So, another colleague bought a sweater vest.

The knitted breastplates are a little contagious. And, of course, delightful.

They’re sported by many a gent at the Sun Journal. There’s even an inside office joke about cop reporter/man of mystery Mark LaFlamme and sweater vests, the exact details of which escape Bag Lady at the moment.

Maybe he bought one once? Or he’s afraid of them?

Either way, next time you see him, just say, “Sweater vests! Am I right?”

He’ll totally get it.

All this vest talk brought Bag Lady and Shopping Siren to thoughts of Father’s Day (it’s coming up!) and Mother’s Day (even sooner!)

So we sallied forth: Sweater vests for dad, stylin’ sensible shoes (the sweater-vest-equivalent) for mom.

Because we’re thoughtful daughters like that. And we may have caught the sweater vest bug.

* Craft & Barrow sole (sense)ability flats, Kohl’s, $38.99

Black flats with white polka dots and a bright red strip across the toe. Comfortable and eye-catching — strikes a perfect balance (and in these, mom can actually balance. Unlike the Frankenstein sneakers with the 4-inch heels that we spotted nearby. Wince).

* Chaps red vest, Kohl’s, $9

Bright red. Dare we say Dad-of-the-Year red.

* Unionbay Jenna glitter black kitten heel, Kohl’s, $30.99

Subtly bedazzled, uber-short heel, very chic. A pair for you, a pair for mom. It can be a bonding sort of thing.

* Dockers XXL easy care vest, Kohl’s, $9

Light brown vest with dark brown, gray and blue diamonds in a line down the front. Very handsome, yes, but the best part? It’s EASY CARE. Dad can throw it in the washer, throw it in the dryer and then throw it on. All clothing should be this easy.

* Keds Chase ballet flat, Kohl’s, $42.99

If a sneaker and a ballet flat got together, fell in love, had twins and painted said children silver and sea foam green, that would be weird. And, like, biologically impossible. Nonetheless, they would be these shoes. 

* St. John’s Bay black diamond knit sweater vest, large, Goodwill, $4.99

V-neck and manly, fulfilling both sweater vest requirements.

* Converse black high-tops, size 10, J.C. Penney, $20

Classic black high-tops with a chic secret inside: leopard print! Flip the cuff to show a bit ‘o print and mom can go from suburban mother to wild woman in 2.6 seconds flat. We timed it.

* Stafford brown-gray tweed vest, J.C. Penney, $30

More vest than sweater, but very urban-dad hip. Without being blatantly hip. Matters.

* Yuu Acelin H-strap slide sandals, J.C. Penney, $28

In brown, white or black, these slip-on sandals go with any mom outfit. Cushy, they’ll be comfortable for any mom day out. Cute, with a braided-rope-like design across the front, they’ll be stylin’ for any mom. Period. 

Best find:  Apt. 9 XXL maroon vest, Kohl’s $8.80

Your dad too cool for something so Ward Cleaver? Well, this sweater vest looks a lot like the one Robert De Niro wore in “Little Fockers.” If that doesn’t up the coolness factor by 20,000 points, we don’t know what will.

Think twice: Timberland gray vest, medium, Goodwill, $4.99 (plus half off this week!)

Great-looking vest except for one thing: the “Advanced MicroSystems” logo stitched across the breast. Unless dad works there, or wants to work there, or is a particular fan of Advanced MicroSystems (Hello, Lewiston-based information technology solutions!)

In that case, it’s vest-on!

Bag Lady and Shopping Siren’s true identities are protected by a pair of stylish, sweater-wearing Doberman pinschers (who want to know where all the snow went) and the Customer Service counter at the Sun Journal. You can reach them at baglady@sunjournal.com and shoppingsiren@sunjournal.com.

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