A shirt dress built from the working parts of a real shirt. A point collar sits at the top of a button placket that runs unbroken to the hem, two flap pockets are set high on the chest, and the short sleeves are turned back at a cuff so they hold their shape instead of collapsing down the arm. Nothing on it is there only for decoration, and the dress is the better for that.

The waist runs on a drawstring through an elasticated channel, which means you set the shaping once and it stays where you put it. The cloth has a fine crinkle so creases read as texture rather than as wear after a day spent sitting down, and it falls to mid-calf with a short opening at the front hem. Pockets sit in the side seams. In green, beige or navy, each one quiet enough to take a flat tan sandal without argument.

• Collar: point collar over a full button placket
• Sleeves: short with turned-back cuffs
• Waist: drawstring tie on an elasticated channel
• Pockets: two chest flaps plus side seam pockets
• Hem: mid-calf with a front opening