Every knit I owned either clung in all the wrong places or weighed me down. This is a letter about the one that doesn't.
Six things this clean-line knitted poncho gets right that years of clingy jumpers and heavy knits never did, from a woman who wants to be warm and dressed in one easy move.
Margaret Ellis · Wiltshire · 5 min read
I am 64, I live in Wiltshire, and I want to start with an admission. For years my knitwear has come in two kinds. The jumpers that cling, and show every bit of me I would rather they didn't. And the big, heavy knits that keep me warm but weigh me down, so that by lunchtime I feel as if I am wearing a blanket. Every autumn the choice is the same: something neat that clings, or something cosy that swamps me. So this is not a fashion review. It is a woman who finally found one knit that does neither, saying why.
The knit I am writing about is the Estefanía, a roomy knitted poncho from us at Whitfield London. I will not pretend to be neutral about it. But I agreed to write this letter on one condition: that I could be completely honest in it.
Here is what forty-odd years of buying knitwear taught me. Knits offered to a woman over fifty come in two piles. The first is the clingy pile: fitted jumpers that look neat on the hanger and then follow every curve the moment you put them on. The second is the heavy pile: chunky knits that are warm enough, but so thick and weighty that you feel twice the size and can hardly wait to take them off.
The heavy one now lives at the back of the drawer. This one hangs on the wardrobe door, because it is the one I reach for.
This is the first knit I have owned that keeps me warm, does not cling, and goes with everything already in my wardrobe.
It comes down to six things, so let me walk you through them.
Warm, without weighing you down
It is a soft knit that keeps you warm without weighing you down. You notice the warmth when you step outside, and you do not notice the weight at all, which is exactly how I want a knit to feel.
It falls from the shoulder, without clinging
The cut is roomy and falls from the shoulder without clinging to the body. It covers and flatters at the same time, so you are not tugging at it all day or worrying about what it shows. It is a poncho, so the roomy shape is intentional.
On in one easy move
There are no zips and no buttons. You pull it on over your head in one easy move, and you are dressed. On a cold morning, when your fingers are not keen on fiddly fastenings, that matters more than you might think.
It goes with what you already own
It has a clean, simple line that goes with everything you already own. Wear it over a shirt with jeans, or with straight-leg trousers and ankle boots. Nothing new to buy, nothing to plan.
No hood, so it sits neatly over a shirt
There is no hood, which keeps the line clean and makes it perfect over a shirt. Your collar sits neatly at the neckline, and the hip length means it never feels like too much.
Four colours, sizes UK 8-10 to UK 24
It comes in four colours: black, brown, light blue and pink. Sizes run from S (UK 8-10) right up to 5XL (UK 24), with the same price in every colour and every size.
This knit, against the knits in your drawer
Most of us put up with knitwear we do not particularly like, because we want to stay warm. Here is the difference, laid out plainly.
- Fitted jumpers that cling
- Chunky knits that weigh you down
- Hoods that get in the way over a shirt
- Zips and buttons on cold mornings
- Worn out of necessity, never enjoyed
- Falls from the shoulder, without clinging
- Warm, without weighing you down
- No hood, so it sits neatly over a shirt
- Pull-on, no zips or buttons
- Four colours, UK 8-10 to UK 24
About the price
The Estefanía is £39.95 at the moment in our Autumn Sale, down from £99.95, with the same price in every colour and every size from S (UK 8-10) up to 5XL (UK 24).
I will not pretend otherwise: only a few pieces are left at this price. If you can still click “Add to cart”, your size is still available.
Delivery is free and tracked with Royal Mail, and if it is not right for you, you have our 30-day money-back guarantee.
If your own drawer holds one jumper that clings and one knit that weighs you down, this is the knit I would put round your shoulders myself, while the colour and size you want are still there.
Margaret Ellis
Estefanía | Ladies Wide Clean-Line Knit Poncho
£99.95£39.95Save 60%
- Roomy cut that falls from the shoulder
- Covers and flatters at the same time
- Soft knit, warm without the weight
- No hood, perfect over a shirt
- Pull-on, no zips or buttons
- Four colours · S (UK 8-10) to 5XL (UK 24)
- Free tracked shipping with Royal Mail
- 30-day money-back guarantee
Autumn Sale: only a few pieces left at the current price.
Margaret Ellis is 64 and lives in Wiltshire. She isn't a fashion writer — she's the fictional voice of women who want a comfortable, easy-to-wear poncho that still looks nicely put together.
This page is a paid advertisement for Whitfield London. Margaret is a fictional narrator.