A letter from a reader Marigold S
The print dress that looks like a designer piece and ties in at just the right place.
On the ornate print shirtdress whose tie waist defines the middle, whose A-line skirt skims the hips, and whose collar and buttons let you wear it your way — elegant, easy, and quietly expensive-looking. Why a small South Carolina family made it this way, and why they're clearing it now.
I am 63 years old, and I have a weakness for a beautiful print — but a beautiful print dress and a flattering one rarely turned out to be the same dress. The gorgeous ones hung straight off the shoulders like a sack and gave me no shape at all. The shaped ones were plain. And a great many of them were cut like a tent, lovely on the hanger and shapeless on me.
What I wanted was one dress with a truly beautiful print that also gave me a waist — something artful to look at, that cinched in gently where I wanted it, skimmed over the rest, and let me move. Elegant, and flattering, in the one dress.
Then a woman in my church group here in Mount Pleasant wore the most beautiful printed shirtdress to a lunch, tied softly at the waist, looking elegant and entirely herself. 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 dress is called the Marigold, 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.
1An ornate print that looks like art
We built the Marigold around a mixed ornate print — tile-and-floral panels in blue, green, mustard and cream, like beautiful old ceramic tiles. Rich and artful, the kind of dress people assume came from an expensive boutique, not a clearance rail.
2A tie waist that gives you a shape
We added a soft self-tie belt, so you cinch it in exactly where it flatters you and let the skirt fall away from there. You decide your own waist — snug or easy — and get a real, defined shape instead of a straight-hanging sack.
3An A-line that skims
We cut the skirt full and A-line from that tied waist, so it skims over the tummy and hips rather than clinging, and a soft front slit lets you walk with ease. Forgiving exactly where you want it, and graceful with every step.
4A shirtdress you wear your way
We finished it as a proper shirtdress — a neat collar, a full button front, a tie you can knot or leave loose — so you can dress it up for lunch or wear it easy for a day out. One elegant dress, and several ways to wear it.
5An elegant maxi, easy to move in
We cut it to a graceful maxi length with a soft front slit, so it feels elegant and special while letting you stride, sit and climb a step with ease. Dressed-up looks, with none of the dressed-up fuss.
6It fits the body you have
We make the Marigold from an XS all the way to XXL, and because it ties at the waist, you set your own fit. It is meant to fit the woman — not make the woman fit the dress.
The Marigold, against the print dresses you've been buying
| The usual print dress | The Marigold | |
|---|---|---|
| The look | Pretty, but plain-cut | An ornate, tile-like print |
| Waist | Straight, no shape | A tie that gives you a waist |
| Shape | Clings, or a tent | An A-line that skims |
| How you wear it | One way only | Buttoned, tied, or loose |
| The feel | Cheap, or fussy | Quietly expensive, and easy |
- Pretty, but plain-cut
- Straight, no shape
- Clings, or a tent
- One way only
- Cheap, or fussy
- An ornate, tile-like print
- A tie that gives you a waist
- An A-line that skims
- Buttoned, tied, or loose
- Quietly expensive, and easy
Why they're clearing it now
They priced the Marigold at $139.95 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.
The Marigold Dress
- An ornate, tile-and-floral print that looks like art
- A self-tie waist that gives you a defined shape
- A full A-line skirt that skims, with an easy front slit
- A shirtdress you can button, tie or wear loose
- Sizes XS–XXL · free UPS · 30-day guarantee
The Marigold Dress · $59.95 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 had all but given up on finding a print dress that was beautiful and flattering at once — and this one, tied softly at the waist, is exactly that. If that sounds like you, I hope you find your size before it clears.
— Sandra Thompson · Mount Pleasant, SC
See the Marigold — $59.95 →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.