the sleeves of this ancient Equipment sweater might qualify? I think so. Angie used to own this 2014 NAS beauty, too, but I'm sure she passed it on ages ago, not being a lover of grey. I kept mine and although I don't wear cashmere much in Victoria, today it is SNOWING, so it's a perfect occasion for it. This sweater is lovely quality. There is some minor under-the-arms pilling but that's the extent -- it otherwise looks and feels brand new. 

The pants -- also ancient-- (2017) are a greyed navy that I love. These are Kit & Ace back when they used to use all season wool with stretch -- a fabulous fabric, in my opinion. Great for work from home! 

A few more of my grey or "greyed" or "heathered" wardrobe items in the Finds, below. I wear a lot of them! 

Note: the green shorts are too sour to work -- perhaps too "dirtied" vs. "greyed," which would lead to a more sage-y olive. Alas! I find it difficult to partner them with other things in the closet. 

So a Fab Friend has lightened and brightened and cropped the photos further...

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22 Comments

  • RobinF replied 1 year ago

    Ooh love that sweater! You look good in that color and I can see why you like the greyed tones. Lots of pretty ones. I see what you mean about the olive shorts. I like greyed colors and also struggle with olive.

    I think the light is pretty good!

  • Angie replied 1 year ago

    YES, the lighting helps, and YES you can lighten and brighten your pics even more with your iPhone edit photo options. 

    You wear grey and greyed blues/purples soooo well, Suz! Perfect :)

    I passed on my jumper years ago when I banned grey from my wardrobe. I can continue to enjoy it on you! 

    The only grey in my wardrobe - two jumpers - that I wear with white pearls, red pants, jeans, and navy/red toppers. 

    I also have this ten year old seafoam moto. Not great on me. But hubs loves it. Can't part with it. Helps when I wear it with brights and white!

  • JAileen replied 1 year ago

    I remember when you got that sweater- I wanted it, too!  But it was sold out.  This greyed color concept is why I like your colors so much.  I really like grey in my colors, especially in green.  Green is the hardest color to get right, in my experience.  I don’t like it to be too yellow or too dark.  

  • Suz replied 1 year ago

    Ha, Angie, these are already edited in the phone and brightened. Ah well, I'll keep at it. A few more clamp lights and we may have full success! 

    I forgot I have that Boden hoodie, too! I wear it with denim most of the time but like you, I feel like it is even better with a pop of white. 

    So it's funny -- I do love the greyed tones (esp. the blues and purples and reds) but what I didn't mention is that I usually like them best with either white or a bright or a metallic to brighten them. More or less what you said to Helena the other day. 

    Today it's just the softened tones, but if it weren't for the pattern in the sweater, this would feel too overall "soft" to me. Interesting, no? I think the shine in the shoes also helps....

    Robin, thank you. The olive of the jacket and the pants works great for me, but it is hard to find that tone....I actually like olive a lot as a colour but need to be super careful with it. I can wear a darker, "blackened" olive quite well if it is cool enough...To JAileen's point -- greens are difficult!

  • Angie replied 1 year ago

    Suz, move the "contrast" photo edit button to the left. The "exposure" button to the right.

    My white pearls add crispness and brightness to our hoodie! My colourful eyewear helps too :)

    And snowing in Seattle....

  • Dee replied 1 year ago

    Agree with Angie about adjusting exposure and contrast, that aside, this is a lovely grey WFH outfit for a snowy day. I have a similar grey floral top myself and isn’t great to have a little stretch in wool pants.

  • Vicki replied 1 year ago

    I remember that sweater you and Angie both bought and it’s lovely on you today. The greyed blue grey is a perfect color for you, Suz. Also, thumbs up for the clamped lighting.

  • Suz replied 1 year ago

    I do all that with the photos already, folks! That's how dark it is in my space! But I'll keep trying! 

  • Helena replied 1 year ago

    Suz I love that sweater on you ... It's terrific. A signature look!

    I've struggled with "cool olive/khaki green" ... I feel it's too colourful to be neutral iykwim ... So hard to pair with anything but neutrals.

    I have a terrible photo set up and north facing windows (and no patience) ... I think you're great that you rig up lighting and edit at all!!!

  • Bijou replied 1 year ago

    I have always loved that sweater; I can't believe how much time has flown - 8 years! You have such a great eye for what suits your style and colouring, so many of these items are signature Suz pieces.

    I feel that there is a transition in retail away from earth tones to greys again. On me, I prefer my grey tones to be light. I have recently purchased these items in my favourite greys and silvers.

  • Suz replied 1 year ago

    Oooh, Bijou, I love all of those! Snow Queen!! 

    Thanks, Helena. Your photos look better than mine, I'd say. It's because all the light is at my back and I can't prevent that. I tried to set up mirrors elsewhere in the house but we don't have the wall real estate. Oh well! 

  • LJP replied 1 year ago

    I remember that sweater well ; in fact, it prompted me to purchase the closest version  I could find her at that time, from Joie (I think). It's long gone, as those are TERRIBLE colours for me, lol. It took me years to really narrow down my colour palette and now I won't even look at the tones you show in your finds!  Anyways, I too struggle with lighting, having a west-facing bedroom with no overhead light.  I do all the fiddling too  with exposure and contrast and it makes little difference.  Oh well.  

  • LJP replied 1 year ago

    Oh and it's snowing here too, right now :)  

  • Suz replied 1 year ago

    Lisa, thanks for commiserating. And I don't think there is a colour in the world that doesn't look great on you. But  I hear you on finally fixing on a palette that really works consistently -- we could go shopping together and scout out opposite sides of the rack (if they hung items by colour, I mean.) All the warm earth tones are gorgeous on you. 

    As for the snow. Ugh. And now we are getting the wind. 

  • Jaime replied 1 year ago

    Suz I love the sweater on you and the entire outfit looks great, but I am stuck on I don't wear cashmere much in Victoria. I am wearing cashmere right now (my house cashmere) and wore my going out cashmere at least a couple of times already and highs are still in the 70s/20Cs :) !

  • sarah replied 1 year ago

    Ooooh, I loved that sweater (I had it, too, but I think I bought it a size too large for me, and eventually parted ways with it). You wear greys with the best of them, given your lovely silver hair!

  • Runcarla replied 1 year ago

    Well, I love this outfit.  Modern classic fabness.  No snow here, but overcast.  I’m thinking of getting a ring light for my outfit selfies :-D  Maybe I’ll ask Santa?

  • Sal replied 1 year ago

    Lovely outfit and yes greyed/heathered tones are wonderful done right!

    Yippee for our differences!!  Love seeing other people wear things that don't work for me.

    That's a great sweater - that perfect piece to wear occasionally and enjoy.  Obviously a great choice for you.

  • Suz replied 1 year ago

    Jaime, I can explain. It's too humid here for cashmere. The fibres irritate my skin in the humidity. 

    Yes, it's often too warm (for me!) as well -- especially since most of my cashmere is the thicker, denser kind, not "summerweight" -- purchased when I lived in a truly cold climate. Also, you are used to much warmer temps. than I am -- for me, 20 is nearly summer! (Our summer average is only 23 or something...though the last few years, we've had temps up to 40.) But mainly, it's not the air temperature -- it's the relative humidity. 

    I'm more successful with cashmere cardigans (layered over something so they don't touch my skin). Pullovers over another long sleeved top also work but it isn't cold enough here for that to be comfortable for me very often. Maybe 20 to 30 days per year. 

    I can wear merino here much more easily. It's actually the perfect fibre for this climate (for me). In different weights it works virtually all year. 

    Carla, I think the ring light might be the answer. Honestly. 

  • lyn67 replied 1 year ago

    Yes, I too love that sweater, and think the greyed tones are looking fab on a girl which has  some silver/ashy hues in her hair!:-)

  • rachylou replied 1 year ago

    I feel like I need a comparison, lol. The sweater is more mauve-y than I remember. You wear it well but I’m wondering about the difference between heathered and dirty…

  • lyn67 replied 1 year ago

    Oh, and am so happy with the new lights in your pictie-now I can see all details, too!:-)

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