No. 1, High Neck Sweater. I like the concept of a little faux fur knitted jacket without quite liking this particular one. I think it's all those horizontal lines, which have been created by interspersing the fur yarn with a worsted. It makes the jacket look so chopped up visually. I'd make the body entirely in fur yarn, and maybe add cuffs in the worsted.
No. 2, Round-Necked Sweater. This one's a lovely piece. It has a relaxed elegance.
No. 3, Embroidered Flowers Sweater. Another attractive design. I would fix the dropped sleeves.
No. 4, 3/4 Sleeve Sweater. This crocheted pullover is very good as well. The lines are good, and I do love a ballet neckline. Bergère de France has used silk for this sample, which is why it drapes so well.
No. 5, Short Sweater. Bergère de France does have a tendency to randomly embroider lines across sweaters, and it's a tendency I wish they'd try to rein in, because it usually does nothing for the item in question. I do rather like the sewn-on flowers (which I believe to be purchased) but that ECG-like line of embroidery isn't working. I'd replace it with some actual stripes or checks or some kind of patterning.
No. 6, Long-Line Cardigan. This one's a very nice piece of work. It won't look that good worn open (double-breasted styles almost never do), which limits its utility somewhat, but otherwise it's a very wearable item.
No. 7, V-Neck Sleeveless Top. I quite like this top, which has a nice texture and is amazingly flattering for something made out yarn that could so easily have made the wearer look like a stuffed toy. I would make those side vents much shorter. Perhaps the stylist wanted to make sure Bergère de France's readers could see more of this model's skirt, since there is little enough of it.
No. 8, Jacquard Sweater. I like this one, with its modern-feeling take on the classic fair isle.
No. 9, Sleeveless Sweater. Yikes. Did an eighties-era sweater sneak onto the photo shoot, seeking a flash of its former glory? This is one unflattering item, with its stiff, too-large shape and numerous pronounced horizontal lines, and it's none too attractive.
No. 10, Crochet Cardigan. It seems the eighties sweater just above this one brought its seventies vintage friend along when it decided to crash the Bergère de France photo shoot party. Time to tighten up security, Bergère de France.
No. 11, Sweater Cape. This item needs to decide whether it wants to be a sweater or a cape, because it cannot be both. I vote for the sweater option, because this design would be so lovely if it weren't the size of a tent.
No. 12, Jacquard Yoke Sweater. Very much like this one. The colour scheme is so appealing and the body's texture and yoke's colourwork make it look just luscious. I would shorten it to hip length though as that would be more flattering on most women than the tunic length worn by this (probably quite tall) model.
No. 13, Crochet Handbag. This bag isn't bad. It has a good shape. I would replace the tassel with a store-bought clasp or notion and knit it in another colourway to make it a little more polished and a little less boho.
No. 14, Stole. This stole is beautiful, but if I had that sample here in my hands I would nix those pom poms and the tassels so fast they wouldn't know what hit them. The only finishing touch a beautiful, luxurious piece like this needs is a distinctive shawl pin.
No. 15, Bodywarmer. This vest isn't bad. I’d consider colour matching the two yarns used here rather than going for a contrast look. And I would wear the vest with an outfit that actually goes with it instead of... this one.
No. 16, Openwork Crochet Sweater. Can't say I care for this one, which looks like it began life as an afghan and made some sort of half-hearted effort to transform itself into a sweater. That openwork band over the bustline was an especially bad life choice.
No. 17, Hooded Jacket. This is a rather nice piece. The stitch used here is quite pretty and the lines are good.
No. 18, Sleeveless Sweater. I don't think this quite works. I like the texture and the shape is almost right, but the shoulders extend too far down on the arms and detract from the overall shape, and the side lacing is somewhat too pronounced and looks a little crude and gimmicky.
No. 19, Short Sleeve Sweater. A nice, classic piece.
No. 20, Crochet Cardigan. Not thrilled with this one. I'd like to see this model standing up and facing the camera in this, because given the boxiness, wide sleeves, and possible cropped length of this item, I suspect it's a very difficult item to carry off.
No. 21, Roll Neck Sweater. A pretty, classic turtleneck.
No. 22, Crochet Beanie. This is a decent-looking basic hat.
No. 23, Openwork Sweater. I rather like this one. It would be a handy piece to pop over a tank top and shorts in the summer when the day turns unexpectedly cool.
No. 24, Scarf. A beautiful, luxurious yarn can make even a basic garter stitch scarf like this one look great. I would fringe the scarf though, to make it look a little more finished.
No. 25, Rolled Edge Sweater. This sweater is one of those perfect basics you'll wear countless times over the years until it's worn out. The shape is perfect and the rolled edges make it look finished and polished.
