Clothes that are oh, so Charlotte

'Sex and the City' star Davis unveils refined line at Belk

There's nothing outrageous or overtly sexy about any of Kristin Davis' new collection at Belk.

(That rules out "Sex and the City's" Samantha Jones wearing it.)

It's also not for anyone who wants to inspire a trend, with perhaps a faux bird on their head for their wedding day. (Scratch Carrie Bradshaw.)

And it's not the look for anyone who doesn't like to feel pretty and playful. (Nix career-driven Miranda Hobbes.)

If you always said you were most like the "Sex and the City" character Charlotte York, now you have somewhere else to shop: Belk's new Kristin Davis department.

Pretty, polished and feminine with sprinkles of modern design elements, the Kristin Davis collection has the kind of pieces you can rely on to feel as if you're always appropriately dressed -- from the grocery store to girls-night out -- but not in a frumpy or out-of-touch sort of way.

With A-line skirts in soft prints, puffy cap-sleeved wrap blouses and wide-leg denim trousers, the collection could have easily come off the set of the TV show. Many of the looks are a reflection of preppy, proper York.

But if you look closely, you'll find it's a Charlotte York look with a softer Southern twist, a look, it turns out, that's pure Davis.

"It reflects that pretty, sophisticated look that people want here," Davis said recently in a phone interview from Charlotte. "People take care here on how they look. I appreciate that."

Charlotte-based Belk came to her with the idea to do the collection, something Davis said she didn't consider until she was asked.

"So many famous people are doing clothes," she said. "I never thought of doing it myself."

With her strong connection to Belk and the South -- Davis grew up in Columbia, S.C., and would save her baby-sitting money to shop at the department store -- the partnership just made sense to her.

"I understand the South in a way that I don't understand high fashion," she said. "I do feel like I have something to say in this area. And with their knowledge, I felt like I could make this work."

But where to start for ideas for the fall collection?

The first thought was to go shopping and see what Davis liked in stores. But instead, they found inspiration by what she already owned -- a closet full of vintage, classic and designer pieces, including some of her favorites by Prada, Yves Saint Laurent and Diane von Furstenberg.

"The collection is really based predominately on things in my closet," she said. "I prefer pieces in my closet that I've saved, classic pieces that aren't trend related."

She felt strongly that the collection wasn't based purely on trends but rather focused on silhouettes that were wearable to a wide variety of women and body types. For instance: a cotton peplum blouse with a wide belt and a skirt with pumps that have sturdy, stacked heels.

"I wanted it to be very wearable in the way that a DVF dress is wearable," she said.

Davis was also mindful of price for the collection, which includes boots, flats, earrings, statement necklaces, handbags and lingerie.

The prices aren't cheap chic, but they're not designer, either. In fact, they're what you might be used to paying at Belk, especially at the Crabtree store, which has turned up the volume on designer quality selection lately.

T-shirts start at $28. The most expensive piece is turning out to be one of the best sellers, a champagne-colored metallic linen trench for $248. Dresses range from $78 to $178.

"We wanted to keep it affordable," Davis said. "It's a scary time in the world right now. People shouldn't feel pressure to spend $800 on a pair of shoes."

Davis says she's still a little overwhelmed by the whole collection, especially by seeing her name on the labels.

"It's a little daunting going public with this," she said. "I feel strongly that I want everyone to feel good in the clothes and love the clothes."