The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Caftan designer reveals her summer favorites
What’s light, luxe, comfortable and flattering enough to wear anywhere? A caftan by designer Monica PatelCohn, who has reimagined the shapeless coverup as a chic essential that floats fluidly from pool to dinner party. The idea took hold after PatelCohn’s wedding, when she fell in love with the traditional saris worn by her Indian relatives. She set out to create a Western version and launched her line, the New York Citybased Two, in 2010. Now the designer, who honed her fashion eye working for Barneys New York creative ambassador Simon Doonan, jets to India once a year to pick fabrics and work with artisans, including a women’s cooperative and an indigo specialist, who handweave and dye the diaphanous cottons and silks. Her tops and pants are just as carefree and stunning, so beware: They may ruin you for the rest of your wardrobe. “I want to make things that feel heavenly,” she says, “that you can’t find anywhere else.”
Her essentials
“My style mantra is comfortable and chic.”
1. Jill Platner gold triangle studs
“I wear these every day. They make a statement without being fussy.” $530, jillplatner.com.
2. Two Pink Linen Pom Pom caftan
“This fabric has a great flow and drape. The drawstring neckline allows you to adjust how deep you want it to go.” $432, twonewyork.com.
3. Broadbent vinho verde
“I’ll throw it into a dish I’m cooking, like spaghetti with clams; then we’ll drink the rest.” $12, astorwines.com.
4. Nida basket “There are colored baskets all over my house — near the couch, in the bathroom — to hold my knitting, magazines, and the list goes on.” $36, makaua. com.
5. Zelens Lip Enhancer “It plumps your lips and gives just a hint of color.” $52, barneys.com.
6. Ban.Do Rough Draft notebook and Pilot G-TecC gel pen
“Notebooks are my weakness! And I learned about this pen from Simon Doonan. It has the best fine point.” Notebook, $12, bando.com. Pens, $10 for three, staples.com.
7. Hay coffeepot
“I brew Illy ground drip every morning in this fabulous pot, which serves two.” $69, store.moma.org.
8. Frederic Malle Geranium Pour Monsieur
“It’s a men’s fragrance — not too flowery, not too spicy.” From $192 for 50 milliliters (1.7 ounces), fredericmalle.com.
9. Pierre Hardy sandals “These espadrilles are perfect with a caftan.” $525, pierrehardy.com.