A letter from a reader Camille S
The coat I reach for from October straight through to April
On the hooded green wool-blend coat with room for a real sweater underneath, sleeves that actually cover the wrists, and big front buttons I can close with cold hands.
I am 63 years old, and every October brought the same argument with my closet. The warm coat was so heavy I wanted it off by the second errand, and the good-looking one would not close over a sweater. So I wore the heavy one hanging open and told myself that was fine.
It wore on me more than I let on. I had started to feel a little invisible in my own clothes.
Then a woman in my church group here in Mount Pleasant kept turning up looking comfortable and quietly put-together at the same time. I finally asked her. 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 coat is called the Camille, 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.
1Room for a real sweater underneath
We cut the Camille relaxed through the shoulder and gave it a generous armhole, so your arm slides straight through even over a thick sweater. You do not have to size up just to layer — take your usual size, and wear what you like underneath it.
2Warm, and it hangs instead of dragging
It is made from a soft brushed wool-blend that holds the heat without going stiff. The weight sits in the drape — the coat falls cleanly from the shoulder and hangs straight down rather than pulling on you. An hour of errands, and you stop noticing it is on.
3For six months of the year, this is what people see
We chose a deep, warm green — the color of a pine field in November. It reads as considered rather than loud, and it carries a plain sweater and jeans underneath it. Women will stop you about a coat in this color. They do not stop you about black.
4Long enough to cover your wrists
We drafted the sleeve to fall past the wristbone with your arm held out straight, not only when it hangs at your side. There is room at the cuff to push it back over a sweater at the sink — and no cold gap between the sleeve and your glove.
5Buttons you can manage with cold hands
We ran large, smooth buttons down the front, spaced wide enough that you find them without looking. They close one-handed, gloves and all. There is nothing to line up and nothing to jam — a zipper in January is its own small argument, and we would rather you skipped it.
6No cold gap when you bend down
We took the Camille down past the hip to mid-thigh — long enough to keep your lower back covered when you bend to the trunk of the car, short enough that you are not gathering it up on the stairs. There is a soft hood on it, too, for the drive home.
The Camille, against the coats you've been buying
| The usual winter coat | The Camille | |
|---|---|---|
| Layers | Binds once you add a sweater | Relaxed shoulder, roomy armhole |
| Weight | Heavy, drags on the shoulders | Soft wool-blend that hangs clean |
| Color | Black, and forgettable | A deep green people notice |
| Sleeves | Stop short at the wrist | Fall past the wristbone |
| Closure | A zipper that won't line up | Large buttons, cold hands and all |
- Binds once you add a sweater
- Heavy, drags on the shoulders
- Black, and forgettable
- Stop short at the wrist
- A zipper that won't line up
- Relaxed shoulder, roomy armhole
- Soft wool-blend that hangs clean
- A deep green people notice
- Fall past the wristbone
- Large buttons, cold hands and all
Why they're clearing it now
They priced the Camille at $129.95 when it launched, 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 every coat is going out at half of what it was.
I ordered mine that evening. It came a few days later in a kraft-paper box, the coat folded in cream tissue with a small printed card from the family resting on top. I have reached for it nearly every morning since.
The Camille
- Relaxed shoulders and roomy armholes — a real sweater fits under
- Soft brushed wool-blend that hangs cleanly instead of dragging
- Sleeves that fall past the wristbone, with a generous cuff
- Large front buttons you can close with cold hands
- Mid-thigh length with a soft hood · sizes S–3XL · Free UPS shipping · 30-day money-back guarantee
The Camille · $64.95 while sizes last
Buy 2 get 10%, buy 3 get 15%, buy 4 get an extra 20% off. When it's gone, it's gone.
I do not usually write things like this. But I spent too many winters in a coat I wanted off by the second errand, wearing it hanging open because nothing would fit underneath it. This one I button up at the door and forget about. If that sounds like you, I hope you find your size before it clears.
— Sandra Thompson · Mount Pleasant, SC
See the Camille — $64.95 →This is a personal account from a Clarke Family customer. Sandra was not paid to write it. · The Clarke Family · Family Fashion · South Carolina, since 1986 · Free UPS shipping · 30-day money-back guarantee.