Please stop bedazzling my cardigans

There is a piece of every working woman's wardrobe that is so essential it is nearly sacred. My friends, I give you...the cardigan.



The cardigan goes anywhere. Solves any fashion crisis. Eases you from a non-suit day at work to picking up groceries on a Sunday afternoon. It goes with your favorite t-shirt and your favorite LBD. It is a garment for all seasons.

Or, at least, it used to be.

Every few years, my trusty cardigans begin to look worn, and I know it's time to replace them. Generally, this is not a problem. I drop by a Banana or a J Crew or an Ann Taylor and pick up a few in neutral colors. No, it's not high fashion, but it is an absolute necessity for pulling together my wardrobe. And, frankly, it's kind of a no brainer. I'm pretty much convinced that places like Banana and Ann were put on this earth solely to provide the working women of America with decent quality basic cardigans. Right?

Not right. This year, a terrible, terrible thing has happened to cardigans. It looks like this:



And this:


And (shudder) like this:


The cardigan has gone bedazzled, my friends. Which means that 1) it is no longer a trusted basic and 2) it's gonna look dated in a hot second. You might buy one embellished sweater for fun, but two? Three? That's a first class ticket on the train to fashion disaster.

After more than a decade of wear, I have exacting standards for what a cardigan should be. It should have long sleeves, a lightweight cashmere/silk blend, and small, non-obtrusive buttons. Ideally, it should lightly skim the body and hit at the hip. It should have a bit of stretch and feel slightly cozy. It should retail for under $100 and last at least two years.

In other words, it should not come with flair.

For months, my search has been in vain. A couple of places have carried the basic model, but they sold out in ten seconds flat and/or could only offer me an XXS or an XL. I was beginning to court desperation.

But then, like a beacon of hope in a world gone mad, I discovered this place on a recent business trip to NC. Finally, a mid-level clothing retailer without a Bedazzler at the ready! I nabbed a basic black cashmere cardy for $70 on sale, and then had them track down a beige version somewhere in VA that should show up in my mailbox any day now. Like all other non-crazy cardigan styles, it was nearly sold out across the country. (Case in point: I would typically insert a photo here, but the the inventory is so low that they took it off the web site.)

So, I'm safe for a few years now. Perhaps by the time I need to restock, everyone will have put away their ruffles and sequins.

We can only hope.