'Dateless' Shirts Find Soulmates at Beige

Turning lemons into lemonade, Boston-based designer Stephanie Seeley has created a line of Dateless T-shirts that are blowing out of the Los Angeles boutique Beige.

“I had 20 last week, and now, I’m down to three,” said store co-owner Kelly Peterson, who expects another shipment by the end of the month.

Along with Ron Herman/Fred Segal, Beige is the exclusive Los Angeles vendor of the one-of-a-kind, ultra-soft, hand-stitched shirts adorned with vintage fabrics from curtains to upholstery.

Seeley began her venture one evening last year while home alone. Using men’s cotton undershirts, she gives the garments tucks and darts for a snug fit, then stitches on strips of material in random designs. She embroiders the back seam of each shirt with the calendar date of its creation.

At $155 a shirt, sticker shock is a non-issue for customers, said Peterson, whose store caters to the Dixie Chicks, Debra Messing, Penelope Cruz and other fashion hounds. “Most of my clients are always looking for a unique item—they don’t mind paying more if it’s something special,” she said. —Nola Sarkisian-Miller