The one easy set that looks effortlessly elegant — and I just throw it all on.

On the three matched white pieces that make a whole outfit, the long kimono that drapes and skims, the airy linen-look fabric, and how cool and elegant it feels. Why a small South Carolina family made it this way, and why they're clearing it now.

By Margaret Ellison · Mount Pleasant, South Carolina

Posted September 2026 · 6 min read

I am 63 years old, and warm-weather dressing had become the hardest of all. Everything light enough to be cool was either shapeless and dull, or cut for a much younger woman — too tight, too short, too much. I wanted to look elegant and stay cool, and it felt like I had to choose one or the other.

What I wanted was one easy, elegant outfit I could simply throw on when the weather turned warm — something airy and cool that draped and skimmed over me instead of clinging, and looked considered without a moment's fuss. Cool, and elegant, at once.

Then a friend of mine came round in the most beautiful floaty white outfit, a long open kimono over a matching top, looking cool and elegant and completely at ease. I asked her where on earth she found it. She laughed and told me to read the Clarke family's letter first.

The Clarke family runs a small boutique here in South Carolina, family-run since 1986 — three generations, mother to daughter. The set is called the Amara, and their letter walks through the handful of things they refused to compromise on. I am going to let their words carry it, because they say it better than I could.

1Three matched pieces, one whole outfit

We made the Amara as a coordinated set of three — a long open kimono, a soft V-neck top and easy drawstring shorts, all in the same airy white. No standing at the closet guessing what goes together. You throw on all three and the whole elegant outfit is simply done.

2A long kimono that drapes and skims

We cut the kimono long and open, so it falls in a soft vertical line past the hips and drapes right over your middle. That long, airy line is quietly slimming, and it skims instead of clinging — graceful, elegant, and cool to wear.

3Soft, flowing sleeves

We gave the kimono wide, softly flowing sleeves that drape gracefully over the arms — light and airy, never tight or clinging. They move beautifully when you do, and they keep the arms lightly covered without a bit of heat.

4An easy, comfortable drawstring waist

We finished the shorts with a soft drawstring waist that ties just where you like it — no digging elastic, no fussing with zips or buttons. Comfortable enough to wear all day, and covered by the long kimono for an easy, elegant line.

5Cool, airy and elegant

We made it from a light, airy linen-look fabric that feels wonderful in the warmth — breezy and soft, never hot or heavy. Perfect for a warm afternoon, a holiday, or a lunch by the water, and it looks effortlessly elegant every time.

6It fits the body you have

We make the Amara from a size XS to 2XL, cut loose and easy, so it drapes and flatters a whole range of shapes. It is meant to fit the woman — not make the woman fit the clothes.

The Amara, against the warm-weather clothes you've been settling for

Why they're clearing it now

They priced the Amara at $185.95 when it launched — a fair price for three matched pieces — and it sold at that price all season. But for America's 250th, the Clarke family wanted to give something back to the women who have kept their doors open since 1986 — so the whole set is going out at under sixty-five dollars.

I ordered mine that evening. It arrived a few days later in a kraft-paper parcel with a short handwritten note from the family. It has become the first thing I reach for the moment the weather turns warm.

I do not usually write things like this. But looking elegant and staying cool had stopped coming in the same outfit for me, and this one easy set handed me both at once. If that sounds like you, I hope you find your size before it clears.

— Margaret Ellison · Mount Pleasant, SC

This is a personal account from a Clarke Family customer. Margaret was not paid to write it. · The Clarke Family · Family Fashion · South Carolina, since 1986 · Free UPS shipping · 30-day money-back guarantee.