A Letter From Michelle — The Jennifer
A Letter From Michelle
Why is it so difficult to find a cardigan that’s comfortable without making you look shapeless?
On the two buttons that decide everything, why a loose knit need not hang on you, the six things I would not compromise on, and why the Jennifer is $59.95.
Because the two usually arrive together. The ones that feel wonderful are cut like a bathrobe, and the ones that hold a shape want fastening where you would rather not have anything fastened.
So you end up with a drawer of soft things you do not quite want to be photographed in.
Look at where the two buttons sit, and then look at where they stop. They fasten high at the point of the V, and nothing fastens below them. That is the difference between a cardigan that draws a line across your middle and one that draws a line straight down it.
Six things I would not give up on.
Two buttons at the top, and nothing below them
Vintage-style rounds in dark horn, set high at the V, and that is the end of the fastening. Below them the front edges fall open and stay open, so the eye travels down rather than across.
“Those two black buttons are my favorite detail. I like that the cardigan stays open below them instead of being buttoned all the way down. Very flattering.”
Linda K., LancasterLoose through the body, with give in the knit
Cut loose on purpose, and knitted with some stretch in it, which is the combination that skims. A loose knit with no give hangs off you like a curtain. One with give follows you at a distance.
“Bought this to add some color to my mostly beige and navy wardrobe. Wore it with light blue jeans and sneakers while visiting my daughter. Easy, comfortable, and not too dressy.”
Elaine T., StauntonIt goes on over the top, not over your head
An October morning that turns warm by one o’clock is the whole argument for a cardigan. You take it off at the table and put it back on in the parking lot, and nothing goes over your head.
“I wore this to my granddaughter’s soccer game on Saturday morning. Just the right thing to throw over a white T-shirt when there’s a little chill in the air.”
Carolyn P., FranklinThree-quarter sleeves, finished in pale blue
They stop below the elbow, out of the sink and out of your way, and end in a band of pale blue in a basketweave texture rather than plain ribbing. The cuffs are where a sleeve gets noticed.
“I’m 69 and prefer sleeves that don’t get in my way. The three-quarter length is wonderful, and the blue cuffs are adorable. 😊”
Nancy W., RoanokeThe blue sits at the hem, which is low on purpose
A deep band of pale blue across the bottom, and nowhere else. A horizontal line draws the eye wherever you put it, so at the hem it lands below everything. And it is knitted in, not sewn on.
“The yellow and pale blue are such a cheerful combination! I wore mine with white jeans to lunch with my sister. It made a simple outfit feel a little more fun.”
Sharon M., AshevilleFour colors, and the one thing I would rather say here
The Jennifer comes in four colors, and these photographs are the Yellow — softer and dustier than the yellow you are picturing. It is a cotton blend, so it breathes. And the honest word: the sizes run S, M, L, XL and 2XL, and stop there. If you usually take a 3XL, this one will not fit you.
“The knit has a lovely texture, especially around the blue trim. I wasn’t sure about yellow at first, but it’s softer than the bright yellows I usually avoid.”
Judith R., BellinghamThe Jennifer, against what else $60 buys
| Most $60 cardigans | The Jennifer | |
|---|---|---|
| The front | Buttoned to the hem, or nothing at all | Two buttons high at the V, then left to fall open |
| The shape | Loose with no give, so it hangs off you | Cut loose and knitted with stretch, so it skims |
| The color | Beige, gray or black, like the rest of the rail | A soft yellow, with pale blue at the cuffs and hem |
| The blue | A strip of trim stitched on afterward | Knitted in, with the texture changing where it starts |
| Sizing | One cut, and you hope | Five sizes, S to 2XL, every one the same price |
Why we are clearing them out now
The Jennifer was $199.95, and that number was for a cotton-blend knit with the color-blocking knitted into the garment rather than stitched on afterward, a basketweave band at both cuffs and across the hem, and two horn buttons set at the V rather than a row of plastic ones down the front. Two yarns in one piece means two runs on the machine, which is why most makers sew a strip on at the end instead. But the store turns twenty this year, and my daughters Julie and Amy are both at the counter most days now, which is not something I let myself count on in 2006. We wanted to mark it by handing something back to the women who kept those doors open, so it is going out at just under a third of what it was.
And the honest reasoning. A cardigan is the thing you reach for without thinking, which is exactly why it should not be the dullest thing you own. At $59.95 it does not have to be.
★★★★★4.8 out of 5 — from 3,369+ reviews
$199.95$59.95
20th Anniversary Sale — Save 70%
- Two vintage-style buttons set high at the V
- Pale blue basketweave at both cuffs and across the hem
- Color-blocking knitted in, not stitched on
- Three-quarter sleeves
- A soft cotton blend that breathes
- Four colors · five sizes, S to 2XL, every one the same price
- Free UPS shipping · 30-day money-back guarantee
Every size the same price · while sizes last
One more thing, and then I will let you go.
Open the drawer where the cardigans are and look at the colors. Not the shapes, the colors.
If every one is a color you chose so as not to be noticed, that is worth knowing.
Then try it on over whatever you have on today. If it is not you, send it back within thirty days and we will refund you.
Go and find your size.
With love and gratitude,
— Michelle · The Hayes Family Hamptons
SEE THE JENNIFER — $59.95 →This is a personal letter from Michelle Hayes, co-founder of The Hayes Family Hamptons. Customer reviews are quoted as written. · Free UPS shipping · 30-day money-back guarantee.