HELEN | Hooded cardigan with a flared hem

It flares out below the waist instead of stopping there, and that changed how it looks on me entirely.

Most cardigans are cut straight from shoulder to hem, which sounds neutral and is not. A straight cut hangs off the widest point and stops dead, so it draws a line exactly where you would rather it did not. Women notice this in photographs more than in mirrors, which is why so many cardigans get worn twice. Helen is cut to widen gradually instead.

The silhouette flares from the waist down, so the fabric moves away from the body through the hips rather than clinging to them, and the hem finishes on a soft curve instead of a hard line. The knit is dense enough to hold that shape rather than collapsing into it. A hood sits at the back, which handles light wind and a bit of drizzle without needing a coat. The whole thing washes in a machine and comes back the same shape.

Why women our age keep coming back to it

• The flare moves the fabric away from the hips. It widens gradually below the waist rather than hanging straight, so there is no hard line across the middle.
• A hood instead of a coat. Enough cover for a windy parking lot or light drizzle, without putting on and carrying another layer.
• It holds its shape through the wash. The knit is dense enough that the flare is still there after a machine cycle, which is where most shaped knits give up.
• Sizes to 5XL with the shape intact. The flare is cut into every size, so the larger ones are shaped rather than simply bigger.

Buy more, save more

• Buy 2, save 10%
• Buy 3, save 15%
• Buy 4, save 20%

The discount is applied automatically at checkout.

How it fits

Take your usual size, in S through 5XL. Fit it at the chest and shoulders rather than the hip, since the flare handles the rest on its own. If you are between two sizes, take the larger one so the shoulders sit properly under the weight of the hood. Returns are covered below if the size is wrong.

30 days to change your mind

Look at it from the side as well as the front, because the flare is what you are paying attention to. If it is not right, send it back within 30 days for a full refund. No restocking fee and no conditions attached.

A few recent reviews

I am pear shaped and cardigans usually stop right at the worst spot. This one keeps going. Bernadette S., Henderson

Washed it half a dozen times and the shape has not gone anywhere. Annette D., Scottsdale

The yellow one is cheerful without being loud. I get stopped about it at the market. Yvonne R., Tucson