I have a natural affinity for oversized button-downs. However, there are a few elements of traditional button-downs that I dislike and that I know wouldn't work with our manufacturing process.
Instead, the Sleeveless Kara Snap Top eschews traditional stand collars, visible buttons, and sleeve cuffs with pleating. What remains is the suggestion of this classic garment and its spirit, but with all the comfort, ease, and simplicity that are the hallmarks of ES clothing.
This sleeveless, midi-length, snap-front, tunic-length top skews masculine, feminine, and everywhere in between. It works in almost any setting—worn to an evening affair or the beach as a coverup. I wanted to capture the timelessness and the nostalgia; a crisp button-down is a constant throughout history and in most people's closets today, but this universal silhouette somehow still has the ability to intrigue.
I picture an evocative artist with the front half-snapped, an eccentric professor with shirttails over wool trousers, or a brilliant writer in a sunlit apartment, clad only in a rumpled shirt with no time for pants.
Medium-duty snaps are inside the placket, so they're invisible. Easy and accessible to open, sturdy enough to not pull apart on accident. Wear closed or open, and fasten as many or as few snaps as you like. Form and function in true harmony for this style!
Named in collaboration with Aja Barber after the contemporary artist Kara Walker, who we dream of wearing this style in the studio.