The same gray cardigan in every photo
The jacket that finally got me out of my gray cardigan.
On the soft knit jacket with a denim-style collar that feels like my old cardigan, looks like I made an effort, and comes down past the hip. The one I now reach for every morning.
I am 61 years old, and I taught fourth grade for thirty-one years. For my birthday in August, my daughter Megan made me a photo book: ten years of our family, Thanksgivings and graduations and my grandson's first steps in the backyard. About halfway through, she started to laugh.
“Mom. You're wearing the same gray cardigan in every single picture.”
She was right. A long, shapeless gray thing I had bought because it went with everything, which I now understand is another way of saying it went with nothing. Everything comfortable in my closet was shapeless, and everything with a little shape pinched. Somewhere along the way I had started to feel a little invisible in my own clothes.
Then I started paying attention to my friend Linda at church. Every Sunday she looked comfortable and put-together at the same time, and one morning I finally asked her how. She told me it was mostly one jacket, and where she got it.
It's from The Callahan Family, an online boutique that chooses every piece for fit, comfort and versatility. The jacket is called the Elaine, and their notes on it walk through the handful of things they looked for. I'll let their words carry it, with a note from me after each one.
1Soft as a cardigan, shaped like a jacket
We wanted the comfort of a favorite cardigan without the slump. The body of the Elaine is a soft ribbed knit, with a structured feel that lets it hang like a jacket instead of a sweater. It's as easy to wear as anything in your closet, and it looks like you made an effort.
2A collar with some character
The collar, the button front and the cuffs are finished in a washed, denim-inspired fabric, with proper lapels. It's a small detail, but it's the one that turns a plain T-shirt and jeans into an outfit. Turn the sleeves back and a little of the denim shows at the wrist.
3Open over anything, or buttoned up
The Elaine is made to layer. Wear it open over a T-shirt, a blouse or a simple knit dress, with jeans or slacks, and button it when the morning turns chilly. It's one jacket, and most of what's already in your closet starts working harder.
4Long enough to cover the hips
We chose a longer cut that comes down past the hip, for women who would rather keep a few things to themselves. It flatters when you're standing and stays comfortable when you sit.
5Six colors, from quiet to bold
Black
Navy Blue
Khaki
White
Red
MulticolorBlack and navy go with everything. Khaki and white are soft and easy. Red is for the days you'd like to be noticed, and the multicolor patchwork is for the woman who has decided to have some fun. Every one has the same denim-style collar and cuffs.
6It fits the body you have
The Elaine is cut relaxed without being baggy, to flatter rather than cling, in sizes S through 3XL. If you're between two sizes, we suggest going one size up.
The Elaine, against the cardigans you've been buying
| Typical cardigan | The Elaine | |
|---|---|---|
| Shape | Slumps and stretches out | A structured feel that hangs like a jacket |
| Look | Plain, the color of oatmeal | A denim-style collar, cuffs and lapels |
| Length | Too short, or a blanket | Comes down past the hip |
| Wearing it | Goes with everything, says nothing | Open over anything, or buttoned |
| Colors | Gray, beige or black | Six, from black to red |
- Slumps and stretches out
- Plain, the color of oatmeal
- Too short, or a blanket
- Goes with everything, says nothing
- Gray, beige or black
- A structured feel that hangs like a jacket
- A denim-style collar, cuffs and lapels
- Comes down past the hip
- Open over anything, or buttoned
- Six colors, from black to red
About the price
I checked this first, so I'll be straight with you. The Elaine is $74.95 right now. Shipping is free in the U.S., and there's a 30-day money-back guarantee, so if it hadn't fit or I hadn't loved it, I could have sent it back.
What I didn't know is that the discount grows when you buy more than one: 10% off two, 15% off three and 20% off four, taken off automatically at checkout. I ordered the red on its own two weeks later. Learn from me and order both at once.
The Elaine Jacket
- A soft ribbed knit that hangs like a jacket
- Denim-style collar, button front and cuffs
- A longer cut that comes down past the hip
- Six colors · sizes S–3XL
- Free U.S. shipping · 30-day money-back guarantee
The Elaine Jacket · $74.95 · 10% off when you buy two
Taken off automatically at checkout.
I don't usually write things like this. But I spent ten years wrapped in gray, and one jacket quietly got me out of it. Thanksgiving is coming, and somebody is going to take pictures. If there's a cardigan like mine in your closet, this is where I'd start.
The gray cardigan went in the donation box. Megan says the next photo book is going to look very different.
— Rachel Thompson · Richmond, VA
See the Elaine — $74.95 →The details about the Elaine jacket come from its product page. · The Callahan Family · info@thecallahanfamily.com