A Letter From a Reader
The one blouse I throw on and instantly feel put together
On the paisley print that hides nothing and hides everything, a soft drape that skims instead of clinging, sleeves you can roll or wear long, and colorways that go with what you already own.
The Joanna, a paisley button-up, and the top I now reach for without thinking.
I am 61 years old, and for a long time I have dressed so as not to be noticed. Shapeless tunics, a navy cardigan, the same tired blouses. Safe, sensible, invisible. Somewhere along the way I decided that a print with any life to it was for younger women, and I quietly stopped buying color.
But on a warm Savannah morning, a plain top does nothing to lift the day. What I secretly wanted was a blouse with a little personality in it, something that made me feel put together, without clinging to me the second the humidity found me. The printed tops were tight or thin. The comfortable ones were plain and dull. Nothing was both.
Then a woman in my walking group turned up in the most beautiful paisley blouse, deep jewel tones swirling from collar to cuff, and I could not take my eyes off it. She told me to read the Brooks family's letter first.
The Brooks Family runs a small boutique here in Savannah, Georgia, family-run since 1976, three generations, mother to daughter. The blouse is called the Joanna, and their letter walks through the handful of things they refused to compromise on. I am going to let their words carry it, because they say it better than I could.
1A paisley print with real depth to it
Most paisley prints on the market are flat and washed out, a single pass of color that looks fine on a screen and dull in person. Ours is layered, pink against teal against gold, so it catches differently depending on the light. Three times the mill sent back samples that were too pale, and three times we sent them back again. It is the reason someone at brunch will stop you mid-sentence and ask where your blouse is from.
★★★★★
"Three people asked about the sleeves the first day I wore it. Three.
Carol R., Pooler GA2A soft weave, chosen over stiff cotton
We tried a crisp poplin first and turned it down. It held the print beautifully but sat stiff against the skin all afternoon. So we chose a softer, lighter weave instead, breathable enough for a humid morning, with enough drape that it moves with you instead of standing away from your body.
★★★★★
"I wore it on a four hour drive and walked into dinner with no creases."
Diane M., Richmond Hill GA3Long sleeves that roll up or stay down
We gave the Joanna full long sleeves with a real cuff, roomy enough to push up on a warm day and left down on a cool one. It takes more fabric and a proper button cuff, which is exactly why most blouses at this price will not do it, and it is the thing women thank us for most.
★★★★★
"Finally, sleeves. I have it in two colors and I am going back for a third."
Patricia L., Rincon GA4A relaxed cut that skims, and never clings
We cut it with a relaxed, slightly oversized body that falls loose from the shoulder, so the air can move underneath and nothing pulls across the middle. We let the body out twice before we signed it off. It skims, it never grabs.
★★★★★
"It skims straight over my middle instead of hugging it. The first Blouse in years that does."
Linda K., Tybee Island GA5Buttons all the way down, a real collar
A full row of buttons runs down the front, not three at the collar with snaps hidden underneath. Open it over a tank on a hot afternoon, button it to the top for the office. The collar holds its shape wear after wear instead of curling by the second wash.
★★★★★
"The buttons are what sold me. Such a small thing, and it makes it."
Janet S., Guyton GA6Three colorways that go with what you own
From the bright pink paisley to a deeper green and a warm rust red, we chose each colorway so it would sit beside the denim and white jeans already in your closet, so the blouse earns its place from the very first day.
★★★★★
"I started with the Pink and went back for the Green."
Maureen T., Statesboro GAThe Joanna, against the blouses you have been buying
| The usual printed top | The Joanna | |
|---|---|---|
| The print | Flat, washed-out color | Layered paisley with real depth |
| The fabric | Stiff, or see-through thin | Soft weave, breathable and opaque |
| The sleeves | Short, or pinch at the cuff | Long, roomy, roll up or down |
| The fit | Tight or boxy | Relaxed cut that skims |
| Colors | One or two prints | Three, chosen for your closet |
The usual printed top
- Flat, washed-out color
- Stiff, or see-through thin
- Short sleeves, or they pinch
- Tight or boxy
- One or two prints
The Joanna
- Layered paisley with real depth
- Soft weave, breathable and opaque
- Long sleeves, roll up or down
- Relaxed cut that skims
- Three colorways, chosen for your closet
Why they're clearing it now
They priced the Joanna at $165 when it launched, and it sold at that price all season. But for America's 250th, the Brooks family wanted to give something back to the women who have kept their doors open since 1976, so every blouse is going out at a fraction of that.
I ordered mine that evening. It arrived a few days later in a kraft-paper parcel with a short handwritten note from the family. It has been the first thing I reach for on every warm morning since.
Joanna | Paisley Print Button-Up Blouse
$165.00$49.95
America's 250th Sale · Save 70%
- Layered paisley print, three colorways
- A soft weave that breathes and never clings
- Long roll-up sleeves with a real button cuff
- A relaxed fit that skims through the body
- Sizes S to 3XL · Free UPS shipping · 30-day money-back guarantee
Joanna | Paisley Print Button-Up Blouse · $49.95 while sizes last
Buy 2 get 10%, buy 3 get 15%, buy 4 get an extra 20% off. When it's gone, it's gone.
I do not usually write things like this. But I had dressed to disappear for so long, and this one pretty, easy blouse quietly gave me back the pleasure of getting dressed in the morning. If that sounds like you, I hope you get yours before it clears.
— Deborah Willson · Savannah, GA
This is a personal account from a Brooks Family customer. Deborah was not paid to write it. · The Brooks Family · Family Fashion · Savannah, Georgia, since 1976 · Free UPS shipping · 30-day money-back guarantee.
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