The Soft, Easy Top That Looks Effortlessly Chic

A soft, drapey long-sleeve top with a lovely draped neckline — as comfy as loungewear, but it looks quietly stylish with no effort at all.

At 63, I want to look quietly stylish without any effort — but most "easy" tops make me look like I've given up, and the stylish ones are stiff and fussy. I just want one soft thing I can throw on and feel put-together in, morning after morning.

What I really wanted was one soft, easy top that looked effortlessly chic and felt like nothing at all. Everything I owned was either comfortable or stylish, never both.

It was my daughter Sarah, up in Boston, who told me to stop settling and try one from a small family boutique here in South Carolina — a soft, drapey top she thought I'd never take off. Before I tell you what it did, I think you should 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 top is called the Sofia, 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.

1Soft, easy — and effortlessly chic

We made the Sofia as a soft, drapey top you simply throw on — but instead of looking like loungewear, it looks quietly stylish. Its soft draped neckline and fluid fall do all the work, so you look effortlessly put-together with no styling and no fuss. As comfortable as your coziest top, and as chic as something far more expensive.

2A soft draped neckline that lifts it

It has a soft, draped funnel neckline that folds gently and elegantly at the neck — the kind of quiet detail that makes a simple top look modern and considered. It's the difference between a plain, forgettable top and one that looks like it was chosen with real taste. One lovely detail, and the whole thing looks thought-through.

3A relaxed fit that skims right over the middle

It has a relaxed, oversized fit that falls softly and skims right over the tummy and hips instead of gripping them. For those of us who've made peace with a softer middle but don't care to have it on display, it's forgiving and comfortable, and it still looks quietly elegant. You feel covered, never squeezed.

4Soft, smooth fabric that drapes beautifully

It's made from a soft, smooth fabric that drapes softly and feels lovely against the skin — no scratch, no stiffness, none of that cheap, thin feel. It's a gorgeous, fluid fabric that hangs beautifully and makes the whole top look far more expensive than it was. You feel lovely the moment it's on.

5It goes with everything you own

It goes over your trousers, your jeans, a skirt — its soft, elegant colours suit everything, and it always looks quietly put-together. One easy, versatile top that lifts whatever you pair it with and quietly pulls together your whole wardrobe, so you find yourself reaching for it again and again.

6Three soft colours, and a size for you, from S to 3XL

It comes in three soft, elegant shades — slate blue, black and soft white — and it runs from S to 3XL, cut relaxed and easy to flatter a real range of bodies. A top made to fit the woman, not to make the woman fit the top.

The Sofia, against your usual top

	The usual top	The Sofia
The look	Plain and dull, or stiff and fussy	Quietly stylish, effortlessly chic
The neckline	A plain crew	A soft draped funnel neck
The fit	Clings to the middle	A relaxed, oversized cut that skims it
The feel	Cheap, thin, or scratchy	Soft, smooth fabric that drapes
The wear	Works one way	Goes with everything you own

Why they're clearing it now

They priced the Sofia 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 top is going out at $59.95, well below half of what it was.

Mine arrived folded in tissue with a little handwritten note on top. I threw it on over my trousers that same morning and looked put-together in seconds — it's barely left me since.

I don't usually write things like this. But the Sofia gave me exactly what I'd stopped hoping to find — one soft, easy top that looks effortlessly chic, drapes right over the parts I'd rather not show, feels lovely on, and goes with everything I own. It's barely left me since it arrived. If you've been stuck between dull, comfortable tops and stiff, fussy ones the way I had, this is the one I'd tell you to try, while the sale is still on.

— Sandra Thompson · Mount Pleasant, SC

See the Sofia — $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.