A Letter From a Reader

As Comfortable as a Sweatshirt, But Far More Cheerful

A soft quarter-zip sweatshirt with colorful stripes, an easy stand collar and a relaxed fit. Warm, comfortable, and full of personality — with everything you already own.

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by linda parker· mount pleasant, south carolina

Posted August 2026 · 6 min read
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Photographed at home..

At 68, I want to be warm and comfortable, but I'm so tired of looking like every other woman in a plain grey sweatshirt. I still want a bit of personality, something that says I haven't given up on having a little color in my life.

 

What I really wanted was one easy layer that felt as comfortable as my old sweatshirts but far more cheerful, something I could pull on for a cool morning and still feel perfectly happy wearing to lunch.

 Everything I owned was either comfortable or interesting, never both.

 

It was my sister who told me to stop settling and try one from Brooks & Bennett Newport, a colorful striped quarter-zip she thought was exactly my sort of thing. Before I tell you what happened, I think you should know what finally convinced me.

 

The sweatshirt is called The Celine, and what surprised me was how practical it was underneath all that color. The relaxed fit, full-length sleeves and quarter-zip collar were exactly the little things I care about now. I'm going to walk you through them, because they say more about The Celine than I could.

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As comfortable as a sweatshirt — but far more cheerful

We made The Celine as a soft, comfortable sweatshirt covered in cheerful colorful stripes, with a quarter zip and an easy stand collar. It's every bit as comfortable as the plain grey sweatshirts you already live in, but instead of disappearing into an outfit, it brings a little life to it. You pull it on with jeans and feel warm, comfortable, and wonderfully like yourself again.

"It's as comfortable as my old grey sweatshirt, but I feel so much more put together in it. The colors make me smile."

Diane M., Greenville SC
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Soft and comfortable — without feeling heavy

Most colorful, "fun" sweatshirts seem to come with a compromise. They're either too thin to be useful or so bulky you want them off the moment you walk indoors. Not The Celine. It feels soft and comfortable without all that unnecessary bulk, the kind of easy layer you can wear through a cool morning and happily leave on.

"I wore mine all morning and never felt bulky or weighed down. It's comfortable enough that I forget I have it on."

Janet S., Bluffton SC
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A quarter zip that lets you decide how you wear it

This may be my favorite little detail. Zip the collar higher when the morning is cool, then open it when the day warms up. There's no scarf to arrange and no buttons to fuss with. One little zipper gives you just enough control to make The Celine useful on those days when the weather can't quite make up its mind.

"I love the quarter zip. I wear it higher on my morning walk and open it again when the sun comes out."

Carol R., Charleston SC
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It goes with everything you already own

It works beautifully with the things already hanging in your closet — jeans, simple trousers, even your favorite comfortable walking pants — and those colorful stripes instantly lift the whole outfit. One easy sweatshirt that makes even your plainest bottoms look considered, so you reach for it again and again without having to plan what goes with it.

"I put mine on with jeans and comfortable shoes and I'm done. The stripes make the whole outfit feel cheerful."

Patricia L., Columbia SC
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All that color, without feeling too loud

The Celine starts with an easy grey background, then adds stripes of navy, blue, green, yellow, white, pink, orange and red across it. That's what makes the color so easy to wear. It's cheerful without taking over, and there are quieter base colors to choose from too. A sweatshirt with personality, without asking you to dress any differently than you already do.

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The Celine, against your usual sweatshirt

Typical fall sweatshirt

The Celine

Heavy or bulky

Soft and comfortable

The look

Plain grey, forgettable

Colorful stripes full of personality

The neck

Fixed and open

Quarter zip — adjust it as you like

The fit

Tight or shapeless

Relaxed and easy to wear

The wear

Looks like staying home

Easy enough for home, lovely enough for lunch

THE USUAL WINTER TOP

Clings, or hangs like a sack

Hot, stiff fabric

No pockets, or too shallow

Bare arms, or a hot cardigan

Loud or cheap-looking print

THE PATRICIA 

Skims with a soft A-line

Soft, lightweight, breathes

Deep, hidden side pockets

Sleeves that cover, and breathe

A cheerful wildflower, noticed for good reasons

Why they're clearing it now

They priced The Celine at $199.95 when it launched, and it sold at that price all season. But for the Brooks & Bennett Newport Clearance Sale, we wanted to give something back to the women who have supported us since 2001, so the remaining Celine sweatshirts are now $59.95, well under a third of the original price.

 

Mine arrived folded in tissue with a little handwritten note on top. I pulled it on with jeans that same cool morning and felt wonderful — comfortable enough for my morning coffee, but cheerful enough that I kept it on when my sister suggested lunch.

THE CELINE COLORFUL STRIPED QUARTER-ZIP SWEATSHIRT

4.7 / 5 from 1200+ reviews

$199.95

$59.95

A soft, comfortable sweatshirt — cozy without unnecessary bulk

Cheerful colorful stripes that brighten even the simplest outfit

A quarter zip — higher when it's chilly, open when it's warmer

A relaxed fit with full-length sleeves and ribbed cuffs

Sizes XS–5XL · Free UPS shipping · 30-day money-back guarantee

See if your size is still in stock →

The Celine · $59.95 while sizes last

Our Clearance Sale ends tonight.

Buy 2 get 10%, buy 3 get 15%, buy 4 get an extra 20% off. When it's gone, it's gone.

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Since 1996

Family-owned in Newport

I don't usually write things like this. But The Celine gave me exactly what I'd stopped hoping to find, one easy sweatshirt that's warm and comfortable but still full of personality, soft without feeling bulky, easy to wear, and cheerful enough that I don't feel as though I've dressed simply to stay warm.

 

It's become one of those things I reach for without thinking. If you've been resigned to plain grey sweatshirts the way I had, this is the one I'd tell you to try, while the sale is still on.

— Linda Parker · South Carolina

See the CELINE — $59.95 →

This is a personal account from a Brooks & Bennett Newport customer. Linda was not paid to write it. · Brooks & Bennett Newport · Timeless Women’s Fashion · Free Shipping · 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee.

See the CELINE — $59.95 while sizes last