A Letter from Helena: The Amaya Turtleneck
Helena & Claire New York
A letter from the founder
Decades of Dressing Women for New York Winters. This Is the Turtleneck I Would Give You First.
If you are only going to add one warm thing to your closet this winter, I would make it this turtleneck, and I will tell you exactly why.
When I opened my boutique, my daughter Claire was still small enough to do her homework on the stockroom floor. Since then I have watched a great many New York winters walk through our door, usually in the shape of a woman who is cold, a little tired of layering, and looking for one thing that simply works.
Most of them were not looking for a new outfit. They wanted to stop wearing three layers to stay warm, and to stop pulling off a sweater by lunch because it itched or bunched or rode up.
This winter I am stepping back, and Claire is taking over. Before I hand her the keys, I want to tell you about the one piece I would give you first. It is the Amaya, a turtleneck I chose myself for my last collection, and here is why.
A turtleneck keeps the cold out. A crew neck does not.
On a cold morning, the first place you feel it is your neck. A crew neck leaves it open, so you add a scarf, and then you leave the scarf at the coffee shop.
The Amaya has a tall collar you can wear up or fold over once. It covers your neck on the walk to the store and folds down when you get inside. That one detail does the work of a scarf.
It is soft where it touches you.
I have sold beautiful turtlenecks that itched by ten in the morning. A turtleneck sits against your neck all day, so the inside matters more than the outside.
The Amaya is a soft knit that is brushed on the inside. Run your fingers along the inside of the collar and it feels more like a favorite blanket than a sweater. That is the part I check first on any turtleneck, and it is why this one made my last collection.
Sleeves that are properly finished.
A cheap sweater gives itself away at the wrists. The cuffs are thin, they stretch, and by February they hang loose.
The Amaya's sleeves are cut wide and finish in deep ribbed cuffs. Push them up to do the dishes, pull them over your hands at the bus stop. I always tell women to look at the cuffs first. You can tell a lot about a knit by its cuffs.
It is cut with room, not cut big.
The Amaya is a relaxed turtleneck with dropped shoulders, and it falls to the hip, so it sits easily over jeans and slacks without bunching at the waist.
One honest note on fit, the same one I give in the boutique: if you like it roomy, the way it looks in these photos, order one size up. Sizes run from S to 3XL.
Three colors that go with everything you own.
Beige, Grey and Khaki. The Beige is soft and bright and lovely with denim. The Grey goes with everything, including black slacks for dinner out. The Khaki is the warm one, made for brown boots and fall leaves.
Same collar, same cuffs, same easy fit. A lot of women end up with two.
How the Amaya compares to the turtlenecks you have been buying
You can find a turtleneck for twenty dollars almost anywhere, and most women I know have a few of them folded in a drawer, rarely worn. Here is the difference, laid out plainly.
Most turtlenecks
- Scratchy against your neck by mid-morning
- A short collar that won't fold over
- Thin cuffs that stretch and ride up
- Cut tight through the body
- Rides up when you sit down
- One color, take it or leave it
The Amaya
- Brushed on the inside, soft against your neck
- A tall collar you can wear up or fold over
- Deep ribbed cuffs on wide sleeves
- Relaxed fit with dropped shoulders
- Falls to the hip, easy over jeans
- Beige, Grey and Khaki, sizes S to 3XL
A turtleneck is the only sweater that does the work of a scarf. That is the whole reason it is the one I would give you first.
Why the Amaya is 70% off right now
This winter I am handing the boutique to Claire. Before the next chapter starts, we are clearing the last collection I chose myself. We call it our Clearance Sale, and the Amaya is in it.
It was $199.95. For the Clearance Sale it is $59.95. I would rather see these pieces go to women who will wear them than sit in a stockroom while the shop changes hands.
These are Clearance Sale prices for this season, and colors and sizes come and go as the collection sells. If the Amaya is calling to you, I wouldn't wait too long to look.
- Tall turtleneck collar you can wear up or fold over
- Soft knit, brushed on the inside
- Relaxed fit with dropped shoulders and deep ribbed cuffs
- Sizes S to 3XL in Beige, Grey and Khaki
- $59.95 now, $199.95 original price
- Free shipping · 30-day money-back guarantee
Colors: Beige, Grey and Khaki. Clearance Sale prices for this season.
Extra off when you buy more. Mix and match colors and sizes. Discounts are applied in your cart.
The Amaya is the piece women ask me about most this season, and the one I reach for myself on the coldest mornings.
If you only add one warm thing to your closet this winter, let it be this one. I would love for you to have it before my last collection is gone.
Helena ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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A letter from the Helena & Claire New York family about our own boutique. It is not a customer review. Photos are styled images created for this page.