Notes from the shop

The Journal

Fit notes, care advice and the reasoning behind what we buy. Written by us, not outsourced.

Fit Notes

How to read our size chart

Our chart is body measurements, which means the number you find is you, not the garment. A size medium on our chart has a 36 to 37 inch bust — the top itself is cut roomier than that, because clothes need somewhere to go.

If you land at the top of one range and the bottom of the next, the deciding factor is the fabric. Anything with 2% spandex or more will forgive a half size. A woven blouse with no stretch will not, and you want the larger of the two.

Care

Making a graphic tee last five years

Soft-hand inks sit in the fabric instead of on top of it, which is why our tees feel like nothing and don't crack in a straight line across the chest. That softness is also what a hot dryer destroys.

Three habits: wash cold, turn it inside out, hang it to dry. Skip fabric softener — it coats the fibers and dulls the print. That's the whole routine.

Behind the Buy

Why we don't reorder prints

When a tee sells through in nine days, the obvious move is to order 200 more. We don't, and it costs us money every season.

Here's the trade: small runs mean you won't see your shirt on three other people at school pickup, and the money goes into finding the next thing instead of reprinting the last one. It also means when your size is gone, it's genuinely gone.

Styling

One button-up, four ways into November

The Kathryn is the piece we sell most, and the reason is arithmetic — it works open over a tee, tucked into denim, knotted at the waist, or layered under a vest.

Start with the tuck: front-tuck only, leave the sides out, and let the hem break just below the belt line. It reads intentional instead of fussy, and it works on every body we've tried it on.

Fit Notes

Denim that stretches, and by how much

Almost every pair on our floor has 1 to 3% spandex. That number tells you exactly how much the waist will give after an hour of wear.

At 1%, essentially nothing — buy your measured waist. At 2%, expect a half inch. At 3% or more, size down, because by dinner they will be a size bigger than they were at breakfast.

Behind the Buy

What happens to what doesn't sell

We mark it down twice, then it goes to the sidewalk rack, then it goes to the women's shelter on East Washington Street. Nothing gets destroyed and nothing gets landfilled.

It's a better outcome than a warehouse, and it's the reason our sale section is small and moves fast.