The Soft, Warm Turtleneck You'll Live In All Winter

A soft, plush knit turtleneck with a lovely woven texture, a cozy roll neck and a relaxed, forgiving fit — like being wrapped in a warm blanket, every single day.

At 63, when the cold comes in I just want to be warm and cozy — but most warm jumpers are either scratchy wool that itches the moment it touches me, or thin acrylic that leaves me chilly. I've never quite had the soft, warm thing I longed to wrap up in.

What I really wanted was one genuinely soft, warm turtleneck I could live in all winter — cozy, forgiving, and lovely enough to wear out. Everything I owned was either warm or comfortable or nice, never all three at once.

It was my daughter Sarah, up in Boston, who told me to stop settling and try one from a small family boutique here in South Carolina — a soft, plush turtleneck she thought I'd never take off. Before I tell you what it did, I think you should read the Clarke family's letter first.

The Clarke family runs a small boutique here in South Carolina, family-run since 1986 — three generations, mother to daughter. The jumper is called the Seraphina, and their letter walks through the handful of things they refused to compromise on. I am going to let their words carry it, because they say it better than I could.

1The soft, warm turtleneck you'll live in

We made the Seraphina from a soft, plush knit in a lovely cream — the kind of warm, cozy turtleneck you slip on and never quite want to take off. The moment it's on it feels like being wrapped in a warm blanket, and there's not a hint of scratch. The first thing you'll reach for the moment there's a chill, morning after morning, right through the winter.

2A rich woven texture that looks far more expensive

It has a beautiful raised basketweave texture running all through it — the kind of rich, considered detail that makes it look like a designer piece, not a plain beige jumper off a rack. Where a flat, plain knit reads as cheap, the Seraphina's texture makes it look lovely and costly, and people simply assume it cost a great deal.

3A relaxed, oversized fit that skims the middle

It has a relaxed, oversized fit that falls softly and skims right over the tummy and hips instead of gripping them. For those of us who've made peace with a softer middle but don't care to have it on display, it's forgiving and cozy at the very same time. You feel covered and warm, never squeezed.

4A cozy roll neck that keeps the draught off

Its soft, folded roll neck sits gently against the skin and keeps the draught right off your neck — the place you feel the cold most — so there's no scarf to wind, lose, or leave behind. Warmth built right into the jumper, gentle and cozy the moment you put it on.

5A rich neutral that goes with everything

It's a soft, elegant cream — the kind of rich neutral that goes with everything you own: over your jeans, your trousers, under a coat, with any scarf. One warm, quietly luxurious jumper that works with half your wardrobe and always looks expensive, so you find yourself reaching for it again and again.

6Two soft shades, and a size for you, from XS to 3XL

It comes in two soft, wearable shades — cream and white — and it runs from XS to 3XL, cut relaxed and easy to flatter a real range of bodies. A jumper made to fit the woman, not to make the woman fit the jumper.

The Seraphina, against your usual jumper

	The usual jumper	The Seraphina
The feel	Scratchy wool, or thin acrylic	Soft, plush knit — no scratch
The look	Plain and flat	A rich basketweave texture
The fit	Clings to the middle	A relaxed, oversized cut that skims it
The neck	A scarf to wind	A cozy roll neck, warmth built in
The colour	A shade that goes with nothing	A rich cream that goes with everything

Why they're clearing it now

They priced the Seraphina at $149.95 when it launched, and it sold at that price all season. But for America's 250th, the Clarke family wanted to give something back to the women who have kept their doors open since 1986 — so every jumper is going out at $59.95, well below half of what it was.

Mine arrived folded in tissue with a little handwritten note on top. I pulled it on that same cool morning and felt wrapped up and warm all day — it's barely left me since.

I don't usually write things like this. But the Seraphina gave me exactly what I'd stopped hoping to find — one soft, warm turtleneck I can live in all winter, with a rich texture that looks far more expensive than it was, a forgiving fit that skims right over the parts I'd rather not show, and a cozy roll neck that keeps me warm without a scarf. It's barely left me since it arrived. If you've made do with scratchy, plain jumpers the way I had, this is the one I'd tell you to try, while the sale is still on.

— Sandra Thompson · Mount Pleasant, SC

See the Seraphina — $59.95 →

This is a personal account from a Clarke Family customer. Sandra was not paid to write it. · The Clarke Family · Family Fashion · South Carolina, since 1986 · Free UPS shipping · 30-day money-back guarantee.