The one summer top I have not stopped reaching for.

On the top that finally covers your arms without the heat, why a small South Carolina family made it the way they did, and why they're clearing it now.

I am 63 years old, and for about eight years I have not worn short sleeves to anything that mattered. Somewhere in my fifties I decided my upper arms were nobody's business but mine, and I made my peace with a cardigan in ninety-degree heat.

The trouble is, covering up in summer usually means cooking. So my closet had two piles: tops that were cool but left my arms bare, and tops that covered me and turned into a sauna by lunch. I had decided those were the only two choices a woman my age got.

Then a woman in my church group here in Mount Pleasant kept turning up looking effortless — covered, and somehow not melting. I finally asked. 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 top is called the Amara, 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.

1Sleeves that cover the arms — without the heat

We cut the Amara with wide three-quarter sleeves that cover the tops of the arms, in a real, breathable linen. The air moves straight through them, so you are covered and cool at the same time — the two words most summer tops cannot manage together.

2A boat neckline that sits just right

A soft, wide boat neckline that sits gently off the shoulders — high enough to feel covered, open enough to feel elegant. It skims the collarbone and makes the most of a long necklace instead of hiding under one.

3A linen that actually breathes

It is a soft, lightweight linen chosen for one reason: to stay cool. It lets the air through instead of trapping it, so it does not glue itself to your back the moment the heat arrives.

4A relaxed cut that skims

We cut it loose and easy, so it falls away from the body instead of gripping it. It flatters the middle by skimming past it — no clinging, no tugging.

5Five easy colors

We offer the Amara in five soft, easy shades — the kind that go with the trousers and jewelry you already own. Most women who buy one come back for a second before the season is out.

6It fits the body you have

We make the Amara from S to 3XL and cut it relaxed on purpose. It is meant to fit the woman — not make the woman fit the top.

The Amara, against the tops you've been buying

	Typical summer top	The Amara
Arms	Bare, or a hot cardigan	Covered 3/4 sleeves that breathe
Fabric	Hot, sticks in the heat	Lightweight, breathable linen
Neckline	Too high or too low	A flattering boat neck
Fit	Clings at the middle	Relaxed, skims
Sizing	Runs small	True fit, S–3XL

Why they're clearing it now

They priced the Amara at $154.95 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 Amara is going out at less than a third of that.

I ordered the coral. 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 spent too many summers hiding my arms or melting in a cardigan, and this is the first top in a long time that fixed both. If that sounds like you, I hope you find your color before it clears.

— Margaret Ellison · Mount Pleasant, SC

See the Amara — $49.95 →

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.