The soft sweater that feels like cashmere, without the cashmere price.

On the knit sweater that skims instead of clinging, covers the arms, and hides a delicate floral detail — a quiet, pretty piece that feels far dearer than it is. 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 the sweaters I reach for most are the plainest ones — soft, quiet, no fuss. The trouble is that plain and soft usually comes at one of two prices: cashmere money I will not spend, or a cheap, scratchy thing that pills after a wash and looks it.

What I wanted was the quiet, beautiful sweater a woman wears when she is not trying — soft against the skin, a little something to it, and not a small fortune. I had begun to think the soft ones and the affordable ones were simply two different drawers.

Then a woman in my church group here in Mount Pleasant came in wearing the loveliest soft cream sweater, and when I reached out to feel the sleeve I could not believe what she told me it cost. 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 sweater is called the Sabrina, 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 cut the Sabrina relaxed and easy through the body, so it skims your shape rather than gripping it. Roomy and comfortable, with a soft ribbed hem that gives it a little shape without pulling anywhere.

2Sleeves that cover the arms — to the wrist

We gave it full-length sleeves that cover the arms down to a ribbed cuff at the wrist. Nothing grips the upper arm, and the cuffs hold instead of sliding down over your hands.

3A soft mock neck, warmth without the fuss

We finished it with a soft mock neck that sits gently at the base of the throat, taking the chill off without the fuss of a full turtleneck. A little warmth at the neck, and none of the closed-in feeling that puts so many of us off a high collar.

4A delicate floral, worked into the knit

We worked a delicate little floral detail into the knit at the sleeve and the hem — small raised blossoms you notice up close — the quiet touch that lifts a plain sweater into something special. Understated, and lovely.

5Soft as cashmere, in five quiet colors

We knit it in a fine, beautifully soft yarn that feels lovely against the skin, and make it in five quiet colors — beige, khaki, gray, coffee and green — the elegant shades that go with everything you own.

6It fits the body you have

We make the Sabrina from a size S all the way to 2XL and cut it relaxed on purpose. It is meant to fit the woman — not make the woman fit the sweater.

The Sabrina, against the sweaters you've been buying

Why they're clearing it now

They priced the Sabrina at $179.95 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 a third 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 I had believed the soft, beautiful sweaters and the affordable ones were two different drawers — and this one is quietly both. If that sounds like you, I hope you find your color 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.