The fleece jacket that feels like a warm hug — and still looks pulled-together.

On the wonderfully soft sherpa fleece, the cozy hood lined in cream, the relaxed longline cut that skims, and the two deep pockets. 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 the cozy layers I owned all made me choose. The truly warm, soft ones were shapeless, dumpy things I only wore in the house. And the ones that looked halfway decent were thin and stiff and never really kept the chill off. Warm and soft, or presentable — never both in the same jacket.

What I wanted was one wonderfully soft, warm layer I could live in on a cool day — something as cozy as a dressing gown, with a snug hood and deep pockets — that still looked pulled-together enough to run errands or meet a friend in. Cozy, and presentable, at once.

Then a friend of mine came round in the softest muted-blue fleece with a cream sherpa hood, looking so cozy and yet so put-together. I 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 jacket is called the Phoebe, 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.

1Wonderfully soft, cozy fleece

We made the Phoebe from a thick, plush sherpa fleece that is as soft as anything you own — warm and cozy the moment you put it on, like being wrapped in a warm hug. It keeps the chill off beautifully, and it feels wonderful against the skin.

2A relaxed longline cut that skims

We cut it long and relaxed, so it falls in an easy line and skims right over your middle and hips instead of clinging or cutting off at the worst spot. Cozy and forgiving, and still a flattering, put-together shape.

3A cozy hood lined in soft cream

We gave it a snug hood lined in soft cream sherpa, with drawstrings to pull it close when the wind picks up. It keeps your head and neck warm and frames the face so prettily — cozy and pretty at once.

4Two deep pockets, and cuffs that keep drafts out

We put two deep front pockets right where your hands fall — warm little havens for cold hands, your phone and your keys — and finished the long sleeves with ribbed cuffs that cover the arms and keep the drafts out at the wrist. The cozy details you feel every time you wear it.

5Easy to wear, easy to wash

We made the Phoebe to be the layer you reach for every day — just zip it on over anything and go — and cut it soft and easy so it feels effortless. And when it needs freshening up, it goes straight in the wash; no fussing, no special care.

6Four colors, and it fits the body you have

We make the Phoebe in four soft colors — a muted blue, sage green, mauve and camel — and from a size S to 3XL, cut relaxed and easy. It is meant to fit the woman — not make the woman fit the jacket.

The Phoebe, against the cozy layers you've been settling for

Why they're clearing it now

They priced the Phoebe 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 under sixty dollars.

I ordered mine that evening. It arrived a few days later in a kraft-paper parcel with a short handwritten note from the family. It has been the first thing I reach for on every cool morning since.

I do not usually write things like this. But cozy and presentable had stopped coming in the same jacket for me, and this soft, warm layer handed me both at once. 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.