The sweatshirt that's as comfy as loungewear and as pretty as a blouse.

On the soft sweatshirt trimmed with sheer floral lace at the hem and cuffs — cozy, covered at the arms, and dressy enough to wear out. 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 most days I reach for comfort first — but a plain sweatshirt always made me feel like I had given up before lunch. Soft and warm, yes, but shapeless and a little sad, the sort of thing you would not want to answer the door in. So I would be comfortable and frumpy, or presentable and a little stiff. There never seemed to be a middle.

What I wanted was one soft, cozy top with a bit of prettiness to it — something as easy as a sweatshirt that I would happily wear to meet a friend for coffee, that covered my arms and floated a little over my hips. Comfortable, and quietly lovely.

Then a woman in my church group here in Mount Pleasant came in wearing the softest black sweatshirt trimmed with delicate lace, looking cozy and pretty at once. I finally asked her about 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 top is called the Elena, 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 sweatshirt, made pretty with lace

We took a soft, cozy sweatshirt and trimmed the hem and cuffs with a sheer floral lace, so it has the comfort of your comfiest top and the prettiness of a blouse. It is the little touch that turns "staying in" into "happy to be seen" — in black or white.

2A lace hem that floats over the hips

We let a soft lace ruffle flounce out below the sweatshirt body, so it floats gently over the hips and seat and adds a pretty bit of movement. Longer and softer than a plain hem, it covers where you like to be covered — lovely over leggings or slim pants.

3A sleeve that covers the arm

We gave it a full-length sleeve that covers the arm, finished with a matching lace ruffle cuff at the wrist. The tops of the arms stay covered and cozy — the part so many of us like covered — with a pretty flutter of lace at the wrist.

4A relaxed cut that skims

We cut it relaxed and slightly oversized, so it drapes softly and skims over the middle instead of gripping it, and the lace hem carries the eye on down. All the ease of your favorite sweatshirt, cut to actually flatter.

5Soft, cozy, and machine washable

We made the body from a soft, cozy sweatshirt fabric that only gets comfier with wear, and it goes in the machine and comes out ready to wear. Everyday comfort with none of the fuss — just the pretty little lace to set it apart.

6It fits the body you have

We make the Elena from a size M all the way to 4XL and cut it with a relaxed, easy body. It is meant to fit the woman — not make the woman fit the top.

The Elena, against the sweatshirts you've been wearing

Why they're clearing it now

They priced the Elena at $159.95 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 one is going out at less than half of that.

I ordered mine that evening. It arrived a few days later in a kraft-paper parcel with a short handwritten note from the family. I have reached for it more than anything else in my closet since.

I do not usually write things like this. But comfortable had always meant frumpy for me — and this one soft, lace-trimmed sweatshirt let me be cozy and pretty at once, every ordinary day. 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.