A letter from a reader
A letter from a reader
I am 67 and I nearly scrolled past a jumper with a sun on it. I am glad I did not.
Five things the Marigold does that my grey winter jumpers never did, from a Harrogate woman who still does not quite believe the reaction it gets.
4 minute read
I am Anne. I am 67, I live in Harrogate, and most of you reading this will know by now that I do not write to shops. I wrote once before, about a hoodie, and said that would probably be the end of it. Then this jumper arrived, and I found myself back at the keyboard.
It is called the Marigold, from Abbey Lane. A golden sun sits on the shoulder and rainbow patchwork rays run down from it, woven right into the knit, not stuck on. On a cold morning in Harrogate it looks like someone let a bit of summer into the wardrobe.
By November my wardrobe is mostly grey, navy and the occasional brave maroon. Warm, sensible, and the sort of thing nobody has ever once mentioned. I was not looking for attention. I was looking for something warm that did not make me feel like part of the pavement.
Warm and invisible, or colourful and itchy. That had been my choice every winter until now.
The Marigold is neither, and it comes down to five things.
1The sun is woven in, not stuck on
I looked closely before I bought it, because I have been caught out before by a print that looks painted on. This one is not. The sunburst and the rainbow rays are knitted straight into the wool, so it moves and breathes like the rest of the jumper rather than sitting on top of it like a badge.
It is proper winter warm
The high neck sits snugly without being tight, and the whole thing is thicker than it looks in a photograph. I have worn it under my coat on the coldest mornings this month and not once reached for a scarf as well.
See the Marigold80% off ยท Free UK delivery ยท 30 day returns 3My husband noticed it
He rarely comments on anything I wear, which I mentioned last time too and it is still true. He asked where the jumper with "all the colours" had come from. That is roughly the highest praise I get.
It arrives looking exactly like the photograph
I will say plainly why I mention this. I have ordered plenty of things online that turned up looking like a different, sadder version of the picture. The Marigold did not. Same gold, same rainbow, same shape, straight out of the box.
It is the one I reach for on a dull morning
There is a particular kind of grey Yorkshire morning where nothing in the wardrobe feels like the right idea. On those mornings the Marigold has become the one I put on first, and I catch myself looking twice in the mirror before I leave the house, which is not something I am used to doing at my age.
The Marigold, against my usual winter jumpers
I own several perfectly good winter jumpers. Here is the honest difference.
My usual jumpers
- Grey, navy or maroon
- Nobody has ever mentioned one
- Warm, but plain
- Never once made my husband ask a question
- Worn because they are warm
The Marigold
- A golden sun and a rainbow woven in
- Comments from strangers and my own husband
- Properly warm, high neck
- Looks exactly like its photograph
- Worn because I want to
About the price
The Marigold is 80% off at Abbey Lane at the moment. I asked the shop directly what the catch was, because that is always my first question with a reduction that size. They told me there was none: it is one colourway, it comes in sizes UK 8 right through to UK 24, delivery is free anywhere in the UK, and you have 30 days to send it back if it is not for you. Their words, not mine.
From where I am sitting, all I can tell you is what has happened since I put it on, and you have just read that.
If you have a grey Yorkshire winter ahead of you, a wardrobe that has gone quietly dull, and a husband who rarely says a word about what you wear, this is the one I would hand you myself. Go and have a look before the cold properly sets in.
Anne
Marigold | Sunburst High-Neck Jumper
80% OFF- Golden sunburst and rainbow pattern, woven into the knit
- Cosy high neck, soft relaxed fit
- Long sleeves, easy to layer under a coat
- One colourway: Rainbow Print
- UK 8 to UK 24 (S to 5XL)
- Free UK delivery and 30 day returns
About the writer. Anne Whitaker is 67 and lives in Harrogate. She is a customer, not a fashion writer.
This page is an advertisement for Abbey Lane. Abbey Lane ยท Free UK delivery ยท 30 day returns.