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From the House
The story behind the edit
One dress, and it is the Ibrik Shirt Dress in camel: a shirt collar, a button placket and balloon sleeves, cut long enough to wear on its own and structured enough to wear open over trousers.
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It sits in the gap most Indian wardrobes are short of. Something you can wear to an office in the morning and to dinner in the evening without going home to change in between. Made by hand in Ahmedabad in a small run.
The Gap It Fills
Indian wardrobes tend to be organised by occasion rather than by hour. There is festive wear, there is office wear, and there is what you wear at home, and the pieces rarely cross over. The result is a change of clothes between a workday and an evening, which is fine on a Saturday and impractical on a Thursday. A shirt dress is one of the few silhouettes that moves across that line without effort: the collar and placket do the formal work, the length does the ease, and a change of earrings does the rest. That is the whole argument for owning one, and it is why we cut this in camel rather than a colour that commits to a mood.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this Indian wear or Western wear?
Both, which is the point. The silhouette is a Western shirt dress; the fabric, the making and the way it takes accessories are Indian. It works with jhumkas as readily as with nothing at all. We have written more about that middle ground in indo-western wear for the modern Indian woman.
What size should I order?
Go by the size chart rather than your usual size, and measure a garment you already own to compare. Between two sizes, size up, since a shirt dress reads better with room through the shoulder than pulled across it.
Can I wear it as a layer rather than a dress?
Yes. Left open over straight trousers it works as a long shirt, which is the version most people reach for on a workday.
Is it appropriate for an office?
Yes. The collar and placket do the formal work, and the balloon sleeve keeps it from reading like a uniform. If you want the full weekday breakdown, see styling Indo-Western pieces for the office.
How do I dress it up for an evening?
Change the jewellery and nothing else. A plain dress is the best possible ground for a single strong piece, which is the principle we set out in styling a plain dress with Indian craft. Start with the Neck Edit or a pair of kundan earrings.
What is it made from?
Listed under Product Details on the product page, along with the full measurements.
How do I care for it?
Hand wash cold and separately, or a gentle machine cycle in a mesh bag with mild detergent. Dry in shade. Iron on the reverse at low heat, and press the collar and placket flat while slightly damp.