The leopard print I finally felt I could wear.

On the colorblock midi that makes leopard wearable — a solid black top, a soft print skirt, short sleeves that cover the arms, and a handy front pocket for your phone or glasses.

By Sandra Thompson · Mount Pleasant, South Carolina

Posted August 2026 · 6 min read

I am 63 years old, and for years I told myself leopard print was not for me. Too loud, too young, too much — the kind of thing that wears you instead of the other way around. So I admired it on other women and reached, again, for something safe and forgettable.

What I secretly wanted was a little of that fun without looking like I was trying too hard — something with a bit of character that still covered my arms, still felt soft and easy, and still looked like me. But the animal prints I found were head-to-toe and unapologetic, and the sensible things had no spark at all. Nothing was both.

Then a friend of mine turned up to a lunch in exactly that — a leopard midi that somehow looked elegant, not costume — and I could not stop asking about it. She 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 dress is called the Cassandra, 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.

1A print made wearable

We wanted the fun of a leopard print without the "too much." So we kept the bodice a solid, calming black and let the print live in the skirt — a colorblock that tempers the pattern and frames it. It reads elegant and considered, not costume: fashion-forward enough to feel current, easy enough to wear to a lunch, a dinner, or the theater.

2Short sleeves that cover the arms

The black bodice has soft short sleeves that cover the tops of the arms — the part most of us would rather keep to ourselves — while staying cool and easy in the warmer months. No cardigan to drag along, no bare arms you keep thinking about. Just covered, and comfortable.

3And yes — a handy front pocket

On the front of the skirt sits a neat, usable pocket — just the right size for your phone or your reading glasses, right where you can reach it. It is the small, practical touch that means you can move through the day with your hands free and leave the little bag at home.

4A soft premium cotton blend that skims

It is cut from a soft premium cotton blend and shaped in an easy A-line, so it drapes and skims over the middle instead of clinging to it. Light and fluid, it moves beautifully when you walk and stays comfortable from morning to evening.

5Three colors to choose from

We offer the Cassandra in three easy leopard colorways — a silver-grey, a teal blue and a green — each with the same calming black bodice, so you can pick the one that suits your coloring and the shoes you already own.

6It fits the body you have

We make the Cassandra from a size S all the way to 3XL and cut it relaxed on purpose. It is meant to fit the woman — not to make the woman fit the dress.

The Cassandra, against the prints you've been avoiding

Why they're clearing it now

They priced the Cassandra at $189.95 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 dress is going out at a fraction of that.

I ordered the green. It arrived a few days later in a kraft-paper parcel with a short handwritten note from the family. I have reached for it far more than I expected to since.

I do not usually write things like this. But I spent too many years telling myself the fun prints were not for me — and this one quietly proved me wrong, while covering my arms and holding my glasses besides. If that sounds like you, I hope you find your color before it clears.

— Sandra Thompson · Mount Pleasant, SC

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.