# The sweater-dress **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 15, 2004, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sweater-dress/269418 "2004-10-15T18:03:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2004, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sweater-dress/269418/1 "2004-10-15T18:03:58Z")
I was glancing through a catalog that came to my workplace and I saw [this dress](http://www.territoryahead.com/shopItemDetail.asp?SID=&txtProductID=356125&txtKeyword=&selPrice=&selClass=810&txtDeptID=300&selSize=&displaycase=WOMEN&vstrCategory=&vintItemNum=9&vintSaleItemNum=1&shopperid=BTL8XL8X3LF79P1SJLNW55RBBKK37752). > [@](#): > > The kind of comfort that’s usually folded up in a drawer, this time found hanging with the more upscale, closet crowd — thanks to the thick, texturey bouclé knit and easy, pullover styling. Made of a supersoft lambswool blend in an A-line silhouette with front pocket, hood and raglan sleeves. Machine washable. Imported in Heather Brown. It has a hood. And a sweatshirt-style pocket stuck on the front. And the neckline looks like it was cut with a razor. And what is the “upscale, closet crowd” anyway? So I laughed at the horror of it. But then I realized that my laughter would probably insult someone who liked the dress. And then I thought, “No one could like that dress.” And then I remembered that I have really bad taste. So, dopers, is that dress (well, the whole outfit, really) completely ghastly, or do I just not understand? ---
**Author:** ![Judith\_Prietht](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b19c9b/32.png) [@Judith\_Prietht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Judith_Prietht)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2004, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sweater-dress/269418/2 "2004-10-15T18:06:38Z")
I think it’s pretty ghastly. I have the feeling you need to be very slim to wear it without looking like a beanbag chair. And that pocket in the front is awful. ---
**Author:** ![TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tellmei_mnotcrazy/32/3419_2.png) [@TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TellMeI_mNotCrazy)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2004, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sweater-dress/269418/3 "2004-10-15T18:08:29Z")
It’s not too horrible, but I wouldn’t (couldn’t) wear it. By the way, the upscale, closet crowd is the populate of cool clothes that get to hang in the closet, as opposed to the casual, shabby-shic clothes who get folded up in drawers. ---
**Author:** ![LilyoftheValley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/54ee81/32.png) [@LilyoftheValley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LilyoftheValley)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2004, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sweater-dress/269418/4 "2004-10-15T18:09:06Z")
> [@jsgoddess](#): > > …And a sweatshirt-style pocket stuck on the front… The pocket is truly awful. I can’t decide whether it looks more like a hatch for easy genital access, or [a panel for adjusting the woman’s robotic parts](http://www.cybercomm.nl/~ivo/photo_ROSIE1.JPEG). ---
**Author:** ![Bruce\_Daddy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/85f322/32.png) [@Bruce\_Daddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bruce_Daddy)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2004, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sweater-dress/269418/5 "2004-10-15T18:09:20Z")
I was ready to hate on it but it looks pretty good to me. :glances down at hiking pants and long sleeve t-shirt with tiny holes in sleeve: :o ---
**Author:** ![Keapon\_Laffin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e274bd/32.png) [@Keapon\_Laffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keapon_Laffin)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2004, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sweater-dress/269418/6 "2004-10-15T18:14:48Z")
From a guys point of view, that looks pretty damn good. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2004, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sweater-dress/269418/7 "2004-10-15T18:20:56Z")
I don’t like the pocket and the color (HEATHBROW?!?!?!) doesn’t do very much for me. ---
**Author:** ![Jayn\_Newell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Jayn\_Newell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jayn_Newell)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2004, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sweater-dress/269418/8 "2004-10-15T18:25:06Z")
I figured it would look terrible, but it’s actually pretty nice. Maybe not what I would wear, but still nice. ---
**Author:** ![Hostile\_Dialect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e495f1/32.png) [@Hostile\_Dialect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hostile_Dialect)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2004, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sweater-dress/269418/9 "2004-10-15T18:25:47Z")
Weird, but looks decent. I guess it’s just another addition to the long tradition of women’s clothing made for men. ---
**Author:** ![Indygrrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@Indygrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indygrrl)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2004, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sweater-dress/269418/10 "2004-10-15T18:28:00Z")
I think that dress is ugly, but I have seen sweater dresses that are very sexy. Victoria’s Secret has several that I like, and I own one. However, they are very body conscious, so you wouldn’t want to wear them if you have insecurities in that department. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2004, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sweater-dress/269418/11 "2004-10-15T18:36:20Z")
I’ve seen uglier, but yes, the pocket is evil. _Off with her pocket!_ ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2004, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sweater-dress/269418/12 "2004-10-15T18:40:12Z")
It has a nice line - that is completely ruined by the hood and front sweatshirt pocket. But eliminate those, and the outfit is ok. (And I don’t think you need to be slim - hourglassy, yes (apple shaped women wouldn’t have a shot in that dress)) Oh, and I hate “heather brown.” ---
**Author:** ![TeaElle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8491ac/32.png) [@TeaElle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TeaElle)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2004, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sweater-dress/269418/13 "2004-10-15T18:46:06Z")
That dress is seriously fugged up. The material is bad (it looks like wide-wale corduroy, for pete’s sake), the color is atrocious, the length is stupid for the season indicated by the weight of the fabric, the hood is ridiculous, the neckline trashy and the pocket is an abysmal joke. I predict that it will sell like hotcakes and shall be the fashion trend of the autumn. :o ---
**Author:** ![UrbanChic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9dc877/32.png) [@UrbanChic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UrbanChic)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2004, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sweater-dress/269418/14 "2004-10-15T18:46:46Z")
The dress is a little to comfy-casual for my tastes but I wouldn’t call it awful. The right person could pull it off provided she had no fat rolls, bulges or jiggling. If the dress were a little shorter, I could see a younger gal wearing it over a pair of curve-hugging jeans with a denim jacket to complete the look. ---
**Author:** ![overlyverbose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/9dc877/32.png) [@overlyverbose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/overlyverbose)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2004, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sweater-dress/269418/15 "2004-10-15T18:48:00Z")
It’s not _completely_ horrible - at least, not if you’re waif-thin with supermodel looks. On me it’d look like I was wearing a potato sack with a hood. It reminds me of T-shirt dresses that look like one big polo shirt. I hate those. ---
**Author:** ![VenusProbe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/e495f1/32.png) [@VenusProbe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VenusProbe)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2004, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sweater-dress/269418/16 "2004-10-15T18:49:58Z")
I like it, but I’m a man what do I know? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tellmei_mnotcrazy/32/3419_2.png) [@TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TellMeI_mNotCrazy)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2004, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sweater-dress/269418/17 "2004-10-15T19:02:26Z")
OK I’ve decided that there IS a serious problem with that dress: its name. I just happened to notice it when I was looking at my taskbar and saw the name on the Explorer window. Merci boucle. That’s pretty bad. ---
**Author:** ![Casey1505](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dc4da7/32.png) [@Casey1505](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Casey1505)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2004, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sweater-dress/269418/18 "2004-10-15T19:12:27Z")
I love that sweater dress! I don’t know if the love stems from the model looking like Bridget Fonda, or from the knee high boots, but the whole package…uh…moved me. ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2004, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sweater-dress/269418/19 "2004-10-15T19:12:51Z")
I clicked the link expecting to like it since girls in sweaters are a very nice thing but I can’t say I especially like it. It’s not ugly, really, but isn’t worth noting either. ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2004, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sweater-dress/269418/20 "2004-10-15T19:36:34Z")
> [@LilyoftheValley](#): > > The pocket is truly awful. I can’t decide whether it looks more like a hatch for easy genital access, or [a panel for adjusting the woman’s robotic parts](http://www.cybercomm.nl/~ivo/photo_ROSIE1.JPEG). I think it’s about time that women got their own hatch for easy genital access. Beyond that, though, that particular dress does nothing for me. But the model is very nice. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sweater-dress/269418.md?page=2)