The Line by K Tops: What I'd Actually Buy

I did not expect to be won over by a scoop neckline, but The Line by K keeps making the case. Karla Deras was a Los Angeles fashion blogger before she was a designer, and in spring 2015 she started the label on her own, with the idea that clothes should help a woman feel more like herself.

Her own description of the label is all about comfortable pieces with small details that sharpen a familiar shape. I think that sounds best when it is literal: a scooped neck, a shaped waist, a tee with a little movement at the sleeve. Nobody needs a styling thesis for that.

Deras is still the founder and creative director, and the pieces are made ethically in Los Angeles, which gives the whole line a grounded feel. These are clothes for ordinary plans as much as a night out. Comfort and shape sit together here instead of arguing, and that is the part I keep returning to.

A plain top gets more interesting when it has one idea. The Simon Top is the clean base, while the Umi Top and the Smythe Longsleeve Scoopneck Top pull the eye up to the neckline. The Reef Layered Ribbed Shortsleeve Top and the Daqi Short Sleeve Layered Top add texture and a visible edge. The Francine Pleated Short Sleeve T-shirt has enough going on that I would skip the necklace, and the Tavi Ruched Tank Top is the one for hot days.

My habit would be to choose one shape detail and keep everything else quiet: straight trousers, a plain jean, a skirt already in the closet. What I would skip is wearing a ruched top under a heavily structured jacket, since the detail just disappears.

Some days you want one decision instead of five. The Lenny Open Back Jersey Maxi Dress is my evening pick, because the open back already does the talking and I would keep the jewelry small. The Franz Maxi Short Sleeve Dress goes long in a more covered way, and the Imogene Jumpsuit is the simplest choice of all. The Everyday Pant and the Vana Skirt are there for the days the tops want to work as separates.

In my fashion dreams, she goes from a late lunch to a gallery opening in the Imogene Jumpsuit, low sandals and a jacket over one arm. I would not add a belt to the open back dress. One detail is plenty, and the jersey drapes better without competition.

I keep coming back to The Line by K because it gives everyday clothes a clear point of view without pretending everyone lives the same week. A good scoopneck, a layered tee, a long jersey dress: none of them asks for an occasion, yet each makes getting dressed feel a bit more deliberate. I would start with the top that earns a spot in a Tuesday rotation, then add the dress or skirt when the calendar gets more interesting. Although I suspect the top will keep winning.