Cardigan-Soft, Denim-Cool — The Best of Both

A soft ribbed-knit jacket finished with worn-in denim collar, cuffs and buttons — cozy as a cardigan, cool as a denim jacket, and it goes over everything you own.

I've always been torn between two things I love — the cozy comfort of a soft cardigan, and the casual, timeless cool of a denim jacket. But a cardigan looks a bit safe, and a stiff denim jacket has never once been comfortable, so I'd end up settling for one and quietly missing the other.

What I really wanted was the softness of a cardigan with the effortless cool of denim, in one easy jacket — something warm and comfortable that still looked put-together, and went over everything I own. But the cozy things were plain and the denim things were stiff. Nothing was both.

It was my daughter Sarah, up in Boston, who told me to stop choosing between the two and try one from a small family boutique here in South Carolina — a soft knit jacket with denim trim she thought I'd love. 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 jacket is called the Cleo, 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.

1Cardigan-soft, denim-cool — the best of both

We made the Cleo to give you the best of both — a soft, warm ribbed-knit jacket finished with worn-in denim collar, cuffs and buttons. Cozy as your favourite cardigan, cool and casual as a denim jacket, both at once. You throw it on over a tee and jeans and you're comfortable and put-together, with a bit of easy denim edge and no effort at all.

2The denim trim that gives it real style

Its soft knit is trimmed with worn-in denim — a denim collar, denim cuffs and a denim button placket — a clever contrast that turns a plain knit jacket into something with real casual style. It's the detail that lifts the whole thing, the sort of thing people notice and ask about, while it does all the work so you don't have to.

3Soft and cozy — none of the denim stiffness

A proper denim jacket is stiff as a board and hard at the shoulders — but the Cleo's body is a soft, warm ribbed knit, cozy and comfortable, with none of that stiffness. So you get the casual denim look with all the softness of your favourite cardigan: warm, easy, and lovely against the skin, the kind of jacket you never want to take off.

4A relaxed, oversized fit that skims and forgives

It's cut generously oversized, so it falls easily over everything and skims the middle instead of gripping it — room to move, room to layer over a jumper, and nothing pulling or cropping you off at the waist. Relaxed and effortless, the way a jacket should be, with the sleeves easy to push up.

5Layers over everything you own

Its soft cream and worn-in denim go with absolutely everything you own — over a white tee and jeans, a dress, a plain top — the kind of easy, neutral jacket that finishes any outfit without clashing with a thing. One jacket that quietly works with half your wardrobe, so you reach for it again and again.

6Seven colours, and a size for you, from S to 2XL

It comes in seven easy colours — cream, black, grey, red, tan, navy and brown — each with the same worn-in denim trim, and it runs from S to 2XL, cut generous and easy to layer over your things and flatter a real range of bodies. A jacket made to fit the woman, not to make the woman fit the jacket.

The Cleo, against your usual jacket

	Your usual jacket	The Cleo
Comfort	A denim jacket stiff as a board	Soft ribbed knit — cozy as a cardigan
Style	A plain cardigan, a bit safe	Denim trim with real casual cool
The cut	Cropped, tight, hard to move in	Oversized and easy — skims, never grips
Layering	Won't do up over a jumper	Room to layer over everything
Your wardrobe	Clashes with half your things	Soft cream and denim go with everything

Why they're clearing it now

They priced the Cleo at $144.95 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 jacket is going out for under half of that.

Mine arrived folded in tissue with a little handwritten note on top. I threw it on over my white tee and jeans that same morning, and it was cozy and cool at once — the first thing I've reached for since.

I don't usually write things like this. But the Cleo gave me the two things I'd always had to choose between — the softness of a cardigan and the easy cool of denim, in one jacket that goes with everything and I never want to take off. If you've been torn between cozy and cool 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 Cleo — $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.