Here’s a preview of what you’ll find in our new shop at 1 North Main Street, Chester, CT (the iconic columned stone building at the main intersection). If you’d like to come to the Subscriber Saturday Preview Party on 3/16/19 from 1pm to 8pm, and you’re not already a newsletter subscriber, click here to sign up.

Xirena
Those fun rainbow stripes you’ve been spying on our invitation and shopping spree announcement? That’s Xirena (mermaid in Spanish!), a California collection designed for easy summer days and nights. The stripes are a slightly sheer cotton-silk blend, and the shirt may just be my favorite piece in the shop. You’ll be seeing lots of cotton gauze around this season. Xirena started this trend and is known for their high-quality double weight gauze and easy, breezy pieces.

It Is Well LA
I fell for this line of gauze separates, cotton tees and sweaters manufactured in Los Angeles. Their muted color palette all works together, and simple silhouettes make it easy to build a summer wardrobe here. Most of the collection is garment-dyed, which means each item is dyed after it’s sewn, which gives the collection it’s soft hand and “favorite tee” feel. Even better, the owners give 10% of their proceeds to Generosity.org to provide clean water (by digging wells) to communities that need it. Each well can help up to 500 people at a time, improving conditions for better health, education and economic opportunities.

Jumper 1234.
When spending a wad of cash on cashmere, it’s important to know where it’s from. Jumper 1234 is a British line of sweaters, knitted up in long-staple fibers from Mongolia, known for its high-quality yarn. The silhouettes are fresh but straightforward. This season you’ll find summer weight boxy cardigans and oversized vee necks; the perfect light layer for cool New England evenings.

Parker Smith
The denim business is tricky. It’s weirdly hard to find a great jean with superior construction and quality fabric under $200 these days, but we did at Parker Smith. Jeans are moving away from skinny (though we’re loathe to give them up entirely), but Parker Smith’s straight jean with a frayed hem in a light or dark wash is not taking too much of a leap. Slim through hip and thigh, with a medium rise and just enough stretch, this is the one you’ll live in.

Wrangler! (1947)
They’re BACK! The classic all American jean company (my DAD wears nothing else), has updated some vintage styles and produced them in lovely, lighter weight denims with a super soft hand. The new “painter’s pant” has a wide cropped leg but has all that 70’s detailing we loved. The crop Heritage is based on their very first jean, with a higher waist and slim but not skinny leg. Oh, and they’re just cool.

Avenue Montaigne
This pant line, designed by a tres chic French woman and manufactured in New York City, is known as the magic pant. Working in a variety of stretchy fabrics, the trousers, all of them, pull right on. We’re all about body positivity, and these are an easy fit for sizes 2 to 14 (and that 14 can probably work on a 16, too). New York Magazine has called them the “spanx of fancy pants” because of the tummy flattening band, but not all of them are fancy! This season, we loved the cropped wide leg in lightweight stretch linen, but we’re also stocked up on the basic viscose skinny pant in black and navy (I suggest getting both) because you’ll reach for these bulletproof trousers every single day.

Natalie Martin

If anyone has perfected the Southern California beach dress, it’s Natalie Martin. I’ve got a small collection of these in my closet, and it’s not an exaggeration to say that they are my go-to for fancy events, farmers’ markets, or (of course) the beach all summer long.
(Talk about versatile). Crafted in hand-printed silks and rayons, we’ve got comfortable kurtas, flowing maxis, and this stunning silk number.

Mae Lu

Handmade and block-printed by artisans in India, Maelu’s easy kurtas, kimonos and pants are made sustainably with natural fibers and dyes (including indigo bush and pomegranate skin). A portion of the profits go directly to www.globalfundforwomen.org, supporting the advancement of women’s human rights around the world. Look good, feel good, and do good. Yup!

Auntie Oti
Auntie Oti’s bright hand-spun, woven and dyed cotton khadi shirts are inspired by Gandhi and his vision of rural self-reliance. We love them for their crisp hand, easy fit and pop of color! We’ve paired it here with the essential summer cotton plaid dirndl skirt that hits mid-calf (also available in a much more subtle navy plaid). These humble and handmade clothes crafted in India are a far cry from ubiquitous and generic mass-produced clothing.

And that’s not all; there’s so much more. Come visit to see the entire spring collection.

1 North Main Street, Chester, CT

Hours:

Tuesday, Wednesday:  11 – 5

Thursday, Friday: 11 – 6

Saturday: 10 – 6

Sunday: 11 – 4

Phone: 860.322.3388

Manager: Laurence@theelist.com

About the Shop

Mission:

Our mission is to make women happy. Shopping is fun! We’re hoping to offer an old-fashioned customer-centric experience provided by our amazing team of smart, knowledgeable, fashionable women. And, more challenging, we plan to offer this level of service online, too.

We’re body positive. Our size range runs from 2 to 14, and we’ve purchased carefully. Some of our collections run on the large side, so we think we can outfit a 16 comfortably, too. We are necessarily working within the constraints of the wholesale market and what is available to us.

We’re trying to eliminate the 80/20 rule. We want you to wear all your clothes, all the time. Buy less, but better. Our collections reflect our “wardrobing” concept. We can put together a capsule closet of layers that you’ll live in through spring and summer.

Comfort AND fashion. Yup, we like both. Most of our clothing is made from natural materials and everything has an ease, whether it’s a soft prewashed cotton, cozy cashmere or denim with just enough stretch.

The E List has always been a happy place, and we’re determined that our brick and mortar is, too. Come visit us in Chester and be ready to have fun, be experimental, and let Laurence and Jeannie wrap you up in fashion and love.