Wednesday

Julia Leach on Perfecting the Striped T-shirt, or the ‘Paperclip of Personal Style


Julia Leach is a virtuoso of the well-considered detail. Everything about CHANCE, her year-old lifestyle brand, indicates painstaking attention to getting the little things right— from the universally flattering fit of her classic boat-neck to the pin-striped tissue paper in which her merchandise is wrapped. After spending her formative years at Chiat/Day and Kate Spade, Leach started her own company with the premise that a great striped tee is “the paperclip of personal style," as she puts it. Her brand has since grown from the initial line of signature tees, espadrilles, pajamas, and sun hats to include jewelry, towels, totes and more. We sat down with Leach to discuss what makes one T-shirt better than another and how she plans to take CHANCE into its second chapter. Fingers crossed, this will mean permanent stores in one or two cities in the near future.