The shirt dress that finally looks put-together and feels like nothing.

On the printed shirt-style midi that skims instead of clings, covers the arms, and looks far dressier than it feels — the one I now reach for whatever the day holds.

I am 62 years old, and getting dressed had quietly become a daily negotiation. Everything comfortable was shapeless and dull; everything pretty pinched, itched, or needed ironing I didn't have the patience for. So most mornings I gave up and reached for the same tired slacks.

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 dress is called the Eva, 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 cut that skims, never clings

We gave the Eva a relaxed shirt-dress cut that softly skims the middle instead of gripping it — it drapes down and away, never clinging, never hanging like a sack. A little shape through the waist, and then an easy line that simply moves with you.

2A fabric that actually breathes

It is cut from a soft, lightweight fabric chosen to stay cool through a Southern afternoon and move easily with you — comfortable from a morning at the market right through to supper, with no clinging and no overheating.

3Sleeves that cover the arms

The soft sleeves come down and cover the tops of the arms — the part most of us would rather keep to ourselves — in a light fabric that still breathes in the heat. Covered without reaching for a cardigan, and comfortable even on a warm day.

4A print that gets noticed — for the right reasons

The printed floral is done with a gentle, tasteful hand — pretty and soft, never loud or cheap-looking — and the neat collar and button front lift it from a simple dress into something that looks considered. The kind of print that has women stopping you to ask where it's from.

5Five colors to choose from

We offer the Eva in five soft prints — multi, floral, blue, orange and light blue — the same easy shirt-dress cut in whichever suits you best, all going with the shoes and cardigans you already own. Most women who buy one come back for a second before the season is out.

6It fits the body you have

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

The Eva, against the dresses you've been buying

	Typical summer dress	The Eva
Shape	Clings, or hangs like a sack	A shirt-dress cut that skims
Fabric	Hot, stiff	Soft, lightweight, breathes
Arms	Bare, or a hot cardigan	Sleeves that cover, and breathe
Print	Loud or cheap-looking	A tasteful floral, collar & buttons
Choice	One shade, one occasion	Five colors, day to night

Why they're clearing it now

They priced the Eva 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 less than a third of that.

I ordered the multi. 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 I spent too many years feeling plain and a little invisible in my own clothes — and this one dress quietly gave me back the pleasure of getting dressed. If that sounds like you, I hope you find your color before it clears.

— Margaret Ellison · Mount Pleasant, SC

See the Eva — $59.95 →

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.