DEEP SEA MARINA CARDIGAN

This sweater is the most beautiful piece of clothing I now own. I purchased the L/XL. I’m 5’9” with wider hips, and the fit is incredibly flattering. It hangs beautifully and covers my bum perfectly. I don’t find the wool itchy at all, though I usually wear a thin T-shirt underneath. If you’re on the fence, invest. You won’t regret it.

To start: this sweater is absolutely, 100% worth the price tag! It's the details of this sweater that make it such an amazing piece!

What I love:

The fabric composition is divine! The superfine alpaca makes it a lightweight knit that's perfect for layering. I'm often cold and love wearing this over a long-sleeve wool top (made possible by the oversized fit of the sweater). The collar is EPIC!!! Covers my whole neck, right to my jawline and has a button halfway up to secure it! I could do all sorts of activities without having to fiddle and adjust it. Also, the thickness of the ribbed knit collar is *perfect*. The oatmeal colour is gorgeous. I'm fair so this realm of colour can easily wash me out, but this one is warm and gorgeous! The buttons and buttonholes– this might seem like a weird one, but I hate when buttons & buttonholes are fussy and too hard to do up and undo (I get hot/cold easily and like to easily unbutton), and I hate when buttonholes get misshapen easily. This is not the situation with this sweater!!!! The buttons are attractive (and made from recycled paper!) and taper towards the edges, making them a dream to do and undo. The buttonholes have not lost their shape AT. ALL. and I have literally been wearing this sweater daily for months. Incredible! Love the length– I'm 5'7" and it hits me mid-thigh. Other details I love– whatever the stitch used all over the sweater is called, it's great and gives it a lovely texture and look (even at a distance); the scoop of the hem is great; love the overlap of the split at the hem; nive ribbed cuffs that are long; the drape of the sleeve is gorgeous; the dropped shoulder seam is such a great detail visually; it has deep pockets.

What I could love more:

I wish this came in XS/S. I got the S/M and, while I love the fit, I think I would prefer an XS/S (bust 33", waist 26", hips 39"). Right now, the sweater is oversized enough that I have to wear it as a top layer, but I feel like an XS/S could be oversized but not so much that I couldn't put a jacket over top. While it has pockets, I wish they were a little more sturdy– the lightweight knit means that if I put my phone in my pocket, the phone's weight drags the sweater down (even farther than mid-thigh) and I have to bend to retrieve it. I'm also worried it'll pull over time and the pockets will get misshapen. I wish the edge of the pocket was finished with a ribbed stitch so that it would feel more secure.

What I'd love in the future (unrelated to this sweater):

This sweater was such a home run considering this is Free Label's first knitwear collection and the only alpaca wool sweater! I would love for Free Label to run with this and make a shorter cardigan in a mid weight knit and would love some more colours.

I would also seriously consider getting a second Marina Cardigan in a different colour– especially if it came in XS/S and had sturdier pockets!

I splurged on this cardigan in the deep winter, and never has making an investment in a piece of clothing so deeply paid off. I wore and re-wore and lived in this cardigan, and it made me so happy. Like actually *happy*. The combo of an absolutely delightful wool, the oversize fit (I am 6 feet tall and still it fit like a dream!) and knowing I was supporting a company that matches my values just delighted me. No regrets, strong recommend! 11/10

This sweater was definitely a splurge for me, but I must admit I have a soft spot for Free Label as I am a Vancouverite and super keen on supporting local, women owned businesses. This is basically my go-to "jacket" in Vancouver when it's not pouring rain. It is incredibly comfy and cozy, and warm but not stifling. It is soft (not itchy, I definitely have a sensitivity to itchy wool) and the deep sea colour is absolutely stunning. I'm about a 4X on top and a 5x on the bottom, and the 4X/5X fits me perfectly with plenty of room for layering. My preference is to fold the collar down because I don't like fabric close to my face. This is easy to do if you have concerns about a high neckline/collar!

I know this will be a lifetime sweater and it's so beautiful and of such high quality that, as I said in the title, it's worth every penny! Love you guys at FL! 💜