Shift dress styles in rib knit and velvet

A shift dress is what we’d hand you on a day with three plans and no time to change in between. We cut it straight, with no seam pulling in the waist and no full skirt. In rib and velvet it follows the body more than the boxy sixties kind.

Angora-blend and rib turtlenecks for a cold commute

Does angora itch? Not ours. The milky white midi with a turtleneck is soft against bare skin and warm even in an office where the heating never quite works, and you’ll need nothing more than ordinary thick tights under it. It’s a knit that gives, so you’ll be fine in the size you usually wear.

Gray angora gets a belt at the waist and loafers for work. In beige, we’d go with gold, maybe a watch on a leather strap, and a caramel or chocolate bag.

Some of our black rib turtleneck midis have a slit at the leg. It opens when you step, and the rib stretches with you, so the hem never holds you back on the stairs. Morning means a camel coat and boots with a chunky sole. Evening means heeled ankle boots, and a bracelet in place of a necklace, since the collar already covers your neck.

The beige rib turtleneck stops at the knee and has a true beige with no pink cast, so it’s easy to match.

Three-quarter sleeves for the office, all year round

Two of our shift dress midis aren’t seasonal at all. Both have a round neck and sleeves that end just above the wrist, one in black, one in powder pink. Put the black one under a jacket with low pumps for a meeting. Dinner later? Take the jacket off. On New Year’s Eve, stilettos.

Powder pink’s the one for a christening or a big family lunch. Gray, milky white and graphite look good next to it.

Size by your hips here. When your bust says S and your hips say M, order the M. Otherwise you’ll feel the skirt pull with each stride. The sleeveless rib midis follow the same straight line, and they layer well over a thin turtleneck or a white shirt.

White velvet for a winter ceremony

A civil ceremony in December, an engagement dinner, a party where you want white and warm. Our white velvet shift dress ends a little below the knee, and pearls sit nicely in its round neckline. Wear seamless skin-tone underwear under white. It fits close, so take the size that matches your widest measurement, bust or hips. Once it’s washed, let it dry on a hanger, nowhere near a radiator, and steam any creases out from the wrong side.

More collars live with our high neck dresses, office looks are on the page for weekdays at the desk, and the whole catalog has the rest.