A Letter From Michelle: The Wrenna
A Letter From Michelle
The sweaters did not shrink. They were never cut to move.
On the six things I won’t do without before a knit goes on the rack, why a stand collar is the detail nobody thinks to ask for, and why the Wrenna is $59.95.
You pull it straight behind you when you sit down. Most women I know do it without noticing any more.
Nothing in your closet changed. You did, a little, the way everyone does, and none of it was cut to move with you. So the choice narrows to two: something that grips across the back and the upper arms, or something so large you disappear inside it.
Then there is the weather. Cold at eight, warm by two, cold again when the sun goes, so whatever you own comes on and off all day — and a thick sweater over your head three times is its own small misery.
And when you go looking, the rack is beige and gray and brown, the way it has been every autumn for twenty years.
So you own the cardigan. Everybody owns the cardigan. It is gray, or it is navy, and you would not wear it to meet anyone. It is a temperature solution, not a piece of clothing, and some part of you knows the difference.
That is the gap this one is meant to close: the layer you put on for the weather that you would also happily be seen in.
There were six things I would not give up on.
A zipper, because the day changes and you do not want to
Buttons are a decision you make once, in the hallway, before the day has told you anything. A full-length zipper means you can change your mind on the sidewalk — open when the afternoon warms up, closed to the collar when the sun goes and the temperature drops ten degrees. And it never goes over your head, which is the other half of the problem.
“I’m more of a zipper person than a button person, so the Wrenna caught my attention. I wear it open over a plain shirt most afternoons. The gold-tone zipper looks lovely against the floral pattern.”
Diane V., OlympiaThe stand collar — the detail nobody thinks to ask for
A shawl collar has to be arranged. A notch collar flips the wrong way and you fix it in car windows all afternoon. A ribbed stand collar does not need you. It goes up, it stays up, and zipped to the top it keeps the draft off the back of your neck.
“I took this along for a few days visiting a friend. It worked with the jeans and simple tops I’d packed. One evening, I zipped it up before we went out for dinner. I especially like the stand collar because I don’t have to fuss with folding it into place. A cheerful addition to my usual travel clothes.”
Rebecca G., AshevilleWildflowers on oatmeal, not on navy
Orange poppies, blue cornflowers, daisies and small berries on green stems, climbing up the body and down both sleeves on an oatmeal ground. The oatmeal is the part that makes it wearable: on a dark knit those colors crowd into one loud object; on a light one they stay separate, with space around them. You see a cardigan first and the flowers second — and with four or five colors in it, almost anything plain goes underneath.
“I wasn’t sure how often I’d wear a floral cardigan, but this has been easy to work into my closet. There are several colors in the print to pair with my plain tops. My favorite combination so far is a blue shirt and dark jeans. I like the relaxed shape, with the ribbed hem giving it a neat finish. It’s become a pleasant change from the plain cardigan I usually reach for.”
Ruth C., HarrisburgTwo pockets, which should not be remarkable
A surprising number of cardigans do not have them, and you only find out standing at the front door with your keys in your hand. There are two here, set into the sides, deep enough for keys and somewhere to put your hands while you stand around talking.
“Pockets in a cardigan make me happy. These give me somewhere to tuck my keys when I step out to check the mail.”
Carol M., LincolnA knit with give, and cuffs that stay put
The knit has gentle stretch in it, which you notice reaching across a table or getting out of a low chair — or rather, which you do not notice, because nothing pulls across your back or grips the tops of your arms. The ribbing at the cuffs and hem is doing quiet structural work: it keeps a relaxed shape from going shapeless, so the cuffs stay where you push them and the hem sits instead of drooping.
“I wanted something comfortable for sitting at my desk that I could also wear out for coffee afterward. The knit has a little give, which I appreciate when I’m reaching around. The ribbed cuffs are a detail I like, too.”
Judith P., Grand RapidsS through 3XL, and it washes at home
Six sizes, S through 3XL, all the same price. It is cut relaxed and runs true to size, so take what you usually take. Machine wash cold and lay it flat to dry. No dry cleaner, because the pieces you have to be careful with are the ones that stay on the hanger.
“The little blue flowers against the oatmeal background are my favorite part. Pretty with jeans, and easy to wear.”
Barbara E., DaytonThe Wrenna, against what you have been buying
| Most $60 cardigans | The Wrenna | |
|---|---|---|
| The closure | Buttons, decided in the hallway | A zipper, so you decide on the sidewalk |
| The collar | None, or one that needs arranging | A ribbed stand collar that stays up by itself |
| The ground | Gray or navy, and that is the whole story | Oatmeal, with the flowers given room around them |
| The print | A small repeat, if there is one at all | Flowers across the body and down both sleeves |
| Pockets | Often none, discovered at the door | Two, set into the sides, deep enough for keys |
| Sizing | Stops at XL, if you are lucky | S through 3XL, every size the same price |
Why we’re clearing it now
The Wrenna was $299.95, and that number was for wildflowers carried across the body and down both sleeves on oatmeal, a full-length gold-tone zipper, a ribbed stand collar, and two pockets set into the sides. I am not going to stand here and tell you that is a small amount of money for a cardigan. 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 a fifth of what it was.
I will give you the honest reasoning too. The in-between days are not a season. They are most of October and most of April, which means whatever you wear on them goes on more often than any coat you own. This is the one you buy before the morning that is cold at eight and warm by two. If it is the one on the back of the chair all autumn, then $59.95 was never the point.
★★★★★4.8 out of 5 — from 3,369+ reviews
$299.95$59.95
20th Anniversary Sale — Save 80%
- Wildflowers across the body and down both sleeves, on an oatmeal knit
- A full-length gold-tone zipper
- A ribbed stand collar that stays up on its own
- Ribbed cuffs and hem holding a relaxed shape
- Two side pockets
- A knit with gentle stretch
- True to size, S through 3XL
- Machine wash cold · lay flat to dry
- Free UPS shipping · 30-day money-back guarantee
Every size the same price · while they last
One more thing, and then I will let you look.
I think the gray cardigan survives in everybody’s closet because nobody ever decided to keep it. It was simply never the thing you replaced.
You do not have to throw it out. Just have something else to reach for on the days you would rather not be caught in it.
With love and gratitude,
— Michelle · The Hayes Family Hamptons
SEE THE WRENNA — $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.