Hells yeah! And thus we scored our second perfect sweater dress.Д«ecause no trip to the mall would be complete without a quick stop at H&M, that's where we headed next. Hmmm.no price tag, but we figured we'd take our chances at the check out cuz hey, it's Target, how much can it be? Well, it was our lucky day because the cashier didn't know how much it was either, and since it was the last of its kind, she asked us if $14.99 seemed like a satisfactory price. We could wear it with tights and boots or skinny jeans and it would look equally fly.

Subtle pleating around the waistline created a flattering silhouette. While made almost entirely of Merino wool (the sleeves and top are 17% nylon), the dress was pleasantly soft and allowed for freedom of movement. Then we spotted the gorgeous purple sweater dress on the left (above) by none other than Isaac Mizrahi, and we knew we had found something special. Xlihiration and Mossimo each had a few sweater dresses, but they were scary in cut, color and touch. The Alice Temperley collection had been completely picked over. Pass.ДЄlthough we had already scored one choice sweater dress, we hadn't even hit Target yet, so onward we marched. The price ($22.80) was nice but not when you consider the fabric was 97.5% polyester and 2.5% spandex. While we love kimono sleeves, the horizontal design on the shoulders made us look like linebackers. Yeah, kinda steep for F21, but we knew we'd get a lot of wear out of it, so we bought it anyways.ДЄs we're leaving the dressing room, we spotted the dress on the right (above) and since it was the first funky sweater dress we'd seen all day, we decided to try it on, too. Besides, we could easily dress it up with heels, a different belt, a scarf, cute clutch, bold pendant, colored tights.the list goes on and on! We had to have it. Sure, black is a safe color, but its always slimming and flattering. The fabric was soft and the right thickness (78% cotton, 22% nylon). Miss, miss, miss, HIT! The black sweater dress on the left (above) smacked of DKNY and fit like a glove it was fitted but not too revealing, and looked as great with the skinny jeans we were already wearing (Chip & Pepper Nik Skinny Stacks, purchased for $25 on eBay) as it did on its own. We rummaged around for a while, happily bopping our heads to the sounds of the latest tunes from M.I.A., piling dresses high on our arm and then headed swiftly to the dressing room, determined not to get sucked into spending the rest of our afternoon there.

Mostly neutral shades-gray, black, cream-as well as a few in red, purple, rust and emerald green. No shortage of sweater dresses here, although interestingly enough, they were all pretty tame and classic in design. Moreover, it was too short for anyone post high-school diploma to wear sans leggings or pants. Unfortunately, the turtleneck was too constricting (it felt more like a neck brace than a comfy sweater), and the thick knit made us look 10 pounds heavier. Plus, it was only $19.98 so our fingers were crossed that it would work out in the dressing room. It looked promising-had a Ralph Lauren vibe to it-and felt soft to the touch. In fact, it was the first item on display by the entrance. Next, we headed over to Steve and Barry's to see if Bitten SJP's fall collection would include a sweater dress-which it surprisingly did (above right). The fabric was also kinda rough and didn't seem especially warm (68% cotton, 32% viscose), so when we read the $59.50 price tag, it was easy to leave this one alone. The fit was flattering and the skirt draped nicely, but the pattern and cut of the sleeves made our shoulders look really broad. We decided to try on the dress on the left (above) because the textured brown and taupe weave gave the fabric some added interest. Basic neutrals like black and gray dominated.

Within seconds, we spotted a rack of sweater dresses near the front of the store. Our first stop (based solely on where we parked) was Express. In order to earn a spot in our closet, the perfect sweater dress would have to 1) look good with either tights, leggings OR skinny jeans 2) be snuggly and warm (or suitable for layering) 3) be versatile enough to dress up or dress down and 4) not make us look like snowmen. It's our favorite one-piece ensemble for chic winter-style that defies even the coldest, crummiest weather. We hit Fifth Ave the mall this weekend in search of the perfect sweater dress.

Red fox h and m sweater