Not your average tee! Zoë Kravitz, Gracie Abrams, Laufey, Audrey Hobert, and a growing list of It-girls are stocking their wardrobes with Cleo’s signature tops, and once you see them, the appeal is instant.
With three-quarter length sleeves, a reversible neckline (low in the front or the back), plus two delicate buttons on the left side, the tee strikes a balance between effortless for day and elevated for night.
So, what’s the secret behind the viral staple? According to founder Cleo Camp, it all starts with that wear-anywhere appeal.
“I design an everyday elegance line for the girl who I imagine is the busiest girl in the world. She is busy building her own dream. … Cleo clothes and accessories fit 9-5 and 5-9 because my customer can do it all, without stopping at home to change,” she tells ET.
The celebrity co-signs prove the point.
“Audrey shows up on stage in front of hundreds of people in my Cleo Tees in the same way she would meet a friend or go out to dinner,” Camp notes.
With six colors available, along with two dress options, the brand makes it easy to build a rotation you can rely on all week, something that feels especially personal to Camp.
“My grandmother, Christie, is my big inspiration. She had a signature look. She would re-wear the same silhouettes in different colors and materials over and over again, creating a stylish uniform that I knew as only hers,” she shares.
That familial influence goes beyond philosophy; it shaped the top’s form itself.
“My mom and grandma always wore quarter sleeves which I found really flattering and I was really focused on silhouette when I designed my tee. I wanted to frame the shape of the female body. … I used that to create my version of the perfect tee, and luckily others thought so too.”
Outside of her chic relatives, Camp’s aesthetic is rooted in a love of vintage fashion and pop culture. She often looks to designers like Agnès B., Vivienne Westwood, Diane von Furstenberg, Donna Karan, Norma Kamali, and Betsey Johnson, as well as iconic television shows for inspiration.
“Fashion is just what I consume and look for naturally. … In the studio, I replay episodes of Entourage and Sex and the City. I obsess over the details of every outfit from an era or style in fashion and TV that I wish still existed and find vintage designer pieces online late at night from eras before I was born.”
To take your own look up a notch, Camp recommends pairing her tees with the brand’s handcrafted leather and suede bags, which are equal parts practical and conversation starting.
“I’ve heard stories of women meeting on the street in a foreign city because they both had the same bag or a guy using my bag as an excuse to talk to a girl,” the California native spills.
But the designer’s ultimate outfit formula brings it back to individual style.
“Wear an accent or floral pin, a pair of standout shoes, heels or not, a perfectly fitting pair of Levi’s, and something meaningful that’s been passed down to you.”
