I was quietly watching the happenings in Armitageworld over the weekend as I began my (annual) frantic preparations for the beginning of the academic year. I couldn’t help but notice the Ben Rayner images that have popped up all over the place. My immediate reaction? Good Lord – that sweater!
I’m not putting words in his head but…
Photo by Ben Rayner courtesy of http://www.richardarmitagenet.com
This LV abomination has replaced my previous least favorite Richard Armitage sweater look….
The bulky, cable knit SHORT sleeved sweater??
Photo by Paula Parrish for Fault Magazine courtesy of http://www.richardarmitagenet.com
Fashion, like art, is a subjective thing I think. I’m certainly not a fashionista – I’d describe my personal style as something like academic chic or maybe contemporary librarian? Seriously, I have no idea what I’d call it…today I’m wearing a fitted blue tee with gray capri pants and sandals – fine – Birkenstock sandals! Probably my edgiest fashion statement is 4 piercings in one ear 🙂 (I mostly did that to annoy my mother when I was in college!)
Even though I don’t tend to buy “fashion forward” I know what I like when I see it. Do I really need to describe what about this sweater I don’t like? It would be easier to identify what I do like…the color is OK. I ran this ensemble past my local contact for fashion forward menswear (he’s a 20 something musician studying at a prestigious local university for the arts, and we’ve had several conversations about the dearth of such attire here in the land of Levis and baseball caps) and he’s not a fan of the look either.
I’m not sure what was going through the mind of whoever put this all together, since none of it is particularly flattering on Mr. Armitage – if the goal was to make him look less attractive than usual, well done I guess.
It’s not as if LV only makes ugly (there, I said it…it may be warm, but IMHO, it’s ugly.) sweaters. Look at John Hamm in this LV cardi:
Richard Armitage would look awesome in that sweater!
Source: Details Magazine – October 5, 2010
I suppose I’ll be grateful that they didn’t break out some of the LV Winter 2012/13 runway looks I saw for the Rayner shoot. Thankfully, I only need one image to remind me how good Richard Armitage can look in a sweater…
- Won’t you be my neighbor…please?!
Photo by George Pimentel/Wirelmage for Roots Canada Photo Shoot
Image can be viewed at Getty Images by searching Richard Armitage
ὅ παῖς καλός!!
Ancient Armitage 
The only thing I can say in that sweater’s defense is it does look warm and it’s a nice shade of blue. Otherwise, too bulky, ill-fitting, horrid loud LV print, just not attractive AT ALL. Still, he somehow manages to look gorgeous in spite of it all. Not an easy feat . . .
mmmhmm 🙂 Here’s my question (and someone may have answered it elsewhere) is that sherpa liner looking collar a separate piece or part of the sweater…it just makes no sense to me at all.
I assumed it was part of it, which contributed to that overall bulkiness. And he has a sweater on underneath, too, right? Poor RA was probably sweltering. Bless his heart.
I don’t know…it’s just weird. If you look at this one http://www.richardarmitagenet.com/images/gallery/Richard/Promos/2012Promo/album/BenRayner-02.jpg
it almost appears that it’s a separate piece, which would certianly add bulk – yikes. I had thought that was a tee underneath, but it could be a fine gauge sweater – toasty…very toasty if there are still green leaves 🙂
I agree with you — good colour but disastrous design. I had a buffalo plaid wool coat with a shearling collarand a shearling-lined suede jacket. They were great when it snowed, but otherwise they were just too much. I can’t imagine wearing anything like that sweater indoors or at more than 0 degrees C!
Yeah, super utilitarian…which isn’t necessarily a bad look, but combined with the design….oh boy – it’s like a “Bill Cosby” sweater gone bad. The fit of the jeans isn’t helping here either, but I like the shoes 🙂
There’s a lot to say for John Hamm, but I was reading this and waiting for badly dressed Bernini or a goddess in a Bork-like dead swan dress.
🙂 What can I say…it’s been in the 90’s, the A/C has been out all day and I just finished the last of my three “first day of class” speeches…I went for no classics required…
Got it. I hope you have some fun students this semester.
🙂
Hard to tell, they’re all a little melty today 🙂 “The part is ordered” maintenance said…I think I’ll wear shorts and a cami on Thursday!
I really liked the look of the jumper (Aussie parlance!) Richard wore at the Apple Store appearance last December- chosen by Ilaria Urbanati I presume- looked very manly, but cuddly.
http://www.richardarmitagenet.com/images/gallery/Richard/Interviews/AppleStore/album/slides/AppleStore-Chickadee-09.html
Much better than that LV number!
Oh yes, yes!…I was looking at that one too, but I couldn’t find pic with enough of the sweater/jumper on the fly…and I was trying to remember what that neckline style is called…brain fade 🙂
I LOVED that one. It really did suit him and looked very comfy.
I guess this sweater is one of those “love it or hate it” kind of things. The person who chose it for him must have loved it, but I’m with you. It’s gotta be one of the ugliest sweaters I’ve ever seen! 🙂
Yeah, I gotta call an ugly on this one (that said, it is not the ugliest sweater I saw in last year’s LV winter collection!)
Oh my! I haven’t seen the other sweaters in the collection, but if this one isn’t the ugliest I think I’d better spare my eyes. 😉
I believe the term is “fugly”. 🙂
Cowl neck? Not sure…
I think it’s actually called a shawl neck.
I knew you would know 🙂
LOL only because I have done papers on historic costume in the past. Benny has one styled similarly and I like it very much. He says it is comfy, too.
It reminds me a lot of fisherman sweaters which I love on men…super rugged, super comfy, super sexy…how many more superlatives can I apply?
The only thing good about that sweater is that it would be warm at -40 F in January in Wisconsin, when all we want is to be warm. But today 89 F and humid ( we have had storms that last two nights but not tonight ) and the last few days have been hot. That sweater even makes me feel hot and not in a good way.
Back to work tomorrow and not looking forward as there is no A/C in the kitchens. At lest we don’t have to turn on the ovens yet, just a hot stuffy kitchen that has been shut up all summer. Dressing as cool as I can and that will not be to much.
“Hot and not in a good way” – exactly! Try to stay cool…dressing light and working in the kitchen don’t always go together do they?!
I wore my uniform top a hot polo and after the meeting put on one of our school t-shirt to work in the kitchen. Was not to bad till both of the heavy duty fans where turned off then yuk. I still had a truck order and e-mails to do. Was coming home to shower but no one was home and I had to eat, so I turned up the stereo and ate. Showered later, I could not let at home alone time go to waste.
We have to wear long pants and leather shoes for safety reasons and then the uniform top. On the cleaning days we can wear something different but why ruin my own clothes.
First of all – how come I never seem to get Ancient Armitage posts promptly shown in my WP reader??? Can’t believe that I missed this great post yesterday. As usual, you make me LOL with your writing. “if the goal was to make him look less attractive than usual, well done I guess.” *haha* yes, seems rather counterproductive, this fashion shoot. RA is by no means an overly bulky man. In fact, his physique is “just right” – muscular without being body-build-ridiculous, and lean without being skinny. However, on his torso, this ruminant-fitted sweater makes him far too bulky. Quite frankly, I am not with LV on anything – the John Hamm-example was an improvement, but verged on the feminine with the deep collar. Well, I am niggling.
Oh tiny, little hint at the end – the photographer is called Rayner 😉
IDK? I posted it later..around 8pm my time I think – maybe you were already in dreamland? I certainly take your point about LV in general…the sweater Hamm is wearing is nowhere near as attractive as the “Mr Rogers” look I adore from the Toronto shoot…less is more in this case.
Thanks for the heads up…I looked at that name 50 time…fixed now. Well, at least I was consistent in my misappellation 😉
Hey Guylty, have you oof’d the Toronto shot I have here? If not, my birthday is coming up *hint, hint, nudge, nudge*. 😉
Ooooh, NOTED! And no, I haven’t done that one yet. (Send me the birth date by mail so I know when to post, please).
I’m not really loving your alternate sweater choice either; it’s the collars for me, I’m very picky about my collars! I don’t really have a fashion-sense myself, I’m mostly a t-shirt and jeans kinda gal with an occasional stripe of color in my hair. I know what I *don’t* like when I see it on someone else, though 😉 *laughs*
The Hamm one? Yeah, it’s a lesser of evils kind of thing :). Every time I look at “high fashion” I see things that don’t look wearable, or I wonder who would walk around in that. I’m guessing a lot of runway styles are “art pieces” that the designers don’t really expect anyone will wear – but, admittedly, when I’m the most stylish around, I live in a largely haute couture free zone!
fashion/shopping is one of those “girl” genes that I seem to be missing. it’s all about comfort for me, which means nothing surrounding my neck & not too hot! so I very rarely wear sweaters 😉
I’m a big fan of the unconstructed cardigan for those very reasons…I hate to be hot (the last few days of no A/C at work have really discombobulated me) but there are notable article zones on my campus, so easy on and off layers are staples. Every now and then I’ll get a top with a different neckline…fidget the whole time I have it on and chalk it up to “looks really good on a hanger” fashion. I think what lies immediately below the neckline on me sometimes messes with the way the neck lays if you know what I mean 😉
“fugly” 😀 that’s the word!..also, Richard’s sweater looks like borrowed from little brother ,IMO
Yeah, I think it may well be more about the shape and the fit on RA than it is about the sweater itself…although, I’ve never really liked overstated logo wear, and that is an LV thing.
Yes, pompous logo and that poor dead sheep 😉
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Even Richard can’t make that sweater look good. Absolutely hideous! I’m not crazy about the Hamm sweater either, though Hamm himself is tasty enough…