Southern women always seem to have impeccable style, and this is certainly the case for the creators of Sara Claire & Esther. I had the pleasure of meeting the designers at a trunk show at We One You Two.
This womenswear line is the brainchild of two talented Southern belles, Aimee Wolk and Sara Jordan, (left and right, respectively, in the photo at right). Sara Claire & Esther were their grandmothers, and their elegance and personal stories serve as the inspiration for the label bearing their names. Both designers grew up in the South and attended Auburn University’s fashion design program.
They started their line in New York where they do production in local factories. They search for vintage fabrics in New York’s massive, factory-sized Goodwills and reformat them to create brilliant new designs based on classic shapes such as the sheath dress, the pencil skirt and the cropped collarless jacket. The designs look utterly modern yet timeless, as if they could be worn by the First Lady in 1968 or a young Hollywood starlet in 2009.
Who knew used khaki pants, oxford shirts and tablecloths could be so chic? The designs are feminine, ladylike and hearken back to an era of iced tea and etiquette.
One particular piece for fall is reminiscent of Chanel with its ivory boucle fabric and lace trim. Pieces of vintage men’s oxford shirts trimmed a mint green sheath dress called the “First Lady Dress” on the sleeves and defined the waistline. [ See the full-length and close-up pics at the bottom of the post. -ed.]
A classic pencil skirt, one of the most flattering silhouettes EVER, is embellished with a ruffle placed strategically on the outer edge so it adds a design twist, but manages to still be slimming. (I certainly do not need any of the extra width that sometimes goes hand in hand with ruffles. Not the case here.)
One of the prettiest features of a blouse was the lace trim edging an exposed zipper. And I love the signature gold topstitching that trims every garment, a la Louis Vuitton.
The piece de resistance was a longish jacket made of khaki pants and red silky fabric pleats that could be worn as a dress if you are that bold and/or comfortable with bare legs. The vintage fabric that is cut and reassembled has varying shades of fading that add visual texture. And the scarlet charmeuse layering is to die for!
One thing that I personally love about the designs is that they can be worn to the office, even to a stuffy K Street law firm. The pencil skirts and the sheath dresses are long enough to be office-worthy, and the tops are demure without being boring.
Dear readers, it IS possible to dress professionally without wearing Ann Taylor. (If I see another Ann Taylor pantsuit before I finish writing this post, I’m going to scream!) So please, branch out a little bit and make your coworkers smile when they see how cute you look in something that is unique, special and not mass-produced.
I am so excited to see Goodwill’s used clothing being recycled into beautiful new creations that are both eco-friendly AND fabulous!
PS - If you enjoy these vintage pieces, you may want to check out the 2008 Goodwill of Greater Washington virtual fashion show at www.fashionofgoodwill.org. There, you'll see several great examples of similar vintage fashions pulled from the racks at Goodwill Stores.
*The views expressed in this blog are solely those of Gillian Kirkpatrick and do not necessarily reflect those of Goodwill of Greater Washington or the DCGF.
Any purchase made at a Goodwill Retail Store or on shopgoodwill.com funds Goodwill's mission of training and employment programs for people with disadvantages or disabilities. Copyright Goodwill of Greater Washington.
