MISTY DAWN WORKMAN · Clearwater Beach, Florida
The cardigan and the dress under it
This label was built around a single idea: a cardigan is the piece that decides whether a dress gets worn. So the rail holds five cardigans and the three dresses they were chosen to layer over, in a workroom a few streets from the water in Clearwater Beach. Each cardigan is cut to close over a dress without pulling at the button placket, and each dress is cut to sit smoothly under a knit rather than bunching at the waist. The palette stays in apricot, camel, cream and deep green, so a cardigan bought in one season still closes over a dress bought in the next.
Yarn and stitch
Yarn is sampled before it is ordered. We ask for a swatch, knit it into a cuff, wash it and wear it against a wrist for a day, because a yarn that feels soft in a bag can prickle after an hour. Lambswool blends are chosen for loft rather than weight, so a cardigan is warm without being heavy on the shoulders. Ribbing is worked at a tighter gauge at the hem and cuff so the shape holds. Buttons are real horn or a matte resin, sewn with a shank so the placket closes flat. A stitch that pulls after a week does not go into production.
The fit and the finish
Fitting is done on three bodies of different heights, once over a dress and once over a shirt. A cardigan has to close without a gap at the bust and still hang straight when it is open. Sleeves are checked against a wrist that is writing, driving and reaching, not just hanging. On the dresses, the waist seam is placed where a belt would sit, and the lining is cut with a little extra so it does not pull when the wearer sits down. Every sample is weighed, because a knit that is too heavy drags a neckline out of shape by the end of a day.
Posting from the Gulf coast
Orders leave the Clearwater Beach studio on weekday afternoons, checked one at a time by the person who packed them. Knitwear is steamed, folded with tissue and sealed with a moisture sachet, because the Gulf coast is humid for most of the year and a parcel can sit in a mailbox in the sun. A care card names the yarn and explains how to dry a knit flat so it keeps its shape. Tracking is sent when the label is printed. Returns come back to the same address and are inspected within two business days, with the refund raised against the original payment method.