A high collared dress cut with nothing on the shoulders at all. The neckband sits up close and the fabric gathers down from it across the chest, so the front has soft vertical folds rather than one flat panel. The armholes drop low and open into a cutout at the side of the waist, which is the one place the dress leaves skin and it does it on purpose.

Below the cutout the fabric is ruched tight across the hip and gathered into a knot at the center front, with a long tie left hanging down the length of the skirt. That gathering is what shapes the dress — it holds close where it is drawn in and releases into a smooth column underneath. The cloth has a matte surface and enough give to move with you rather than resist.

• Neckline: high gathered collar with bare shoulders
• Waist: open cutout at one side
• Body: ruched hip panel gathered into a center-front knot
• Detail: long tie left loose down the skirt
• Fit: close through the body and smooth to a long hem