The Timeless Denim Jacket That Goes With Everything

A soft, oversized denim jacket in a lovely light wash — roomy, worn-in and timeless, it layers over everything you own and suits your whole wardrobe.

I'd been trying to replace my old denim jacket for years. The new ones are all cropped and tight and cut for a twenty-year-old, or stiff as a board and shapeless. Mine had worn out, and I'd all but given up on finding one that suited a woman my age.

What I really wanted was one timeless denim jacket that went with everything, had a bit of room to move and layer, and was soft from the first day — without trying too hard or cropping me off at the waist. But the young ones were tight, and the rest were stiff and dull. Nothing was both.

It was my daughter Sarah, up in Boston, who told me to stop settling for cardboard and try one from a small family boutique here in South Carolina — a soft, oversized denim jacket she thought would suit me. 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 jacket is called the Clara, 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.

1The timeless denim jacket that goes with everything

We made the Clara as a soft, oversized denim jacket in a lovely light wash — the kind of timeless piece that never dates and goes with everything you own. Thrown over a dress, jeans, or a plain tee, it just works, every time. One classic jacket that suits your whole wardrobe and looks effortless without trying too hard.

2An easy, oversized fit that skims and forgives

It's cut generously oversized, with a relaxed drop shoulder, so it falls easily over everything and skims the middle instead of gripping it — room to move, room to layer over a jumper, and nothing pulling or cropping you off at the waist. Relaxed and effortless, the way denim should be.

3Soft, worn-in denim from the very first day

Its denim is soft and worn-in from the moment it arrives — none of the stiff, cardboard feeling of most new denim — so it's comfortable straight away, like a jacket you've had for years. And it only gets softer and lovelier the more you wear it.

4Layers over everything you own

Thrown over a summer dress, a plain tee or a jumper, it finishes the outfit rather than swamping it — adding a bit of ease and cool without any fuss. One denim jacket that quietly pulls half your wardrobe together, and makes each thing you own look a little better.

5The just-right layer for cool days and bare arms

It's the perfect in-between layer for the days that catch you out — too warm for a coat, too cool for bare arms. Long sleeves cover the arms, it's light enough that you won't overheat, and it's easy to throw on the moment there's a chill. Just-right for spring, autumn and cool summer evenings.

6Four colours, and a size for you, from S to 2XL

It comes in four easy washes — a light blue, a mid blue, a deeper indigo and a black — and it runs from S to 2XL, cut generous and easy to layer over your knits and flatter a real range of bodies. A jacket made to fit the woman, not to make the woman fit the jacket.

The Clara, against the denim jackets in the shops

	The usual denim jacket	The Clara
The cut	Cropped, tight, for a 20-year-old	Oversized and easy, room to move
The feel	Stiff as cardboard	Soft and worn-in from day one
Getting dressed	Goes with almost nothing	Goes with your whole wardrobe
Layering	Won't do up over a jumper	Layers over everything you own
The in-between days	Too warm, or shivering	The just-right cool-day layer

Why they're clearing it now

They priced the Clara at $219.95 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 jacket is going out for under a third of that.

Mine arrived folded in tissue with a little handwritten note on top. I threw it on over my white tee that same morning, and it already felt like a jacket I'd had for years.

I don't usually write things like this. But the Clara is the denim jacket I'd all but given up on finding — soft, roomy, timeless, and it goes with everything I own. It lives by the door and I reach for it without thinking. If you've been hunting for a denim jacket that actually suits you the way I had, this is the one I'd tell you to try, while the sale is still on.

— Margaret Ellison · Mount Pleasant, SC

See the Clara — $69.95 →

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.