Catsparella: cat sweaters

Showing posts with label cat sweaters. Show all posts

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

The Sweater Store Ugly Vintage Cat Sweater Giveaway!

New York Fashion Week is in full swing, but while the designers strut their latest creations down the catwalk, none of them can compare to the cutting edge chic of multi-colored cat cardigans and sweaters from The Sweater Store!

I hate to use the word "ugly" to describe these, because (most) of them are just too darn cute, but it got your attention right?

I mean, who wouldn't want to wear this vintage hot pink and purple mouse-killer sweater?

And I'm all sorts of obsessed with this Warhol-esque feline masterpiece:

The Sweater Store recently "raided the closets of some of the world's most fashionable cat ladies," to add a whole new category on their site dedicated exclusively to feline inspired designs. The best part is, all proceeds from sales of these cat sweaters go the ASPCA!

The online shop is home to the world’s largest selection of vintage ugly Christmas sweaters and holiday accessories. Based in Minnesota, "where Ugly Christmas Sweaters once roamed the prairies and Holiday party circuits unfettered," they strive to find good homes for great sweaters...and help kitties too!

Enter To Win!

TheSweaterStore.com has generously offered one lucky Catsparella reader the chance to WIN THE VINTAGE CAT SWEATER OF THEIR CHOICE!

I've posted just a few of my favorites, but you can choose from any sweater available here, and there are tons to choose from!

To enter, leave a comment on this post with your name and some way for me to contact you if you win (email, link back to your blog or profile, Twitter, etc.) The winner be will chosen in a random drawing next Tuesday, Sept. 17 at 5:00PM EST. This giveaway is open to everyone, so our international friends can participate too! One entry per person, please.

Good luck, and be sure to check out The Sweater Store and follow them on Facebook and Twitter for all of your ugly sweater needs.

(If you have trouble leaving a comment, email me at catsparella@gmail.com)

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Friday, March 15, 2013

Inside The Curious World Of The Balletcats

The Entire Cat Population Is My Best Friend

You want to talk about crazy cat ladies? While the rest of us are sitting at home, dusting off our collection of kitty figurines, these girls (and guy) are sporting gear that glorifies blood, cats, and perhaps ~~best~~ worst of all, bad grammar.

The Balletcats was founded in 2008 by Indonesian based designer and illustrator, Jordan Marzuki. The label first appeared on my cat fashion radar in 2011, with their infamous "The Entire Cat Population Are My Best Friend" design. The sweatshirt was a huge hit, generating hits and pins (Pinterest talk, y'all) long after I posted it, and leaving many eager cat ladies wondering where they could get one of their own.

The latest Balletcats collection, "Tome no. 1", went on sale earlier today, and is not for the easily offended or faint of heart. While uncomfortable to look at, I appreciate the artistry behind the "I Dislike Curiosity, They Killed The Cat" sweater -- and who can't relate to the phrase, "I Love Pancakes, Cats & Strangling People"? Then there's the black cat tote, where a faux fur tail substitutes for a boring old bag handle, and a tee that suggests gun violence as an answer to animal abuse.

The "Cat Population" sweatshirt was also re-released as part of the new line, but it looks like designers bowed to pressure to update "are" to "is". A win for grammar enthusiasts, but a loss for lolcats everywhere.

Visit theballetcats.com to shop the entire collection.

I Dislike Curiosity, They Killed The Cat

You Hurt Cats, I (Shoot) You In The Head

I Love Pancakes, Cats & Strangling People

Friday, January 25, 2013

Pretty Snake Cat Sweater Designer Joseph Aaron Segal Claws His Way On To "Project Runway"

Sunset Kitty Sweater

Feline fashion conscious "Project Runway" fans might have recognized Pretty Snake designer Joseph Aaron Segal showing off his kitty-inspired decor during last night's premiere episode.

As I reported today over on Catster, the 30-year-old Pretty Snake/World of JAS designer, who has established a devoted online following thanks to his line of crazy cat sweaters, is a contestant on season 11 of the fashion design competition show.

Joe on Team Keeping It Real

Ahead of his television debut, the Pretty Snake Etsy shop restocked with cat-abulous new items, including rainbow hued sweaters, tees, leggings, totes, and accessories.

Happily, Segal landed on the winning team during last night's group challenge, so he'll return to face the judges another week. Check out his designer profile here, and tune in to watch him compete every Thursday night at 9/8c on Lifetime.

Kitty Garden Party Dress

Red Kitty Tote Bag with Pink Bow

White with Black Knit-In Collar Kitty Sweater

Wednesday, January 2, 2013

J. Crew's Tabby Cat Sweater Is "Feline Fabulous"

Tabby sweater

The January 2013 J. Crew catalog landed in my mailbox over the weekend, and in between pages of patent leather wedges and polka-dot blouses, I discovered an unexpected bit of feline fashion.

The navy Tabby sweater ($98) doesn't just depict a random kitty, but was actually inspired by a designer's cat, named Toby: "We created a sketch of her favorite feline and made it the center of attention on our classic wool-blend crewneck with a touch of angora for softness. The pattern is intarsia knit into the sweater instead of on top—a more difficult and time-consuming process but totally worth it."

We already know that cat sweaters are a huge trend right now, but you be the judge: Is the J. Crew Tabby sweater a feline fashion do or don't?

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Stacy London Schools Anderson Cooper On Cat Sweaters

Stacy London (TLC's "What Not to Wear," author of "The Truth About Style") co-hosted Anderson Cooper's daytime talk show last week, and took the opportunity to school the Silver Fox on cat fashion.

During the segment, London presented Coops with an Opening Ceremony cat sweater, before proudly pulling on her own feline-inspired Markus Lupfer top. Anderson, who seemed quite sure he was being punked, repeatedly questioned the style guru on the legitimacy of the fashion choice ("Are cat sweaters a thing?"), to which she assured the anchor that they are "super chic," "crazy cool," and that she's "bringing sexy back to cat." Meow! (You can watch the full clip here. The cat sweater segment kicks in around the 9:00 minute mark).

London's Lupfer sweater is sold out across sites like Net-A-Porter and ASOS, but UK-based Austique still has some in stock. Cooper's embroidered sweater, inspired by a cat named Basil, is available in various colors and in men's and women's sizes from Opening Ceremony.

Meanwhile, the "Anderson Live" website is currently running a poll asking if the kitty sweater is a good look for the newsman. Unsurprisingly, 74.2% of respondents agree that he "looks good in black," while 25.8% (wrongly) believe he's "more of a dog sweater person."

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

The Cattiest Of Cat Sweaters

New York Fashion Week was disappointingly void of feline fashions this year, save for the appearance of the Opening Ceremony x Glamour embroidered cat sweater making its way around the city. Luckily, Spanish designer Miguel Adrover made up for the omission in a fantastic way, with the inclusion of this sock puppet inspired cat sweater at his Fall 2012 presentation.

On a scale of 1 to 10, I rate this look totally pawesome!

Via The New York Times

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

The 6 Ugliest Cat Christmas Sweaters of 2011

Handmade tacky Christmas sweaters are all the rage this year! Whether you're hoping to take the top prize in an ugly sweater contest, or are just looking for a festive feline sweater to keep you warm this holiday season, the good news is that as of this writing, ALL of these one-of-a-kind atrocities are available for sale on eBay or Etsy (Click the link below each one for purchasing info). Happy Shopping!

Monday, November 14, 2011

The Chic Cat Sweater Does Exist

ModCloth, the arbiter of modern day cat lady fashions, has done it again with this stylish sweater by Sugarhill Boutique. Neither fugly nor kitschy (I love both, don't get me wrong), the Cat's Out of the Bag top features at least three hallmarks of cute fashion, including slightly ruched sleeves, tiny gold buttons on the arm cuffs, and a fit that is slightly more flattering than your average crazy cat lady sweatshirt.

Cats out of the Bag Top - $62.99, ModCloth

Sunday, October 16, 2011

Go Cuckoo For Pretty Snake Kitty Sweaters

Angora Rainbow Kitty Sweater

Sure, there's some questionable cat sweaters out there, but there's also some pretty fierce ones too. The recent resurgence of the Pretty Snake Cuckoo Kitty Sweater on various websites has caused a rush on the stock of these one-of-a-kind masterpieces, created by fashion and textile designer Joseph Aaron Segal.

New stock is added to the shop regularly, and you never know what design is going to pop up next (I'm bummed I missed out on the Rainbow Kitty Sweater!), but you can avoid a catfight and get a paw up on your holiday shopping by following Pretty Snake on Tumblr and Facebook to be the first to hear about their latest Etsy postings!