California look fits to a tee
Britney and Christina and all the other pop tarts be damned, the bare midriff is on its way out. That is, if Cheyann Benedict and Claire Stansfield have their way. Their whisper-light, buttery-soft C&C; California tees are the hottest thing to hit the West Coast since the Juicy Couture track suit. The combed cotton shirts, which are designed to be layered, are long enough to disguise a midnight run to Krispy Kreme.
“As you get older, you don’t want to walk around looking like Britney Spears,” says Benedict, a reed-thin brunette with sparkling hazel eyes. “When you see pictures of Ali McGraw or Jackie O walking on the beach, they didn’t have their midriffs showing. Their T-shirts were narrow and long. The look was put-together and clean.”
C&C; shirts come in a rainbow of colors (“tutti-frutti pink,” “limeade,” “icicle blue,” “hot chocolate”) and more than 20 shapes, including tanks, three-quarter sleeves, scoop-neck short sleeves and extra-long sleeves (which bunch at the wrists).
L.A. is the birthplace of numerous T-shirt labels, including Michael Stars, Three Dots and James Perse. But Stansfield, who is 6-foot-1 and model-pretty, insists C&C; is unique. “I used to collect T-shirts from Laura Urbinati and Michael Stars, but it was tough to layer them, because they were too thick and hot. Our shirts came about out of necessity, and they are sexy,” she says.
The bias-cut shirts with twisted seams draw on Benedict’s passion for vintage concert tees. “All the shapes are inspired by what happens to T-shirts when they are worn a long time,” she says. “The three-quarter sleeve was inspired by a vintage tee that had long sleeves that shrank. And the idea for the off-the-shoulder tee came from a shirt with a neckline that was tugged on so long, it stretched out.”
Even in flesh-happy Southern California, women are responding.
“The bare midriff is over,” says Tiffany Wendel, manager of Dari boutique in Studio City. On Wednesday, she and four other women in the store were all wearing layered C&C; shirts. “The shirts are selling incredibly well, I think because of the color, the fit and the length.”
John Eshaya, women’s buyer for Ron Herman stores, agrees. “You don’t have to be skinny with your hipbones sticking out to wear them. But they are still sexy because they are thin and long, and they give a different shape to the body than we have been used to seeing.”
Eshaya compares Benedict and Stansfield to local designers Gela Nash-Taylor and Pamela Skaist-Levy, who revolutionized fashion with their Juicy Couture hoodies and low-slung track pants, the current casual chic uniform from L.A. to London. “I see a lot of one-hit wonders, but I see something good in these girls. They have got a lead into something new,” he says.
Before launching the line this spring, Benedict, 34, a San Diego native, managed the Calypso store at Sunset Plaza and worked as a photographer. Stansfield, 38, an actress who grew up in London before moving to Malibu with her family in her teen years, played the villainous “Alti” on “Xena: Warrior Princess.” She even has a fan club.
“I had a great career as an actor,” Stansfield says. “I got to travel to Bulgaria, South Africa, Brazil and New Zealand....But I didn’t want to worry about getting older.”
The two partners were introduced by Nico Golfar, the notable networker and party promoter. “We were wearing the same shirt!” Stansfield remembers. (It was an Urban Outfitters tank top.)
Like so many fledgling fashion companies, C&C; has received a barrage of publicity from celebrities. Oprah Winfrey featured the shirts in one of her “favorite things” shows in June. Jennifer Aniston was quoted in Bazaar’s May issue saying that C&Cs; are a staple of her wardrobe. Last month, Kristin Davis wore C&C; on “Sex and the City.”
The shirts, which range in price from $36 for a tank top to $75 for a mini-dress, are sold nationally. Local stores include Dari, Ron Herman, Lost & Found and Planet Blue. This fall, a men’s line is being introduced. (Ben Stiller wears C&C; in the forthcoming “Starsky and Hutch” movie.) But beyond that, there are no immediate plans to deviate from the basic formula.
“We will add one or two styles every season, but we’re never going to put tassels on the shirts, or bedazzle them, or put writing on them,” Stansfield says. “We want our buyers to come back every season knowing what they are going to get.”
As for the Juicy Couture comparison, naturally, the designers are thrilled. “Juicy has opened the door to the whole California look,” Stansfield says. “We’re lucky to fit into that niche.”
