Thursday Style Section: Leigh DeLeonardo Clothing

Brand Name: Leigh Deleonardo Clothing and Union Clothing

Designer: Leigh Deleonardo Website: unionhandmade.com Instagram: @unionhandmade

Leigh Deleonardo dressed her first customer, Barbie, when she was just seven years old. With time and perseverance, her skills developed, as did her clientele. After graduating from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 1984, Leigh launched her collection of women's suits and separates, selling to fine specialty shops and department stores such as Nordstrom, Saks, and Marshall Field's. But Leigh felt she had become a fashion manufacturer rather than a clothing designer. She decided to embrace a slower pace with small production that allowed creative freedom and strong customer relationships. She opened her first designer consortium, Made To Fit in 1994 which she closed 4 years later to focus on her family. In 2013 she opened Union Handmade, another consortium featuring primarily local designers who share a love of timeless design and limited production.

TSS Leigh Deleonardo 5

TSS Leigh Deleonardo 2

TSS Leigh Deleonardo 1

Spring/Summer New Arrivals

The 2020 Spring/Summer Collection launched on March 1st.

Now for the most important question... WHO DO YOU HANG WITH?

Leigh describes her clothing as contemporary but timeless; comfortable but flattering; simple but special; reasonably priced but beautifully sewn and made of fine imported fabrics. This aligns with brands like Toast, Cabbage and Roses, Margaret Howell, and Lisette.

We curated a year round capsule collection using a mix of items from Leigh Deleonardo, Toast, Margaret Howell, and Lisette. Pieces are linked below.

Spring/Summer Capsule Collection

Leigh Deleonardo Red Button Down*

Leigh Deleonardo Dark Grey Zippered Dress*

Leigh Deleonardo Navy Long Sleeve Tunic*

Leigh Deleonardo light Grey Short Sleeve Dress*

Leigh Deleonardo Neutral Collared Long Sleeve Shirt*

Fog Linen Works eliana pant: acie

Leigh Deleonardo Green Wrap Tunic*

Toast Fisherman Trousers

Margaret Howell Semi Lined Blazer Cotton Linen Drill Off White

Leigh Deleonardo Navy Button Down*

*For information about Leigh Deleonardo's pieces please contact her at unionhandmade@gmail.com

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Welcome to our Thursday Style Section! We feature Designers from the Greater Chicago Area every week. Nominate your favorite designer here.