A Letter From Eleanor · Co-founder of Merlow London
Merlow London · October 2026
Women Tell Me They Have to Choose Between a Smart Blazer and a Comfortable Cardigan. Christabel Is the One I Chose So You Can Have Both.
On the six things I insisted on when we chose the Christabel blazer, how she compares to the blazers already in your wardrobe, and why she is £49.95 during our anniversary.
Christabel in camel, over a simple top 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.
There is a moment I have watched happen for fifteen years. A woman is getting ready for lunch with friends, a family birthday or a day in town. She wants to look put together, so she reaches for a blazer. Then she remembers how it feels, and puts the cardigan on instead.
Because the jackets made for women our age fall into two piles. The first is the proper blazer: smart, but stiff, tight across the arms, the kind of thing that feels like you are going to a job interview. The second is the cardigan: soft and comfortable, but never quite as polished as you hoped. I never accepted that a woman had to choose between looking smart and feeling at ease.
A blazer at the front, a cardigan in the sleeves.
The Christabel blazer is my answer, and she is the one I have been wearing myself almost every day this October, over a simple top and jeans. 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.
1Knitted sleeves that move with you.
This is the detail that makes Christabel. Instead of stiff tailored sleeves, she has soft, ribbed knitted sleeves, so you can reach, carry and hug your grandchildren without anything pulling across your arms.
Where the blazer ends and the knit begins.
"The knitted sleeves are what sold me. They move with you and are so much more comfortable than a normal blazer."
2Smart, but never stiff.
A structured wool-blend body that holds its shape and gives you a clean, defined line, in a medium weight that suits the milder months of autumn. Polished enough for lunch out, relaxed enough to wear all day.
Neat on the shoulders, easy all day.
"Looks smart and polished but never feels stiff. I can comfortably wear it all day."
3Double buttons and real pockets.
A double-breasted front with chunky buttons lifts even the simplest outfit, and two side pockets give you somewhere to put your hands, or your phone. And thanks to the crease-resistant finish, she still looks neat after a long lunch.
The double-breasted front and lapels up close.
A real side pocket, in the green.
"The double buttons make it look far more expensive than it is. I've had so many compliments on it."
4Nine colours that go with what you own.
From camel and light grey to navy and a soft green, Christabel comes in nine neutral and soft tones, each chosen to sit with the jeans, trousers and dresses already in your wardrobe. Most women do not stop at one.
Camel, navy, light grey and green, four of the nine.
"I bought the navy first and loved it so much I went back for the green. Both go with almost everything."
5Every size from XS to 5XL.
This was the point I would not move on. A smart blazer should not stop at XL. The woman in a 5XL deserves the same Christabel as the woman in an extra small, at the same price.
"I'm a 4XL and the fit is lovely. It gives me room through the arms and middle without looking shapeless."
6An honest fit, so she arrives right the first time.
Because the body is structured, one honest note from me: if you are in doubt, choose the larger size. It gives you room for a top underneath, without Christabel ever looking oversized.
"I went one size up and it fits perfectly. Enough room for a top underneath without feeling oversized."
Christabel, against the blazers you have been buying
You can find a blazer for around £50 almost anywhere. I know, because I have tried on a great many of them. Here is the difference, laid out plainly.
- Stiff sleeves that pull when you lift your arms
- Feels formal, like a day at the office
- Creases the moment you sit down
- Black or navy, and that is it
- Stops at XL
- Soft knitted sleeves that move with you
- Smart at the front, relaxed to wear
- A crease-resistant finish
- Nine soft, easy colours
- Every size from XS to 5XL
I refuse to sell a blazer that asks a woman to choose between looking smart and feeling like herself. That is the whole reason Christabel is in our collection.
Why Christabel is £49.95 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 Christabel blazer is £49.95 instead of £100. 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 Christabel in two colours comes to £89.91 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 Christabel once comes back for a second colour. That is the quiet bet I am placing in writing you this letter at £49.95.
"This has completely replaced my usual stiff blazers. It looks smart enough when I want to feel dressed up, but those knitted sleeves make it feel more like wearing a cardigan. I bought the navy first and I'm already tempted by another colour."
Folded, tagged and ready to go out to you.
I am genuinely proud of the Christabel blazer. She is everything I was looking for all those years, and I hope she becomes the jacket you reach for whenever you want to look put together 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 🤎
Christabel · Double-Breasted Blazer with Knitted Sleeves
- Soft knitted sleeves that move with you
- Structured double-breasted front, crease-resistant
- Nine colours, XS to 5XL
- 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