Erin Beatty isn’t very concerned with what the fast-paced city dweller is wearing—she’s designing for an off-the-beaten path way of life. (Well, as off-the-beaten path as the rolling hills and large estates of Litchfield County, Connecticut can get.) The designer had a busy summer: she recently moved her flagship storefront from Kent to Washington Depot and is exploring how her designs can capture a new cohort of people flocking to the quiet corner of the Constitution State, even amid what she calls uncertain times. That being said, the fashion machine keeps on churning, and Beatty looked towards the idyllic French countryside for some classic summer dressing inspiration.
“I always say that there’s no worse feeling than being totally overdressed. A lot of people feel the opposite, but it’s something that’s really important to me,” said Beatty. At Rentrayage, casual style doesn’t have to mean a ripped T-shirt and dirty jeans, it can also be interchangeable deadstock woven blue and red plaid sets, or a hand-embroidered raw linen mini dress. There were also plenty of cute frolic-ready matching ensembles with ruffled blouses—the brand’s best seller—and matching skirts in white and salmon pink. For a fancier evening in town, there was a series of canary yellow silk cotton sets and a dress with intricate beaded trims.
In a contemporary American context, it can all feel a little homestead-y, but the Rentrayage customer skews slightly older and isn’t concerned with the TikTok discourse surrounding their favorite peasant blouse. “I think there’s a whole group of women who don’t feel like their needs are being completely addressed,” said Beatty. “I don’t think there is this existence of contemporary luxury like there used to be; it’s somehow fallen apart.” Becoming a local go-to boutique outside the confines of the city is a big step towards filling that gap.
