The cardigan that made getting dressed easy again.
On the oversized knit cardigan are five brushed-gold buttons set on the diagonal, a soft point collar, roomy sleeves, and a drape that skims rather than clings.
I am 61 years old, and I have spent a long time reaching for the same three cardigans — navy, grey, black — because anything else felt like trying too hard for a Tuesday. Somewhere along the way I decided the fitted ones weren't for me anymore, and the boxy ones just weren't worth the price.
But at dinner with my friend Ellen last month, she showed up wearing a cardigan I could not stop looking at — oversized, with these round gold buttons set on the diagonal, unlike anything in my own closet. When I asked about it, she pulled out her phone right there at the table. "The family behind it wrote their own letter about it," she said, and texted me the link before we'd even finished dessert.
I read it that night. The Thomas family runs a small boutique in Palm Beach, family-run for over twenty years. The cardigan is called the Elara, and their letter walks through the handful of things they refused to compromise on. I am going to let their words carry it, because they say it better than I could.
A collar and buttons that do the dressing up for you
We wanted the collar and buttons to do the dressing up for you, so we used a classic point collar and oversized gold-tone buttons set on the diagonal. It reads as finished even over a plain t-shirt, so you're not layering on jewelry or a scarf just to look like you tried.
Room in the sleeves, without the bulk
We cut the sleeves full through the arm and gathered them at the cuff, so you can wear a blouse underneath without anything pulling — and you're never fighting a tight armhole to reach for something on a shelf.
A ribbed knit that holds its shape
We chose a substantial ribbed knit — warm enough for an air-conditioned office or a cool evening, without the fuzz or the stretched-out look you get from a thinner sweater knit after a few washes.
A drape that skims, not clings
It's cut generously through the body on purpose — it skims over the middle rather than gripping it, so it moves with you instead of announcing every seam.
Ten colors, one silhouette
Once we found a fit that worked, it seemed silly to only offer it in one color — so it comes in ten, from a deep navy to a soft ivory to burgundy, all in the same easy shape.
Sized for the body you have
It's offered from S through 2XL, cut with the same relaxed proportions across the range — the idea being that you shouldn't have to squeeze into a “flattering” cut to get one that actually fits.
The Elara, against your usual cardigan
Why the price is marked down
This particular run of the Elara was priced at $180 when it first came in. In their letter, the Thomas family wrote about the same thing a lot of small shops are dealing with right now: rising costs make it harder to keep the doors open, so rather than hold onto stock waiting for full price, they'd rather see it worn. That's the whole idea behind what they're calling the Revival Sale — everything in the store marked down, each piece its own price. My cardigan came out to $69.95.
I ordered mine that evening. It showed up a few days later, wrapped simply, with a handwritten note tucked in — the kind of small touch you don't get from the bigger stores anymore.
Elara | Oversized button knit cardigan
- Classic point collar, oversized gold-tone buttons
- Roomy sleeves with a gathered cuff
- Substantial ribbed knit, true four-season weight
- Relaxed, oversized fit that skims rather than clings
- 10 colors · Sizes S–2XL
- Free USPS shipping · 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee
I don't usually write things like this, but this one felt worth it. I had been reaching for the same three cardigans for years, playing it safe so as not to try too hard, and this one quietly gave me back the version of getting dressed that actually feels like me — finished without effort, warm without the bulk. Every time I've worn it since it arrived, someone asks about it, and every time, I tell them the same thing, exactly as Ellen told me: it's from a small family boutique in Palm Beach. And now you've read exactly why. If that sounds like you, I hope you get yours before it's gone.
— Kathleen Lester · Delray Beach, FL
This is a personal account from a Thomas Family customer. Kathleen was not paid to write it. · The Thomas Family - Palm Beach · Free USPS shipping · 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee.