Remember this Vince Mock Neck Sweater I snagged at this year’s Nordstrom Anniversary Sale? I grabbed it from my store at the last minute, but once I got it home and tried it on with a few unsuspecting pieces…I was sold. Now that we’re actually having cooler fall weather, I’m wearing it all the time. And the best part? It’s back on sale at 40% off. 

Sale or no, this is a high-end sweater, and I like to get the most out of these types of pieces. If you’re thinking about buying one for yourself, I have a few styling tricks up my sleeve…

How To Make The Most Of One Luxe Sweater: Vince & AllSaints

I’ll be using two sweaters for the demonstrations: The Vince Mock Neck Sweater (I went with a size up for extra coziness) and the AllSaints Tara Sweater  (fits oversized and I would have preferred a size down). They both have the perfect softness, weight, and detail to be the most versatile piece in your closet. The secret, as we’ll experience with this dress, relies on playing with the hem. But first, I want to show you the outfit that sold me on this fantastic sweater…

  The Outfit That Made Me LOVE The Vince Mock Neck Step Hem Sweater

Sweater l Dress (similar) l Boots

When I got the Leith dress, I knew I wanted to layer a sweater over it. The tricky thing here is that long oversized sweaters swallow me up. I needed to find a way to simulate what a tuck does when wearing jeans — elongate the legs and draw the eye upwards.

Not having something to hold on to, I started playing with the hem. First, I used fashion tape; it worked, but the asymmetry made me gasp when I gathered one side. It was perfect harmony with the slit; I just needed something to keep it in place, but what?

Something that’s always in my styling kit is a gold huggie. They’re essential to keeping my wrap tops/dresses closed. It was PERFECT! In doing so, I started reaching for this sweater with every outfit. Wait till you see this same trick with jeans a few looks down…This is how I do it.

1.  Embrace The Details (Like This Step Hem) 

It’s all about the little details like a step hem or slit, and the beautiful ribbing on the side seam. Wearing untucked things is something I rarely do because of my height and proportions, but I love it on others. This sweater deserves to be shown in its original form.

Left Outfit: Sweater l Jeans (size up) l Boots
Right Outfit: Sweater  l Jeans (size up) l Boots

2. You Can Always Trust A Front Tuck

The front tuck is never going away. It’s easy, and gives the perfect elongation to your lower body without drawing all the attention to the middle section. 

White Sweater (S) l Jeans (on sale)  l Boots

3. A Fully Tucked Sweater Looks Good, Too

I was afraid that tucking it all around would create a lot of bulk — surprisingly, it didn’t. The sweater may be warm, but is not thick and fits easily fully tucked in. I prefer this for a more sophisticated, sexy, chic look. 

White Sweater l Jeans l Boots l Jacket 

4. Skip The Tuck & Fake A Cropped Sweater Look

No tuck, no bulk. Ok, there’s some tucking involved here. I wear a cropped or shorter snug tank and tuck the hem of the sweater under it. Here I’m wearing the True & Co Bralette that comes down to my waist. You’ll get the perfect and cleanest crop. Better yet, restroom trips will be more comfortable and faster with no fabric to deal with. See how clean the back looks. 

Top Outfit: White Sweater l White Jeans (more sizes) l Boots
Bottom Outfit: Sweater  l Jeans (size up) l Boots

5. Create A Unique Look With This Twisted Tuck

This tuck can create a bit of bulk if not done correctly — and it may be best with dark pants. I twist it, smooth it out, and zip the pants up. The back remains untucked, but you can easily fold it in. (I promise to follow up with a quick video showing the process). Love how the gathering adds a lot of interest to the outfit. 

Top Outfit: Sweater l Jeans (size up) l Boots
Bottom Outfit: Sweater  l Jeans (size up) l Boots

Quick side note to say these jeans are the ones I’m 100% sure I’m keeping from the Anniversary Sale. The length is perfect to wear with higher shaft booties, and the best part is that I don’t need to crop them to my height. They will be more cropped if you’re taller. They also run small and a little tight on the waist, so I went with 1.5 sizes up.

6. Make The Sweater Feel Entirely New With This Forgiving Tuck

This side gathering does two essential things: 1) It elongates and slims your figure without having to tuck the sweater in, and 2) adds a chic and peculiar touch to your look for only $8 or less. I used a small huggie (left) and found a fancy safety pin that holds more gathering (right), but I think it may be too big. I’m waiting for a huggie with a larger circumference to see how it looks. 

Fancy safety pin l Small huggie 

Sweater (S) l Jeans l Boots (on sale)

Note: The point on these two “style tools” is very gentle on the fabrics I’ve used. I make sure I take them off and softly rub and stretch the fabric with my hands. That should put the fibers back in place.

And that’s how you get your money’s worth with high-end sweaters like these two. It’s not about how many clothes you have, it’s about how you style it each time. 

Sweater  | Small huggie | Jeans (size up) | Boots

I know! I forgot to show how this sweater looked. I think it’s too oversized for me but the huggie trick still works. I even did it while it was tucked under my crop top.

Shop All Outfit Pieces In This Post

Chao, Chao.

Julieta

Currently taking some time away from social media to take care of my mental health, but I would love to hang out when I’m back (IG: @julietatorresd).