A Letter From Eleanor · Co-founder of Merlow London
Merlow London · October 2026
Women Tell Me Their Cardigans Are Either Dull or Far Too Warm. Jennifer Is the One I Chose for Every Day in Between.
On the six things I insisted on when we chose the Jennifer cardigan, how she compares to the cardigans already in your wardrobe, and why she is £39.95 during our anniversary.
Jennifer in yellow, over a white tee and jeans.
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.
I must own more cardigans than any other piece of clothing, and I know I am not the only one. Yet every autumn I hear the same thing: I have a drawer full of cardigans, and I never feel lovely in any of them.
Because the cardigans made for women our age seem to fall into two piles. The first is the plain grey, navy or beige one, comfortable but so quiet that you disappear in it. The second is the big chunky knit, cosy outdoors but far too warm the moment you step inside. I never accepted that a woman had to choose between dull and overheated.
Jennifer in blue, the calm one.
Jennifer is my answer, and she is the cardigan I have been throwing on myself almost every day 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.
1Colour, with a soft blue frame.
Jennifer comes in a cheerful main colour with a band of soft, textured blue at the cuffs and hem. That little contrast is what makes her: colourful enough to lift a grey morning, calm enough to wear with everything you own.
Jennifer in pink, with the soft blue trim.
"The pink and blue together are such a lovely combination. It's cheerful without being too bright, and it looks beautiful with my usual jeans."
2Three-quarter sleeves that stay out of the way.
The sleeves stop just below the elbow, finished with that wide blue cuff. No sleeves dragging in the washing-up, no pushing them up all day, and just enough coverage over the arms.
"I love the three-quarter sleeves. They're just right for pottering around the house, and I don't have to keep pushing them up when I'm busy."
3Two vintage-style buttons.
A soft V-neck with two round buttons that give Jennifer a charming, classic look. Wear her buttoned for a neat finish, or open over a tee when the afternoon warms up.
"The two buttons are such a pretty little detail. I wear mine fastened with trousers or open over a white top, and it looks lovely both ways."
4A loose, relaxed shape that never clings.
Jennifer is cut loose and easy, so she skims over the middle instead of grabbing it. From the back, the colour-block hem gives her a neat finish, never a sack.
Relaxed from the back, with that blue panelled hem.
"Jennifer falls so nicely over my tummy without clinging. The shape feels relaxed but still looks neat, even from the back."
5A soft, breathable knit for every day.
A soft cotton-blend knit with a fine texture, breathable enough to wear indoors all day and cosy enough for a cool autumn walk. The layer you never need to take off.
"It's a lovely light layer for autumn. I can wear it indoors without getting too warm, then keep it on when I pop out for a little walk."
6Four colours to choose from.
Sunny yellow, calm blue, rich purple and a bright pink, each with the same soft blue trim. One honest note from me: Jennifer runs from S to 2XL with a loose, relaxed fit, so choose your usual size.
Jennifer in purple, the richest of the four.
"I chose the purple and it's a gorgeous colour. I ordered my usual size and the relaxed fit is just what I wanted. I'm tempted to get the blue one next."
Jennifer, against the cardigans you have been buying
You can find a cardigan for around £40 almost anywhere. I know, because I have bought a great many of them. Here is the difference, laid out plainly.
- Grey, navy or beige, so you disappear
- Or so chunky you overheat indoors
- Long sleeves that are always in the way
- Plain buttons, nothing to notice
- Clings or hangs shapelessly
- Four cheerful colours with a soft blue trim
- A breathable cotton-blend knit
- Three-quarter sleeves with a contrast cuff
- Two vintage-style buttons
- A loose, relaxed fit that skims
I refuse to sell a cardigan that asks a woman to choose between comfortable and cheerful. That is the whole reason Jennifer is in our collection.
"I first chose Jennifer in yellow because the colour made me smile. The soft blue trim is such a nice touch, and I love how the cardigan sits loosely without looking baggy. The three-quarter sleeves are especially handy when I'm doing things around the house. I've worn it over a white tee, with jeans and with smarter trousers, and it always looks lovely. I'm now thinking of ordering the pink one as well."
Why Jennifer 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 Jennifer cardigan 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 Jennifer 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 a woman who tries Jennifer once comes back for a second colour. That is the quiet bet I am placing in writing you this letter at £39.95.
I am genuinely proud of Jennifer. She is everything I was looking for in all those drawers full of cardigans, and I hope she becomes the one you reach for without thinking. 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 🤎
Jennifer · Colour-Block Knit Cardigan
- Yellow, blue, purple or pink, with a soft blue trim
- Soft, breathable cotton-blend knit
- Three-quarter sleeves, two vintage-style buttons, 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