Karen Kane has been close to my heart since Greg and I visited the factory and headquarters in Los Angeles, California ten years ago. I wrote about the design room, the sample room, the factory floor, the trim and dispatch departments, and shared their thoughts on being a close-knit family business. Spending time at Karen Kane, interviewing the extremely talented Karen herself, getting to know the family and hearing how they run their business was a wonderful experience.

Karen and her husband Lonnie started their business in their home garage 40 years ago. Their stated mission: “We believe women should feel beautiful and comfortable, always. We create products with passion and integrity, guided by respect for our people and planet.“

Their business grew and before long they had retail orders, premises, employees, and bestsellers. Their sons Michael and Robert grew up in the family business, which is still privately owned. Michael became the Director of Marketing in 2011 and Robert joined as a designer in 2018.

Karen Kane’s “Made in America” brand was operating ethically and sustainably long before it was on the forefront of our planet-saving minds. Their sons have taken it further. With the ethical sourcing of fabrics and trims, manufacturing in Los Angeles, a commitment to being extremely transparent about their business practices, using recycled textiles, minimizing waste, and reducing their carbon footprint, Karen Kane has adapted very naturally to the new era of fashion production. You can read about their sustainable and ethical business practices.

The Karen Kane brand offers relaxed, trendy classic ladieswear with a strong California vibe. A little beachy, a little boho, natural, casually glam, and elegant in an understated way. Ladies clothing is the brand’s strength and bread and butter, but there are accessories, kids wear, and home accessories too. Clothing is generally neutral, knit or woven, fluid in fit, high quality, and very comfortable. Karen likes to wear black, grey and animal print, so you’ll see a lot of that in the assortments.

Karen Kane was an impressive early adopter of size diversity, which is another reason the brand is close to my heart. It was producing sizes XS to 3XL, and petites, long before other brands were offering extended sizes. There is room to further extend size curves in both directions, and I hope to see that soon.

I’ve been shopping the Karen Kane brand since I came to the US seventeen years ago. Over the years I’ve had my share of fabulous Karen Kane items, especially back when I wore solid black tops and dresses. The items are exceptional quality, with a special shout-out to their jersey knits that are very substantial, silky, and drape like a dream. Their casual dresses are my favourites, and always on my radar. My clients continue to adore the brand for the “easy to wear and launder” integrity of the items, wearable design, good fit, great quality, and high longevityfactor. Items are available on the Karen Kane site, or at department stores.

Shortly after the pandemic broke out in the Spring, and despite the enormous stresses that lay ahead for garment manufacture and retail, the Karen Kane factory got to work making masks and donating them to our healthcare heroes. I was very impressed, and yet not surprised because that’s how the owners are wired. You could buy the masks to help pay for the cutters and sewers, thereby keeping them employed. We bought their masks right away, which were too big for me at first. But after carefully altering the fit and inserting a filter, the masks fit really well and are comfortable. I have six of them, and wear them daily.

I can’t say enough about Karen Kane. The company is a class act, and a manufacturing role model. Karen herself is a modest, quiet, strong and extremely clever person. Looks like her design assistant Stevie — who likes a good animal print too — offers lots of support and inspiration!

A coatigan is a cross between a coat and cardigan. I’ve called them sweater coats in the past, and others have called them swackets. Coatigans are knitted and resemble a long and heavy cardigan, but have the substance of a light to mid-weight coat. They come in all sorts of colours, patterns and fabrics. Some versions are dressier than others. Most of them are single-breasted and unlined.

This collection shows a good assortment.

Coatigans are softer, less structured, and generally more cosy and comfortable than coats and jackets. I often suggest coatigans to my clients who don’t enjoy the constriction on the shoulders, arms, bust, and around the neck of a coat or jacket. Coatigans don’t look and feel off when worn at home because they look more like a cardigan than outerwear. They can be dead right to wear outside when it’s relatively mild, dry, and you’re appropriately layered. Coatigans can also be more comfortable for driving.

On the other hand, coatigans don’t look as sharp, tailored, crisp, dressy and structured as some coats and jackets. They also won’t keep out the rain, wind or extreme chill. They can stretch out and feel a little disheveled at times. That said, in a world that is becoming more casual, and with more and more people working from home, I understand the appeal and popularity. You can wear them while you type on the couch if they aren’t too bulky. They are a comfy and pulled together option for digital meetings. And visually look more polished and professional than sweats and Athleisure.

I don’t think that coatigans are a replacement for jackets and coats. There is room for both in your wardrobe. As a jacket and coat die-hard who loves structure and the crispness of woven toppers, even I have a coatigan of sorts. It’s a navy knitted sweater jacket from Boden with a faux fur collar that I wear working from home. It makes me feel pulled together, productive, energized and glam. Some of the magic of a jacket, but less constricting and dressy. Of course, it keeps me warm too. So far, I’ve only worn it indoors, and it might stay that way.

Over to you. What’s your opinion on the coatigan? Is it something you wear or would consider wearing? Has the coatigan replaced the blazer in your style life?

I’ve mentioned the importance of doing sit-down tests before you commit to an item of clothing, and it bears repeating. It’s top of mind for me because it was the reason I passed on a potentially fabulous pair of red tartan pants last week. 

I was excited to try on these fully lined wool-rich tartan pants from J.Crew after ordering them because they’re just what I want to wear as everyday pants right now. I popped them on as soon as they arrived, and loved them. They fit and felt really good. The waistband fit the small of my back extremely well, which was surprising and no alterations needed. I began prancing around in the pants in front of the mirror — always a good sign — and grabbed tops from my wardrobe to pattern mix with the tartan. I was having fun creating multiple outfits and about to pull off the tags.

Then I remembered to do the sit-down test to ensure that the crotch point, thigh area and waist was comfortable. In less than a nanosecond the fit problem was clear. The high front rise was fine as long as I was standing and striding, but poufed out making the zipper buckle as soon as I sat down. There were multiple creases across my crotch point and belly area due to too much fabric in the rise. When I stood back up, the creases did not go away and looked awful. A little pant creasing is fine, but this was excessive. Unfortunately they were not nearly as good a fit as my other checked J.Crew pants, which have a slightly lower rise. Back they went.

Remember to sit down and move around a bit in clothing before you pull off the tags. Make sure you can drive in outerwear, that necklines aren’t too low, that hemlines aren’t too high, and that the buttons of shirts and blouses don’t gape.

If you’re in the Northern hemisphere, the days are shorter and the temperature a whole lot colder. It’s staying that way until Spring creeps through, so best we wrap up and make the most of it. Here are some tried-and-tested items that will keep you insulated and go the distance. Many are repeat styles that have been winners on my clients and friends over the years, and I own a few of the items too. Browse the colour and size options, and read the reviews. Some of the items are on sale.

1. Uniqlo Heattech Items

Uniqlo has been making Heattech items for years, and they are extremely effective. The brand keeps on expanding the assortment because it’s very popular and wears like iron. The items are made of fibres that are bio-warming, insulating, moisture-wicking, anti-microbial and moisture-retaining. Items come in varying levels of warmth.

Uniqlo Heattech is available as underwear, layering pieces, or as regular tops and bottoms, so be careful when you purchase and style the items into outfits. Don’t purchase Heattech underwear expecting it to be worn as pants and a regular tee because you’ll be disappointed. Conversely, don’t purchase Heattech T-shirts to wear under blouses, shirts and knitwear and expect them to have a smooth and lightweight appearance and feeling. Buy the right item for the right purpose.

Heattech undies and casual pieces can be worn whenever you feel cold or expect to feel cold. They work well on cold Winter walks in the woods, snow, mountains, or at the beach. They are fab for working from home when you get cold at your desk, in cold office and retail settings, camping, or relaxing at home.

I have long Heattech underwear that I layer under my clothes when I’m feeling cold. The same leggings, long sleeve T-shirts and camisoles have been in rotation for ten years. They are extremely thin, smooth, warm, comfortable and unobtrusive. They fit like a glove and feel like a second skin. The tees are fabulous to put under shirts, blouses and dresses when I don’t feel like wearing knitwear. The leggings are great under long skirts and roomier pants and jeans. Sometimes I pop Heattech under my loungewear when I’m feeling cold at home. Many possibilities!

2. J.Crew Oversized Cashmere Wrap

These work equally well as big scarves as they do as wraps draped around your shoulders. They are wonderful to have at your desk for when you feel the chill, and are an ideal travel blanket. They work over sleeveless tops when things cool down at night on warmer days, and are fab to layer over tops with exuberant sleeves that don’t fit into jackets and coats. They make for a great Zoom meeting accessory too.

3. Quilted Puffer Jackets and Coats

Puffer jackets and coats have a signature quilted design with sections that are “puffy” between the stitching. The insulation comes in an assortment of weights and thickness so that you can choose a version to suit your climate. They are filled with feathered insulation or synthetic fibres, both of which can provide a high level of warmth depending on how well they are made and the quality of the synthetic fibres. Fabric fillings vary from goose down and polyester, to recycled polyester.

Puffers are extremely practical, and look fun and fab to my eye. Some are lightweight and packable, while others need their own suitcase. Some versions are more athletic and sporty than others. These days they’ve become a trendy fashion statement, and can be worn with anything.

Puffers can be tailored and come in many lengths. Versions with diagonal and chevron stitching visually narrow the waist and streamline the silhouette. Boxier puffer jackets and coats can make an avant-garde statement. I’ve seen most of these in person, and my clients rock many of the styles. Some of them run big, and others true to size. Make sure you’re wearing the right layers underneath the jacket or coat when determining the correct size. Make sure you can move, walk and drive comfortably too.

4. LINEA PAOLO Velore Colorblock Bootie

I committed to these in white because they are extremely comfortable for feet like mine, which are low volume, bony, quite narrow, with long toes and narrow ankles. They fit so well that I didn’t need to modify them with cushioning insoles. The leather around the ankle is super soft, and the snip toe is on-trend. The low block heel is architectural and NOT black on the white pair, which is hard to find. Click both styles to see the unique colour-blocked effect at the back. Awfully refined, and dressy in a relaxed way.