The Cozy Cardigan That Lifts Any Outfit

A whole collection of soft, warm vintage-print cardigans — throw one over your plain tee and jeans and the whole outfit comes to life. Cozy, characterful, and cut S to 5XL.

My cool-weather wardrobe had quietly become a sea of grey and navy — sensible, warm, and utterly joyless. I'd throw a plain cardigan over a plain top and feel exactly as dull as I looked, and I'd stopped expecting anything different.

What I really wanted was one cozy layer with a bit of character — something soft and warm that turned my plain tee and jeans into an actual outfit, and covered my arms against the chill. But the warm cardigans were scratchy or bulky, and the pretty ones were thin and useless in the cold. Nothing was both.

It was my daughter Sarah, up in Boston, who told me to stop hiding in beige and look at a small family boutique here in South Carolina — a whole collection of vintage-print cardigans she thought I'd love. Before I tell you what they 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. Their vintage-print cardigans come from their letter that 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 cozy cardigan that lifts any outfit

We made our vintage-print cardigans to do what a plain grey one never could — turn the simple things you already own into an outfit. Throw one over a plain tee and jeans, or a blouse and trousers, and suddenly you look considered and put-together, with a bit of character and warmth. The easiest way we know to lift a whole outfit in one soft, cozy layer.

2Soft and warm, never itchy or bulky

They're knit from a wonderfully soft yarn that's warm and cozy against the skin — no scratch, no itch — and knit close enough to keep the chill off without adding bulk or swamping you. The kind of cardigan you put on first thing on a cool morning and never quite want to take off.

3A print for every you — the whole collection

There's a whole range of vintage prints to choose from — soft watercolour florals, autumn leaves, delicate wildflowers, a charming cat print and more — so there's one to suit every taste and every mood. Grown-up and characterful, never garish; the sort of print that has people asking where it's from, and has you feeling like yourself again.

4Buttons up, layers over everything

Each one buttons up neatly with warm wooden buttons and layers beautifully over everything you already own — a plain top, a dress, a blouse — adding warmth and character without swallowing the outfit underneath. One cozy layer that quietly works with half your wardrobe.

5Long sleeves that cover and keep you cozy

The long sleeves cover the arms right to the wrist and the soft knit keeps the chill off beautifully, so you're cozy and covered from the first cool morning right through the season. Warm where you feel the cold most — the arms and shoulders — and lovely with it.

6A size for you, from S to 5XL

The whole collection runs from S to 5XL, cut easy and generous to fit and flatter a real range of bodies — not one narrow idea of a figure. Cardigans made to fit the woman, not to make the woman fit the cardigan.

The Clarke cardigans, against the ones in your drawer

	The usual cardigan	The Clarke cardigans
The look	Plain, grey, joyless	A vintage print that lifts any outfit
The feel	Scratchy, or thin and useless	Soft and warm, never itchy
The bulk	Chunky, swamps you	Knit close — warm without the bulk
The choice	One dull option	A whole range of prints to choose from
The warmth	Cold arms, or a heavy coat	Long sleeves that cover and keep you cozy

Why they're clearing it now

They priced these cardigans at $199.95 when they launched, and they 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 cardigan is going out for under a third of that.

Mine arrived folded in tissue with a little handwritten note on top. I threw it on over my plain white tee that same morning, and looked like I'd made an effort I hadn't.

I don't usually write things like this. But these cardigans brought a bit of joy back to getting dressed — soft, warm, characterful, and covering my arms against the chill. I've one now and I'm already choosing a second. If your cool-weather wardrobe has gone as grey and joyless as mine had, this is the collection I'd tell you to look at, while the sale is still on.

— Margaret Ellison · Mount Pleasant, SC

See the whole collection — $59.95 each →

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