A cropped cardigan solves the problem long knits create: it ends where your waistband starts, so a high rise trouser or a midi skirt keeps its proportion instead of disappearing under wool. The neckline is a plain round crew with no collar and nothing decorative on it, which is exactly why it sits neatly under a coat and behind a necklace.

Buttons run the full length of the placket, so you can fasten it to the top and wear it as a knitted top, close the middle two over a camisole, or leave it open and let it sit light across the shoulders. The shoulder is dropped and the sleeves fall soft into deep ribbed cuffs, with matching rib at the neckline and hem holding the shape after a wash.

This is the between-seasons layer, warm enough for a cool morning and thin enough to take off by noon. Six colours: Yellow, Beige, Pink, Black, Gray and Blue, in sizes S to 2XL. Our model is 5'6" and wears a size S. Cut regular with a little ease through the body. Hand wash cold and lay flat to dry, or dry clean, and reshape the ribbed hem while it is still damp.

• Fit: Regular fit, slightly relaxed through the body, true to size
• Neckline: Clean round neckline with ribbed trim
• Closure: Full button front placket
• Sleeve: Dropped shoulder with deep ribbed cuffs
• Length: Cropped, hits at the waist
• Sizes and colours: S to 2XL in Yellow, Beige, Pink, Black, Gray and Blue
• Care: Hand wash cold, lay flat to dry, or professional dry clean