The perfect breezy summer outfit with Head in the Clouds linen
Once you’ve slipped into a flowy piece from Susan Gouinlock’s new line, you won’t want to wear anything else
Acouple of months ago, I had a lunch date with my pal Susan Gouinlock. Susan is one of those people who is always wearing, or carrying, or just about to dash off to do something interesting.
On this particular afternoon, Susan sat down at the table to join me and took off her jacket. Underneath it she was wearing the loveliest linen blouse with billowy sleeves and a gathered neckline.
“What do you think of this top?” Susan asked me, pulling at one of its nicely finished seams. “I just finished making it this morning.” Susan is also the kind of person who makes things. She comes across something she likes, or gets an idea in her head, and the next thing you know, she is up late listening to NPR, stitching together countless pairs of mittens from bits of old cashmere sweaters for the homeless. Or designing a logo for a women’s group she’s just come up with, or whipping up centrepieces for a fundraiser from clippings of ivy and bunches of grapes.
I told her that I loved it, and immediately asked her if she might make me one.
I have done this before, with a clever boxy dress with patch pockets that Susan devised a couple of summers ago inspired by a complex Japanese sewing pattern that she nicknamed her “bento” dress.
The bentos were a big hit amongst Susan’s friends, who all took to placing custom orders and then wearing them 24/7 as if we were members of a cult (which in a way, we are).
I still prize a couple of her early renditions in my closet as they are just the easiest, breeziest thing to toss on with a pair of sandals on a steamy day and look somewhat smart.
I never did manage to get my order in for Susan’s pretty linen top, however, before the whole deal took off and the next thing anyone knew, there was a new line — called Head in the Clouds — and a launch party of the same name at the reopening of the wonderful Gaspard boutique across the street from its original Queen St. W. storefront.
The party was so buzzy with Gaspard regulars and Susan’s fan base, I scarcely managed to score a fabulous cerise model before the whole line was snapped up. Days later, I left for a vacation in Italy, where it must be said, the locals do know their way around both intricate tailoring and fine linens, and I got compliments everywhere I went in Susan’s design — which, by the way, is prettily handfinished in the most luxurious, organic Lithuanian linen.
If you’re lucky, you might still be able to grab one for yourself — my sources advise there are a handful left on the racks at Gaspard. Even though the collection is called Head in the Clouds, there isn’t anything the slightest bit impractical about them. Once you slip one on, you won’t want to wear anything else.
($220, gaspardshop.com) Karen von Hahn is a Toronto-based writer, trend observer and style commentator. Her new book, What Remains: Object Lessons in Love and Loss is published by the House of Anansi Press. Contact her at kvh@karenvonhahn.com.