The annual search for the perfect shirt dress begins

[stringbean]

Every autumn I search for a shirt dress. I'm looking for something simple, ideally with blue/navy in a brushed cotton or other natural fabric. Midi/calf length, tie belt, long sleeves that can be rolled back. I don't want puffed sleeves, gathered shoulders, tiered skirts: don't mind a subtle print or check but don't want garish or ditsy patterns. No breast pockets but side pockets would be good. Ideally not cord as too bulky.

It seems to be impossible to find such an item. Most of the stuff I've seen are prairie styles or autumn russet/mustard colours or cord. Boden has a lot of offerings but I seldom find the dresses fit me - 5'8'and long body so the waist is always too high. Prepared to pay more than high street prices for the right thing, either for work or just wearing at weekends. Anyone seen anything suitable?

Have you tried Eleven Loves? I have a shirt style dress from there but it's a couple of years old now. I like their stuff, it's well made.

I had two cotton shirt dresses from LaRedoute in the summer, one black and one navy - short sleeve in this case, but I’m looking to see if they get a long sleeve type. In every other way, they ticked all your boxes! I’m also tall (5’ 9) and they were perfect in both length and where the waist hit.

I am 5'7 and have a shirt dress like this from Brora last season.

Thank you for the replies. Eleven Loves are too voluminous/puffy sleeves and I'd already looked at and discounted LaRedoute. I tried some Brora dresses last year but they were too short and this year's have the belt attached to the side-seams which isn't the look I want.

Shirt dresses should be such a simple shape but I find that manufacturers then tend to add some embellishment which detracts from the simplicity. The Boden shapes are often very simple but their prints are bloody awful for the most part, and their solution to 'long' is to tack extra inches on the bottom which just means the waist is somewhere under my boobs. Will keep searching!

Jasper Conran?

Hobbs have a range of shirt dresses, some of them are reasonably unfussy. Hobbs Shirt dresses

I have two that meet these criteria. One is navy jersey with a beige print from Fat Face or possibly White Stuff- about five years old. The other is a brushed cotton navy/green/dark red tartan from Sainsburys last year. Unfortunately I realised that when I wear the latter on a conference call it looks as though I’m still in my pyjamas.

Any on community clothing suit?

communityclothing.co.uk/collections/womens-dresses-jumpsuits

Crew Clothing

another Crew

denim but doesn't look too heavy

Laura Ashley

https://www.monsoon.co.uk/lulu-denim-dress-1000081321.html?utm_content=nonbrand&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwgL-3BhDnARIsAL6KZ68MSxh1ZjwfFZGkKE42oOn-iOYArKl05j680c9DEoRiPg0QeQq0iasaArUXEALw_wcB

LK Bennet appear to have a few but Sosandar has this in faux leather with poppers (for easy access??!!)

https://www.next.co.uk/style/su091835/n59686#n59686

Hush and it looks quite long on the model so possibly good for you height-wise?

(That Sosandar faux-leather one was a joke suggestion by the way, though the brand does appear to have other shirt dresses which might fit the bill)

Have you thought about getting a dressmaker to make one for you? You’ll get exactly what you want and it will fit!

https://www.theshirtcompany.com/collections/shirt-dresses

Anything here?

https://www.nobodyschild.com/products/denim-graceland-shirt-dress-d242548blu

You could add a belt?

No belt but shaped at the waist.
https://www.cos.com/en_gbp/women/womenswear/dresses/product.waisted-midi-shirt-dress-blue.1187027002.html

@EwwSprouts - the Monsoon one is quite nice but I don't want denim, it's too bulky, and I need a shirt collar rather than a round one. Definitely not faux leather - too sweaty 🤣. Jasper Conran are a nice shape but a bit formal. This from Hobbs is the closest I've found in terms of shape; ok for work but bit formal for the weekends.

@Xiaoxiong - the Laura Ashley one is a nice shape but I don't like the gathered waist and it's viscose which creases really badly. Not keen on the Crew Clothing ones unfortunately ☹️

This one from & other Stories?

www.stories.com/en_gbp/clothing/dresses/midi-dresses/product.adjustable-shirt-midi-dress-blue.1227849002.html

Not keen on that one @berrypop - sorry!

Shirt dress - Community Clothing? X

https://communityclothing.co.uk/collections/womens-dresses-jumpsuits/products/womens-lorelle-belted-midi-cotton-shirt-dress-navy?variant=47724792873237

From a fellow long-bodied person I’ve had some luck with Uniqlo and cos shirt dresses (though I tend to wear them unbelted). Haven’t looked at either site recently but Vinted might also have some gems from previous seasons

Oh and I have a cord shirt dress from Tu of all places, I think, but the cord is so light/fine it’s not really any different from a brushed cotton

No - I'm looking for a midi-calf length. Am honestly thinking it just doesn't exist . I actually like this -although it's not blue - but can't justify the price tag. But it's what I'm after in terms of cut and simplicity and natural fabric.