A Letter From a Reader

Warm, soft, and — finally — not tight anywhere

Two big maple leaves on warm terracotta, in a soft waffle knit that skims past the middle instead of gripping it.

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by linda parker· mount pleasant, south carolina

Posted August 2026 · 6 min read
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The Mara. It has been on the back of my chair since the day it arrived.

At 68, my cardigans had turned into a set of compromises. The comfortable ones were plain and shapeless. The nicer ones felt too stiff or fussy. And most of them were some shade of grey, beige or navy I had chosen because it was practical, not because I particularly liked it. I got dressed by reaching for whichever one would keep me warm without completely spoiling the outfit.

 

I had started to feel a little invisible in my own clothes.

 

It was my sister who said that somewhere along the way I had stopped choosing cardigans I actually liked and started keeping them around simply because they were useful. Then she sent me the Brooks & Bennett Newport collection one evening with three words: just look through.

 

The collection is called the Button Cardigan Collection, and what caught me was that they hadn't forgotten the practical things underneath all those beautiful colors and plaids. Proper collars, button fronts, soft comfortable knits and relaxed shapes that still look put-together. I'm going to walk you through the little things that convinced me, because they're what finally made me choose one.

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Leaves that look drawn, not printed

The Mara began as a drawing of two maple leaves, laid large across the front in soft cream against a warm terracotta. You can see the veins and the fine stippling in them, the way a botanical study looks. It is the whole of fall on one sweater, and it does not have a single pumpkin or slogan on it.

"Fall without a pumpkin or a slogan in sight. A woman at the farm stand asked me where it came from."

Diane M., Greenville SC
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Warm, but light enough to keep on indoors

We made the Mara light on purpose. It holds warmth the way a good thermal does, without the weight of a winter knit, so you can put it on for the cold part of the morning and still be comfortable at the kitchen table at noon. Nothing to peel off, nothing to change out of halfway through the day.

"Warm on the porch and still comfortable at lunch. I did not know that was possible in one sweater."

Janet S., Bluffton SC
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The waffle knit does the work

We make the Mara in a soft waffle knit — a little raised, a little textured, the way a good thermal feels against you. It gives with you when you move instead of pulling, it holds its shape through a long day, and there is none of the scratch women our age have learned to expect from anything warm.

"Soft enough to wear against bare skin, which at my age is the first thing I check."

Carol R., Charleston SC
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Three small buttons at the neck

We finished the neck with a short placket and three small buttons, the way a good shirt is finished. It is a quiet detail and it does a lot of work: done up or left open, the neckline sits flat instead of gaping when you lean forward, and the whole sweater reads as something you chose rather than something you threw on.

"Those little buttons are the whole difference. It looks like something, instead of looking like a sweatshirt."

Patricia L., Columbia SC
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It fits the body you have

We make the Mara from a size XS all the way to 4XL, and every size is cut on the same easy lines — the larger ones are not simply stretched out, and the drawing is scaled so the leaves stay in proportion on every size. Order the size you usually wear; it is meant to sit loose on you, not to be sucked into.

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The Mara, against the sweaters you've been buying

The usual fall sweater

The Mara

The fit

Tight at the middle and the arms

Wide and easy, tight nowhere

The weight

Too warm the moment you are indoors

Light enough to keep on all day

The feel

Scratchy enough to need a tee under

Soft waffle knit, wearable on the skin

The look

Another sensible brown

Drawn maple leaves on warm terracotta

The size

S to XL, then good luck

XS to 4XL, print scaled to every size

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 Button Cardigans at $199.95 when they launched, and they sold at that price all season. But for the Brooks & Bennett Newport Clearance Sale, they wanted to give something back to the women who have supported them over the years, so the remaining cardigans are now $95.95 while available colors and sizes last.

 

Mine came folded in tissue on a Tuesday. I put it on over the simple top I was already wearing and wore it out to the mailbox in the same hour.

The Mara Autumn Henley

4.7 / 5 from 1200+ reviews

$184.95

$59.95

Drawn maple leaves on warm terracotta

Wide, easy cut — tight nowhere

Soft waffle knit, warm without the weight

Three small buttons at the neck

Sizes XS–4XL · Free UPS shipping · 30-day money-back guarantee

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The Mara· $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 do not usually write things like this. But I spent too many falls getting dressed in whatever bothered me least — and this one sweater quietly ended that. If that sounds like you, I hope you find your size before it clears.

— Linda Parker · South Carolina

See the MARA — $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 MARA — $59.95 while sizes last