Real stories · The jumper that sacked my scarf

The Jumper That Sacked My Scarf

A high collar that does the scarf's job, and flowers that argue with the grey — that's this jumper, and my scarf drawer has been quietly made redundant.

Two complaints run my winters. The first is the draught that finds your neck the moment you step outside, which is why I've spent years wrestling scarves that slide, dangle in the soup, or get left in cafés — I've lost three this way, one of them twice. The second is that everything warm I own is the colour of porridge.

The Florangel, from York Boutique — a British label I order from often — answers both at once: a proper knitted turtleneck in bright green, covered in big pink flowers, the sort of jumper that makes strangers smile before you've said good morning.

The collar is the working part. It's high, soft and rolled, sitting snugly at the neck — which is why the draught simply doesn't get in, and the scarf stays home. The knit itself is soft with no itch to it, warm without being heavy, and the relaxed cut goes over everything and under every coat.

Warm neck, no scarf, and the only bright thing on a grey street. I win twice.

It's listed at £70 and sells for £34.95 — less than half — because York Boutique sell direct from their own site with no middleman. For the thing I'll wear from now until March, that settled itself.

At the café on Tuesday the waitress called it 'an antidepressant with sleeves', which is going on my gravestone. I'll admit I did check before ordering that I could send it back if the knit was thin or scratchy — you can, within a fortnight, and the delivery's free — but it's neither, and it's been through the wash twice without complaint.

One thing worth knowing: it comes in a properly generous size run, UK 6 all the way to UK 26, which is rarer than it should be. The middle sizes go first in their sales — order ahead of the cold snap, not behind it.

If your winter wardrobe has also gone the colour of the weather, and your neck is tired of scarf admin — this is the one I'd point you to.