The one elegant outfit I feel wonderful in at every wedding and party.

On the draped two-piece set that smooths the middle, drapes softly over the arms, and looks like a dressy jumpsuit with none of the fuss — comfortable enough to sit through the whole event. Why a small South Carolina family made it this way, and why they're clearing it now.

By Sandra Thompson · Mount Pleasant, South Carolina

Posted September 2026 · 6 min read

I am 63 years old, and dressing for an occasion had become something I quietly dreaded. Weddings, a milestone birthday, a nice dinner out — every time, the same losing battle in front of the mirror. The dresses clung at the middle. The nice pants needed a top I did not have. And the one fancy thing I owned pinched when I finally sat down to eat.

What I wanted was one outfit that solved the whole evening. Something elegant enough for the occasion, kind through the middle, that covered the tops of my arms — and that I could actually sit, eat and laugh in without holding my breath.

Then a woman in my church group here in Mount Pleasant wore the most beautiful navy set to a wedding, looking elegant and completely at ease all evening. 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 set is called the Lorna, 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 draped waist that smooths the middle

We draped the soft fabric of the top so it gathers and folds across the front on a gentle angle, skimming smoothly right over the middle rather than clinging to it. It is the part everyone worries about, and this is the detail that quietly takes care of it.

2A soft sleeve that covers the upper arm

We gave the top a soft, wide sleeve that drapes open to the elbow, covering the tops of the arms so many of us like covered — without a thing gripping or pinching. Graceful when you move, and never a bare, chilly shoulder.

3The polish of a jumpsuit, the ease of two pieces

We made it as two separate pieces — a draped top and high-waisted wide-leg pants — so you get the sleek, pulled-together look of a jumpsuit with none of the struggle in the powder room. And you can size the top and the pants to fit you, not fight you.

4Seven colors, for every occasion

We made the Lorna in seven colors, from a deep navy and classic black to soft beige and lavender, so there is one for a summer wedding and one for a winter party. One outfit that quietly solves every invitation on the calendar.

5Comfortable enough to enjoy the evening

We cut it relaxed through the top and easy through the wide-leg pants, so you can sit down to dinner, get up to dance, and hug everyone goodnight without a waistband digging in. Dressed up, but never uncomfortable.

6It fits the body you have

We make the Lorna from an XS all the way to 2XL, and because it is two pieces, you can take your usual size in each. It is meant to fit the woman — not make the woman fit the outfit.

The Lorna, against the occasion outfits you've been buying

Why they're clearing it now

They priced the Lorna at $149.95 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 for years I dreaded dressing for an occasion, quietly losing the battle at the mirror — and this one elegant, easy set turned that around. If that sounds like you, I hope you find your size 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.