Caitlin Pike

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The Cumulus Collection

My first garment collection is named for the puffy clouds that indicate fair weather. That’s what these feel like to me: easy, joyful clothes for good, meaningful days on the horizon. Days spent—whether hard at work, strolling barefoot on the beach, or toasting at a wedding—wearing something that makes you feel entirely comfortable in your own skin.

With four mix-and-matchable garments in midweight linen and raw silk, this collection is driven by the values of comfort, elegance, and versatility.

COMFORT / ELEGANCE

Comfort is elegance. Clothes that carry you through all the different parts of your day, skim your body’s curves, feel soft against your skin, keep you cool, move with you—clothes that you feel like your true self in—to me, that’s the definition of good style. It doesn’t work in opposition to comfort; they’re two sides of the same coin.

With the distinctive ankle shaping of the Puff Pants, the architectural sweep of the Cuff Tee’s cuffs, and the gathered shape of the Tie Top, these clothes are intentionally designed to be visually interesting. But with loose, swingy fits; comfortable elastic waistbands; and soft, breathable natural fibers, they’re as easy to wear as pajamas.

VERSATILITY

Choosing to invest in clothing outside the world of fast fashion means considering new purchases carefully and often maintaining a smaller wardrobe overall. This means that versatility is key. These clothes are designed to complement each other easily, to be dressed up or down, and to work readily with other common wardrobe basics (the white linen Cuff Tee with high-waisted jeans is one of my favorite outfits). The Tie Top and Cuff Tee can each be worn multiple ways, further widening the range of possible outfits.

I have a longstanding love of matching separates—individually, each item serves its own purpose in your wardrobe, and together they make a striking, memorable outfit. Because all four garments are offered in the same five fabrics, either top can be combined with either bottom in a matching set.

The Cuff Tee paired with matching Puff Pants is a look I like to call “day pajamas”—casual, but still clearly intentional. On the dressier side, the Tie Top pairs perfectly with the Puff Pants or Puff Shorts to create a faux jumpsuit or romper. (I’m a huge proponent of this combo—all the style of a jumpsuit, but each piece can play an additional, separate role in your closet; it’s easier to achieve a perfect fit than with a traditional jumpsuit since you can order the top and bottom in different sizes if needed; and perhaps best of all, you don’t have to fully undress every time you go to the bathroom.)

Color-blocked sets also look fantastic—black and white linen feel clean and classic together. For a more playful look, try two colors of silk.

THE GARMENTS

THE FABRICS

Raw Silk

Raw silk, also known as silk noil, is a wonderfully easy-to-wear form of silk. Unlike other silk fabrics you may be familiar with, it’s not smooth and shiny. Woven from shorter strands of fiber, it has an earthy, nubbly matte texture and a pleasantly substantial hand. Like all silk, it’s incredibly soft on the skin, drapes beautifully, and has a subtle luminosity—the quality of seeming to hold its own light. I particularly treasure silk for its seemingly magical ability to keep its wearer warm in the winter and cool in the summer, also known as thermal stability.

In keeping with the practicality of this collection, raw silk is also one of the most easy-care forms of silk. It can be machine washed, which further brings out the nubbly texture. If you prefer to preserve the original feel of the fabric, it may also be dry-cleaned.

The silk colors in this collection are teal (a deep blue-green), lilac (a silvery pale purple), and gold (a warm, rich honey mustard).

Linen

Whether you wear it crisp and neat or soft and rumpled, linen is a beloved summer fabric for many reasons. It’s cool, breathable, durable, one of the most environmentally-friendly fibers around, and gets softer and softer as you wash and wear it. The linen used in this collection is a medium weight, light enough to drape nicely while still being thick enough to be sturdy and opaque.

I love to machine-wash and tumble-dry my linen garments, and I pre-shrink all the linen fabric I use so that you can do the same if you choose. Tumble-dried linen has a gorgeously soft, lightly rumpled texture—wear it as-is, or press on medium heat if you prefer a smooth, crisp feel.

I chose white and black linen for this collection—simple colors that go with nearly everything and, just like linen itself, are easy to dress up or down. White linen garments also make a great substrate for dyeing or printing if you want to personalize your clothes.

SEWN JUST FOR YOU

I cut and sew these garments to order in my home studio in Chicago. This method of production reduces waste and allows me to offer certain customizations like inseam lengths. It also means that there will be a bit of a wait—3-4 weeks is my current estimate—before your order is shipped to you. Know that this wait means your clothes are being made with individual care.

Thank you—I’m so excited to share this collection with you.