A Letter From Eleanor · Co-founder of Merlow London
Merlow London · October 2026
Women Tell Me Their Hoodies Are Too Short and Too Plain. Beatrice Is the Long, Hooded Jacket I Chose With a Little Secret Inside.
On the six things I insisted on when we chose the Beatrice jacket, how she compares to the hoodies already in your wardrobe, and why she is £39.95 during our anniversary.
Beatrice in green, the one I wear myself.
I am Eleanor, and in 2011 my sister Sophie and I started Merlow London with one stubborn belief: no woman should ever have to choose between feeling comfortable and looking beautifully dressed.
Almost every woman I know has a zip-up hoodie by the door. It is the thing you pull on for the dog walk, the garden or a quick trip to the shops. And almost every woman I know apologises for it the moment she bumps into someone she knows.
Because the hoodies made for women our age seem to fall into two piles. The first is the short, boxy sports hoodie that stops right at the waist and feels like something borrowed from a grandson. The second is the long, shapeless one in plain grey that hangs like a sack. I never accepted that a woman had to choose between cosy and looking like herself.
Beatrice in navy, with the leaf-print hood.
Beatrice is my answer, and she is the jacket I have been reaching for myself almost every morning this October. When Sophie and I were putting together this autumn's collection, I had a list, and I was not going to give up a single point of it. These are the six things I insisted on.
1 A hood with a little secret inside.
Pull Beatrice on and the hood falls open to show a green tropical leaf print. It is the detail people notice first, and the one that turns a simple zip jacket into something that feels like you chose it on purpose.
The leaf print inside the hood, on black.
"The leaf pattern inside the hood is such a lovely surprise. I chose the black jacket and the little flash of green makes it feel much more special than an ordinary hoodie."
2 A diagonal zip that flatters.
The zip runs on a gentle slant across the front instead of straight down the middle. It draws the eye in a long, slimming line, and you can wear it zipped high on a cold morning or open over a top.
That diagonal zip and the curved hem, in rust orange.
"I really like the unusual zip on Beatrice. It gives the front a much nicer shape than my old hoodie, and it looks just as good worn open over a plain top."
3 A drawstring hood for windy days.
The hood has a drawstring, so when the wind picks up on the walk home you can pull it in snugly around your face, and let it fall back again once you are inside.
"The hood is brilliant for my morning walks. I can pull it a little closer when the wind picks up, and it sits comfortably when I leave it down."
4 Long enough to cover, with a curved hem.
Beatrice comes down well over the hips, and the hem curves softly lower at the front. It covers what you want covered and moves with you, so you never feel you are tugging her down.
Rust orange, long over the hips, with white trousers.
"At last, a jacket that actually covers my hips. The curved bottom is very flattering and I don't find myself pulling it down every time I move."
5 Pockets for cold hands.
Two pockets sit right where your hands fall, for your phone, your keys and your hands on a chilly morning. Small thing, but I will not choose a jacket without them.
Black, hands in pockets, the leaf print peeking out.
"The pockets are exactly where I want them. I can pop my keys in one and keep my hands warm in the other when I'm out with the dog."
6 Six colours to choose from.
Navy, grey, rust orange, green, black and burgundy, every one with the same leaf-print hood. One honest note from me: Beatrice runs from S to 2XL, so choose your usual size.
Navy, the easiest of the six to wear with everything.
"I went for navy because it goes with practically everything. I ordered my usual size and the fit feels lovely and relaxed. I'm already tempted by the rust orange."
Beatrice, against the hoodies you have been buying
You can find a zip-up hoodie for around £40 almost anywhere. I know, because I have tried a great many of them. Here is the difference, laid out plainly.
- Short and boxy, stopping at the waist
- Or long and shapeless, hanging like a sack
- A plain hood with nothing to notice
- A straight sporty zip
- Grey, black, and that is it
- Long over the hips, with a soft curved hem
- A shape that skims instead of hanging
- A green leaf-print lining in the hood
- A flattering diagonal zip
- Six colours to choose from
Beatrice in green, laid out flat.
I refuse to sell a jacket that asks a woman to choose between being comfortable and feeling put together. That is the whole reason Beatrice is in our collection.
"I bought Beatrice in green because I wanted something a little smarter than the old hoodie I always wore for walking the dog. I love the longer length because it covers my hips properly, and the diagonal zip makes it look much more flattering than I expected. The leafy lining in the hood is such a pretty touch. I wear it for morning walks, popping to the shops and meeting friends for coffee. It's become the jacket I reach for without even thinking. I'm now considering getting the navy one too."
Why Beatrice is £39.95 right now
This year, Merlow London turns 15. Sophie and I talked for a long time about how to celebrate, and we kept coming back to the same answer: with the women who made these fifteen years possible.
So for our 15th Anniversary Sale, the Beatrice jacket is £39.95. And when you choose more than one piece, you save even more, taken off automatically at checkout: 10% extra on 2 pieces, 15% on 3, 20% on 4 and 25% on 5 or more. So Beatrice in two colours comes to £71.91 for both.
The anniversary prices are only here for a limited time. When the celebration ends, so do they.
If fifteen years of Merlow London have taught me anything, it is that once a woman owns a jacket she can grab without thinking and still feel lovely in, she wonders how she ever managed without it. That is the quiet bet I am placing in writing you this letter at £39.95.
I am genuinely proud of Beatrice. She is everything I was looking for every time I grabbed a hoodie on the way out of the door, and I hope she becomes the jacket you reach for without a second thought. Delivery is free across the UK, and you have our 30-day money-back guarantee. If she does not make you feel wonderful, simply send her back.
With love,
Eleanor & Sophie 🤎
Beatrice · Long Hooded Zip Jacket
- Green leaf-print lining inside a drawstring hood
- Flattering diagonal zip and a soft curved hem
- Long over the hips, two pockets, S to 2XL
- Free UK delivery & 30-day money-back guarantee
Choose more and save: 10% extra on 2 pieces, up to 25% on 5+.
See if your size is still availableAbout the writer. Eleanor co-founded Merlow London with her sister Sophie in 2011. Fifteen years on, she still chooses every piece in the collection with one question in mind: would a woman feel both comfortable and beautifully dressed in it?
This is a personal letter from the founders of Merlow London. Anniversary prices are valid for a limited time and while stock lasts.
15th Anniversary Sale